Britains Global Role

Introduction
The world in which we live is constantly evolving. Globalisation has allowed for the fast ow of goods, services, nance, people and ideas across state boundaries, and a new global architecture has developed to support these exchanges. But with this increased connectivity between countries and people comes a mutual responsibility. What once affected one state, can now affect all. So, as well as national foreign policy prescriptions, global solutions are required to tackle the challenges shared by the international community. The current Government has failed to grasp the scale of the responsibility before us. Instead of building upon the role Britain played under Labour in addressing these shared challenges, they have been content with a country that increasingly watches from the side lines. On Europe, David Cameron has put his party before his country. This weak leadership has left him sleepwalking towards exit from the European Union. On defence, the Governments Strategic Defence and Security Review has failed to provide the strategic direction that would allow Britain to balance the need to work within a constrained budget with the need to ensure our Armed Forces are equipped to meet Britains global ambitions. On diplomacy, the Government has frequently failed to uphold Britains commitment to human rights. On international development, the Governments increased reliance on the private sector for project delivery has not been accompanied with adequate levels of transparency and accountability. A One Nation Labour Government would offer a real alternative. As an internationalist party, our approach has always been driven by Labours core values of equality, social justice and opportunity for all. Labour will stand up for Armed Forces service personnel who have been treated with disrespect under the current Government, for veterans struggling to nd employment in the transition from military to civilian life, for families caught up in humanitarian crises around the world, and for populations denied their human rights. Labour believes that Britain must play a proactive role in tackling transnational issues. Working to eliminate extreme poverty and supporting countries transitioning to democracy, tackling terrorism and climate change; these are challenges from which the next Labour Government will not shy away. With Labour, Britain will lead by example, working with our partners worldwide to promote our values and beliefs and to defend our national interests. Only by doing so can we hope to build a better, safer and more secure world, in which everyone can reach their full potential and prosper.

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The Global Economy

It is argued that trade liberalisation and the expansion of the global marketplace have driven economic growth and led to an improvement in living standards for people worldwide. Through unlocking their economic potential, developing countries can lift millions of people out of poverty and allow them to benet from new opportunities. However, these developments have also been accompanied in many cases by a simultaneous widening of the inequality gap both within and between countries. The task for the next Labour Government is to ensure Britain succeeds in that open global economy. Our path to achieve that is different from that pursued by the Government, which believes that Britain can compete globally by winning a race to the bottom - on the basis of a low skill, low wage, low productivity economy, with ever greater insecurity for working people. Labour believes Britain cannot and should not win that race. Instead, we can and must win the race to the top.

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This is a draft consultation paper and does not represent official Labour Party Policy
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Ensuring global trade benets all Economic success internationally is not just vital for the Britains economy and society, but for development across the world. As well as supporting British rms whose exports allow us to pay our way in the world, Labour will deliver an economic and social policy which ensures that globalisation benets people worldwide, in developed and developing countries alike. We will do that by encouraging free and fair trade, more open markets, and investment in people. In 2005, world leaders pledged to make it easier for poor countries to export their products, yet progress on the Doha trade round has been slow. The World Trade Organisations recently agreed global trade deal presents an opportunity to take a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to make it easier for the developing world to trade with advanced economies. Seizing opportunity in Europe The rise of Asia represents the biggest shift of economic power in recent history. Concurrently, the geopolitical landscape is also transforming, with the US increasingly pivoting towards the Pacic. In this context, Britains relationship with Europe is of vital importance and the benets which come with membership to the European Union cannot be underestimated. Comprised of 500 million people, the Single Market generates over 10 trillion of UK economic activity. European markets account for half of the UKs trade and foreign investments, providing around 3.5 million jobs. The EU is also the UKs main trading partner, with EU countries accounting for around 52 per cent of the UKs total trade in goods and services. As a member of the European Union, Britain also has far greater scope and opportunity to trade with emerging economies, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. As large markets are opened up, Britain is set to make considerable economic gains. The EU currently has free trade agreements (FTAs) with more than 40 countries, including South Korea, Mexico, and South Africa. Furthermore, the EU is in the process of negotiating FTAs with more than 70 countries, including the USA, India and Japan, as well as growing economies like Brazil, Singapore and Vietnam. The EU-US trade deal alone is expected to generate 80 billion worth of benets for the EU and create 2 million jobs. Labour welcomes the continued negotiations on this deal and will continue to monitor its progress, in particular with regard to the impact the Agreement may have on vital national policies and services, such as the National Health Service. For the foreseeable future it would not be in the UKs best economic interest to leave the European Union. We must never forget that the guiding purpose of establishing a European Common Market was for diverse nations to create a peaceful, united and prosperous Europe Pendle CLP

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Labour believes that Britains national interest lies in remaining at the heart of a reformed EU. We will continue to support the conclusion of FTAs as a means of promoting economic growth and development. But we will also continue to uphold our values, by ensuring the inclusion of binding and robust human rights clauses where necessary.

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Security
While globalisation has produced real possibilities to deliver economic prosperity, spread political freedom and promote peace, it has in some places also led to increased social fragmentation. This fragmentation, coupled with existing levels of poverty and inequality, can lead to a rise in conict, extremism and criminality that today spread across borders and can threaten our own security. New strategies will be required for their prevention and resolution. The current Government has diminished many of the European mechanisms which enable us to effectively ght crime. They have chosen to opt out of 130 measures on pan-European cooperation, including those concerning cross-border police investigations, criminal record sharing, human trafficking and online child pornography, as well as deportation arrangements for suspected criminals. Labour believes this is the wrong strategy and the wrong way to make policy on crime and justice. Instead, a One Nation Labour Government will strengthen cross-border collaboration on these shared challenges. Tackling organised crime

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In an era of integrated markets and permeable national borders, intelligence-sharing and operational cooperation, subject to the necessary safeguards, with our overseas partners is increasingly important for safeguarding our citizens and the freedoms they enjoy. Labour believes cooperation with other countries on crime and intelligence is vital to making Britains streets safer and we are committed to improving the effectiveness of our relationship in this regard. Labour is in favour of a proper framework for police forces to work together across borders and we will continue to support the European Arrest Warrant which has brought so many dangerous criminals to justice. Regulating the arms trade The global trade in conventional weapons remains poorly regulated, inicting misery on millions in some of the worlds most vulnerable countries. Labour campaigned for the creation of an Arms Trade Treaty and hailed the historic breakthrough when the legislation was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013. The Treaty has the potential to signicantly boost efforts to stem the ow of arms to some of the worlds most volatile places. Labour will continue to show international leadership on this issue, and ensure a progressive interpretation of the Treaty and its measures. Mitigating future threats

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The nature of the security threats facing Britain today differs from that of the threats we faced fty years ago. From fragile and conict-affected states, to natural disasters and humanitarian crises, to the increase of cyber warfare, it is clear that traditional military responses will not be sufficient to tackle the most salient security issues of the future. With other nations possessing nuclear weapons, and nuclear proliferation remaining a deep concern, we can never be absolutely certain as to what the future security landscape will look like. In July 2013 the current Government published its Trident Alternatives Review which examined alternative defence systems and postures for the UKs deterrent. Labour has said that we are committed to a minimum, credible independent nuclear deterrent, which we believe is best delivered through a Continuous At-Sea Deterrent. It would require a substantial body of evidence for us to change this belief, which the Governments Trident Alternatives Review does not appear to offer. Labour will rightly continue to scrutinise sources of evidence to ensure the deterrent is delivered in the most cost-effective and strategic way.

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Defence
An uncertain security landscape must be met with a defence strategy that can effectively adapt to an evolving environment. Labour believes our Armed Forces must be equipped to meet Britains global ambitions and responsibilities. We will have to be more strategic with our resources, and work effectively with international partners, in order to be able to protect Britains national interest and promote our values in the modern world. The current Governments 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review was a missed opportunity. It began by asking what could be cut, rather than what could be done to meet our strategic security goals. This has resulted in gaps in our military capacity and in government gures. Responding to security and stabilisation needs in Iraq and Afghanistan Over the past decade, members of the British Armed Forces have put their lives at risk during operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Labour, and the whole country, is indebted to those brave servicemen and women who have risked so much to protect our national security. The last British troops left Iraq in May 2011. After an eight-year campaign, the UK handed over responsibility for security to the countrys own forces, under the control of a democratically elected government. Labour believes that Britain should continue to support Iraqs steps towards becoming a stable, prosperous and democratic nation. Several thousand British troops remain in Afghanistan as we continue to meet our international obligations under the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and to the Afghan Government and people. Through ISAF, the UK is helping to reduce the capability and will of the insurgency, in building the capacity and capability of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), and facilitating good governance and socioeconomic development. This is a vital year for Afghanistan as it holds presidential and provincial council elections ahead of the ISAF drawdown by the end of 2014. We wish to see British troops come home at the earliest opportunity, and so we support the timetable for complete withdrawal of combat troops by the end of 2014. Labour believes that their military effort must be matched with greater diplomatic efforts to secure the necessary inclusive and durable political settlement in Afghanistan. Despite saying Afghanistan would be his number one foreign policy priority, the Prime Minister has disappointingly made little progress in this regard to date. Labour also believes Britain should continue to support Afghanistan as it seeks to develop its security, governance, infrastructure, and economy. In particular, we want to safeguard the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. We continue to support the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 in Afghanistan and in fragile and conict states worldwide. This resolution reaffirms the important role of women in all aspects of maintaining peace and security, including conict prevention, conict resolution and post-conict reconstruction. It also calls on all parties to conict to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, in situations of armed conict. Enhancing NATO and European defence cooperation

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NATO remains the cornerstone of UK defence policy and the sole organisation for collective defence in Europe. Labour will continue to press for nancial investment in NATO while maintaining its own commitments, and to support the organisation as it redenes its strategic priorities. At a time when national defence budgets are constrained, it is also important that European countries enhance their defence

cooperation to meet their national security aims. Labour welcomed the signing of the Franco-British defence and security treaties in 2010. Britain and France face many common threats across the world and both countries have unique capacities. They are the two largest investors in defence capability in Europe and among the highest in the world, signicant players in the EU and are the only two EU member states with permanent seats on the UN Security Council, as well as maintaining an independent nuclear deterrent. It will be important for the UK and other European partners to deepen their defence cooperation, especially in the areas of training and procurement, in order to improve the development and availability of the required capabilities. Respecting our Armed Forces In this economic climate, Labour understands that savings need to be made and an honest assessment is required of what we can deliver given the nancial constraints in which the Ministry of Defence has to operate. The current Government, however, has continuously squandered taxpayers money. Indecision on carrier strike procurement has left our aircraft carriers without aircraft, costing the public 74 million in the process. Plans for a restructured Army with an increase of 15,000 Reservists have left gaps in our military capability as Reserve recruitment gures continue to lag behind the rate of the Regular Army. On welfare issues, the Armed Forces have had 250 million slashed from their allowances and war widows pensions have been cut with little respect shown to those affected. Effective Armed Forces and defence policy are central to Britains ability to play a global role in line with our interests and values, but we will have to be strategic with the way in which defence funding is spent if we are to achieve our aims. Labours priority is to see a strong, high-tech Armed Forces equipped for the challenges of the 21st Century with an ability to tackle emerging, interconnected threats. At the core of Labours defence policy is supporting our Forces, veterans and their families. We have made clear our commitment through a number of initiatives, including support for the Royal British Legions campaign to enshrine the Military Covenant in law, the Veterans Interview Programme, urging Local Authorities to have Veterans Champions, identifying a switch-spend to fund veterans mental healthcare, and encouraging councils to name streets after fallen heroes. The Labour Party has also implemented an introductory 1 membership rate for veterans. To create a culture that respects our armed forces we must encourage employment to see the value in hiring servicemen and womenMore should be done to acclimatise troops to civilian life after service. Government should commit to guarantee jobs, homes and a decent quality of life for every soldier Thomas Hoyles, Gower CLP

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Diplomacy
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Labours approach will be one of pragmatic and genuine internationalism. We want an outward-facing Britain, with British assets and resources used to multiply and amplify our inuence around the world to help us effectively protect British citizens, promote growth at home and secure a fairer and more just world. David Camerons approach to the question of Europe has left Britain increasingly isolated from our partners on the continent and unable to inuence decisions at the top table. A Labour government will seek to reform the European Union from within, working with other countries to ensure its institutions deliver sustainable jobs and growth for the people they represent.

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Adopting a multilateral approach Britain remains a global player and we can continue to have real inuence in the world. But bilateral diplomacy, or a foreign policy driven solely by short-term commercial interest, is not sufficient to deal with global or regional issues that transcend national borders. The current Government has failed to acknowledge this. They have a diminished notion of Britains role in the world, at the expense of British interests, and risk leaving Britain unprepared and ill-equipped to face future threats. Effective multilateral cooperation means that regional and global institutions will need to become more representative and will have to better reect the current geo-political outlook. Reforming the EU European institutions will need to be more effective and better suited to the needs of its Member States. The next Labour Government will focus on making the EU work for Britain, and the rest of the continent, to help deliver jobs and growth. Labour will deliver reform from within the EU, not exit from it. We want to see tough new budget discipline with stronger independent audit, a balanced growth plan, a new Growth Commissioner and reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Despite many achievements, the EU has failed to deliver for its citizens in key areas, and that must change. Labour will act to tackle the exploitation of migrant workers, which also undercuts local workers. That means stronger National Minimum Wage regulations, more enforcement and higher nes, and a register to tackle rogue landlords. We will provide apprenticeships and training for the young unemployed in sectors currently recruiting from abroad, and make sensible changes to Job Seekers Allowance to clarify that people should contribute and not claim benet when they rst arrive in Britain. We would also review the practice of sending family benets, such as Child Tax Credit and Child Benet, to relatives living abroad. These proposals are discussed further in the Stronger, Safer Communities section of the Final Year Policy Consultation. In order to better monitor the labour market, we will push for greater exibility in transitional arrangements, and look to ensure the EU collects data on EU migration ows.

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Labour will continue to open up EU decision-making and implement institutional reforms in order to help build levels of trust among its citizens. Labour will campaign for an end to the wasteful duplication of holding parliament in Strasbourg as well as Brussels, and for more powers for national parliaments. As we prepare the battleground for the European elections next year, we should put forward a strong case for a reformed social Europe. We need to emphasise strongly about what is at stake such as our PMs bid to repatriate our employment rights such as the right to 28 days paid holiday, equalities legislation and much else James Raeburn, North Poole CLP We are proud that Labour in Government signed up to the Social Chapter which introduced measures including four weeks paid holiday, a right to parental leave extended maternity leave, a new right to request exible working and the same protection for part-time workers as full-time workers. David Camerons repatriation agenda risks damaging Social Europe and the benets it offers the British public, as well as undermining the Single Market. Labour will ght to protect these rights, and will ensure the UK does not opt out from its Social Europe obligations.

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Protecting human rights Britains standing in the world is in part judged on our commitment to universal human rights. The current Government has put at risk Britains global inuence in this regard. The Prime Ministers decision to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka in 2013, without seeking binding commitments from the Sri Lankan Government for improvements in human rights, was wrong and irresponsible. Labour believes Britain should lead by example on human rights, upholding them domestically, and advocating for other states to do the same. Prioritise the key principle of support for international labour standards and other human rights. This includes supporting governments and social movements that are trying to build more economic justice and equality Unite It is vital that people are also effectively protected in the workplace. Labour is committed to maintaining and enhancing international labour standards and protecting workers rights at home, and championing them abroad. Responding to crisis in the Middle East and North Africa This year marks the third anniversary of the Arab Spring. Yet the violence and unrest that it evoked continues to cast a dark shadow across many parts of the region. For many countries, democracy and stability still remain out of reach. In Syria, despite President Assads agreement to the destruction of the countrys chemical weapons, the brutal civil war rages on. The UN estimates that over 120,000 people have been killed since the conict began. 6.5 million people have been internally displaced and a further 2.3 million have ed to neighbouring countries. The crisis does not just pose a threat to the Syrian population but threatens to destabilise the entire region. Labour believes that a political settlement remains Syrias best chance of securing peace and bringing an end to the conict. Every effort must be made to engage all relevant parties in the ongoing peace negotiations. Labour supports humanitarian aid for those trapped in desperate and deteriorating conditions, and we continue to urge the full implementation of the UN Security Councils Presidential Statement on humanitarian access. This statement calls on the Syrian Government to immediately allow cross-border aid deliveries, and on all parties to the conict to agree on humanitarian pauses in the ghting, including along key routes for relief convoys. Labour welcomes the renewed peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, which could help foster stability across the Middle East region. We have urged both sides not to undertake action that may undermine the prospects for a lasting peace settlement being agreed. Labour remains committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on a two-state solution and a secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state. The appointment of new Iranian President Hassan Rohani in 2013 offers an opportunity to improve bilateral relations between Britain and Iran through open dialogue, while also maintaining peaceful pressure through sanctions. In line with Labours commitment to the non-proliferation agenda, we believe that a nuclear-armed Iran poses a threat not only to its neighbours in the Middle East, but also to the rest of the world. Labour supported the establishment of talks with Iran on its nuclear programme in Government, and continues to believe that a negotiated resolution to this issue remains a priority.

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International Development
Labours actions in Government earned the UK recognition as a leader on international development. In a world where many of the issues affecting the well-being of the British public are global issues, tackling international development challenges is not only morally right, it is also in our national interest. For Labour, development is so much more than charity it is the pursuit of social justice and human rights. Leading on overseas development assistance

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Labour will continue to press the Government to right its broken promise and enshrine in law the UKs target to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) on overseas development assistance. Doing so would ensure the international development budget is permanently linked to the economic state of the nation. Labour is committed to ensuring that UK development programmes deliver value for money, promote good governance and help achieve our core development goals. To this end, Labour believes that the UK must continue to work for transparency and accountability in how development assistance funding is used in recipient countries. Continuation of 0.7 per cent of GNI being devoted to international development, even in hard times, should be supported because it is just and is in our economic interests. However tackling gross income inequalities between nations should be accompanied by tackling them within nations, including in Britain Sheffield Heeley CLP Developing a post-2015 development agenda

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With the deadline for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expiring in 2015, much debate surrounds the successor framework. While the MDGs have undoubtedly prompted global progress, huge challenges remain. Estimates indicate that about 1 billion people will still be living on less than US$1.25 a day in 2015. Labour is committed to supporting a post-2015 development agenda that seeks to eradicate global poverty, promote sustainability, and end aid dependency by 2030. We believe that this can only be achieved through a rights-based agenda. Such an agenda must ensure decent jobs and social protection, access to universal health and social care, universal access to basic utilities, quality primary and secondary education, protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, basic food security and eradication of hunger, womens empowerment and gender equality, freedom from violence and the fear of violence, good governance, and active and responsible citizenship. The private sector has a key role to play in this respect, and should do so within certain safeguards to ensure responsible capitalism. These will include a commitment to sustainability, transparency, decent labour standards and human rights. Labours achievements on international development are among the partys proudest. During the last government alone we set up the worlds most effective government department on development in the form of DFID, dedicated a G8 Presidency to making progress on aid, debt and trade, and set the UK on track to be the rst major economy to reach the 0.7 per cent target on aid Labour Campaign for International Development Making a Fairer Global Tax System

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The current system of global taxation is deeply awed, with African countries losing US$50 billion a year to illicit nancial ows. While Labour welcomes the attention afforded to these issues at the 2013 G8 Summit, we believe that fundamental change is still needed. The sharing of tax information must be extended to developing countries and country-by-country reporting must be made available to all, requiring large multinational companies to publish the key pieces of information needed to assess the amount of tax they

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pay. Developing countries must also be given more support to deal with the transfer pricing challenge, and to improve their tax collection capabilities. Labour is in favour of an international nancial transaction tax one that is agreed by all of the worlds nancial centres, including those in the US.

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Similarly, more needs to be done to ensure equality for developing countries in commodity pricing. With information about resource deposits often only available to international companies bidding for extraction rights, many resources are sold by developing countries for signicantly less than their true worth. In order to tackle this injustice, the next Labour Government would build upon the success achieved by Labour MEPs in this area. We would maintain the UKs support for efforts to publish contract information and for transparency initiatives, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative which aims to improve openness and accountability in the management of revenues from natural resources. Responding to conict, disasters and humanitarian crises

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Fragile and conict-affected states provide an environment in which organised crime, corruption, and terrorism can ourish, undermining efforts to promote democracy, good governance, and economic sustainability. Tackling the drivers of conict and fragility upstream can go a long way to preventing future conict. The average cost of civil war is equivalent to more than 30 years of gross domestic product (GDP) growth for a medium-size developing country, and trade levels after major episodes of violence can take 20 years to recover. With the cost of insecurity generated by conict totalling a global annual burden of US$400 billion, Britain must be proactive. The number of natural disasters has increased over the past 30 years in every region of the world. Labour has always advocated that the UK should allocate up to a tenth of its funding for each natural disaster to mitigate the impact of future disasters, thereby increasing investment in disaster risk reduction. We need to improve early warning systems, and to ensure that developing countries are better equipped to deal with the devastating effects of such events. Whether the result of famine, conict, an earthquake or tsunami, Labour believes the UK should always be prepared to help people affected by disasters and desperately in need of humanitarian support. By providing emergency relief to the Syrian population, or those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the UK not only fulls its moral responsibility to help those who require urgent assistance, but also retains its position as a leader in humanitarian response. Labour will strive to ensure the delivery of timely and effective relief and to improve the coordination of the global response to such crises. Tackling climate change and ensuring energy security With 0.7C of global warming having already occurred, and a further 0.6C predicted to occur from emissions already in the atmosphere, the effects of climate change are already taking hold, and are likely to become more severe unless signicant action is taken. Rising sea levels, frequent droughts and ooding, water scarcity and large-scale population displacement make for a bleak forecast. Labour believes the UK must continue to pursue a global deal to cut carbon emissions and stave off the worst effects of climate change. By playing a lead role in negotiations, within both global and regional institutions like the EU, we can help to ensure an effective and enforceable agreement to cut global carbon emissions is in effect by 2020. Working with our partners we will develop programmes with the aim of achieving a low carbon energy supply and creating many more green jobs. Labours approach to securing a low carbon energy mix is set out in detail in the Living Standards and Sustainability section of the Final Year Policy Consultation.

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Further reading
Britains role in a post-2015 development vision, Labours Policy Review, 2013 Conict, Security and Development, World Development Report, 2011 Equity, Inequality and Human Development in a Post-2015 Framework, United Nations Development Programme, 2013 Speech: Britains Future in Europe, Douglas Alexander, 2013 Speech: Equality 2030, Ivan Lewis, 2013 Speech: One Nation in Europe, Ed Miliband, 2012 Speech: Post-2015 Development Goals, Ivan Lewis, 2013 Speech: Preventative Intervention, Jim Murphy, 2013 Speech to Institute of Public Policy Research, Yvette Cooper, 2013 Speech to Labour Annual Conference in Brighton, Douglas Alexander, 2013 Speech to Labour Annual Conference in Brighton, Jim Murphy, 2013 Speech to Labour Annual Conference in Brighton, Yvette Cooper, 2013 The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, United Nations, 2013

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5267_14 Reproduced from electronic media, promoted by Iain McNicol, General Secretary, the Labour Party, on behalf of the Labour Party, both at One Brewers Green, London SW1H 0RH.