International trends / Other publications
FRIDE in Casa de Galicia: "the European Union and the United States: an opportunity to rethink the relationship"
06/03/2008 By Publicaciones FRIDE
Clare Short, Britain’s current Member of Parliament for Birmingham, became an international figure when she resigned as Minister for Development in protest at Tony Blair’s decision to participate in the invasion of Iraq without the explicit support of the United Nations.
This recognition she received for this act would be equally deserved for the new direction she gave Britain’s development cooperation. Her decision not only demonstrated the differences between Downing Street and British society with regard to Iraq, but also proved she was a person committed to multilateralism, dialogue and the primordial role of the United Nations.
This commitment, which the former minister has made clear throughout her political career, formed the basis of her participation in the “FRIDE in Casa de Galicia” forum.
The world is, in her view, showing notable incompetence in its efforts to tackle a series of enormous challenges. The crisis in the Middle East, nuclear proliferation, climate change, poverty and failed states are all interrelated issues that require global action.
However, the war on terror has not only altered the international agenda, but has also buried the spirit of international consensus that, over the course of the 1990s, made landmark agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, the Millennium Development Goals and the Monterrey Consensus possible.
For Claire Short it is crucial that we recover the international commitment to sustainable development, justice and equality that was lost after the September 11 attacks as the security agenda took primacy. International organs, especially the United Nations, must be more flexible, effective and representative.
The new challenges for foreign policy such as intra-state conflicts are more likely to be resolved, she believes, through global agreements drawn up within a multilateral framework, than they are by simply increasing defence budgets.
The ex-minister underlined two questions. On one hand, a new conception of foreign policy is necessary in order to confront multiple global challenges. In order to do this, Europe could make concrete contributions, distancing itself from “the politics of consensus” and executing different policies. To be specific, she suggested that some European countries could establish dialogue with Hamas in the Middle East, channelling more aid in order to alleviate the suffering of those in Gaza and promote a joint government between Hamas and Fatah.
On the other hand, she also indicated that progress does not require Europe to design policies that conflict with those of the United States, but instead that it seek new forms of cooperation with that country while also adopting its own measures when necessary. By doing this it can avoid a repeat of the grave mistakes made by the UK when it chose to commit fully to the war in Iraq.
She also argued that in 2009 the new US President should likewise support Europe’s efforts to revive the spirit of positive change that characterised the 1990s.
Publishing groups
FRIDE in Casa de GaliciaKeywords
Dialogue Europe International organisations International relations Multilateralism USRelated publications
- Conflict prevention and the european response to states in crisis
- European Union External Democracy Promotion
- Multilateralism
- The role of multilateralism in contemporary international relations
- Towards a New Effective Multilateralism in Aid
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'Publicaciones FRIDE' is the byline used whenever a publication doesn't have a specific author.
