Natalie Samarasinghe, UNA-UK's Executive Director, joined Mike Gapes MP, a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and John Dubber of the British Council, to debate the changing role of Britain in the 21st Century. Entitled 'Punching Above Our Weight', the meeting was organised by GlobalNet21 and took place in the House of Commons on 25 March.
Speaking first, Mike Gapes outlined the recent work of his committee, which has included a report on the UK's relationship with the United States, discussions on the BBC World Service and consideration of several country-specific issues, such as Libya and Crimea. Having pointed to the scale of these challenges, he said that the UK has limited resources, financially and diplomatically. He emphasised the importance of the UK's partnerships with other countries and its membership of organisations such as the UN, EU and NATO.
In her presentation, Natalie Samarasinghe focussed on the UK's role in addressing global challenges. She spoke about the impact of long-term trends and recent events on the international community, noting the lack of appetite to tackle both immediate humanitarian crises and broader issues like climate change. She stated that the UK was still, by most measures, a very powerful state, and that despite limited resources, it is in a position to play an influential role, by providing leadership, by setting a good example and by serving as a convenor of states.
John Dubber concentrated his remarks on the UK's soft power in the context of a world where cross-border relationships are increasingly person-to-person, rather than state-to-state. He said that the UK continued to be a leading state in many areas - such as culture, sport and education, describing it as a 'soft power superpower'. While the extent to which this gives the UK real influence is a matter of debate, it is clear that it gives the UK a significant advantage, not least in terms of trade and investment opportunities.
The presentations were followed by a wide-ranging debate with questions from the floor. UNA-UK will be examining these issues in more detail at its major one-day UN Forum event, entitled "Can Britain still cut it on the world stage?"
Click here to book your place for this event, and to submit your thoughts ahead of the day
Click here to read Natalie's remarks
Photo (from left to right): John Dubber, British Council; Francis Sealey, GlobalNet21; Mike Gapes MP and Natalie Samarasinghe (c) GlobalNet21
