Category: Foreign Affairs

The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in New York on 19 September 2023.

The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in Israel on 12 September 2023.

Thank you for that wonderful, wonderful introduction. After such a glowing introduction, I am tempted not to actually say anything and to go out on our high.

Thank you very much for those kind words, Jonathan, of introduction and more importantly, thank you for inviting me to speak with you here today.

The work that this summit is doing is incredibly important, not just your country, not just to the region, but of course, also to the United Kingdom, and by extension to the wider world, because countering terrorism, sadly, remains as much of a challenge today, as it did when this university first dedicated an institute to focus on it just before the turn of the century.

Yesterday, those of you in the room joined countless others across the world remembering the tragic events of 9/11. It’s, in some ways, hard to believe that that was 22 years ago. But at that terrible time, almost 3000 people, Americans and of course, others lost their lives at the hands of a brutal, vicious, unprovoked terrorist attack, there were 67 British nationals who died on that day, and five Israelis were also amongst those who lost their lives.

And it was one of those events, I am sure where all of us remember exactly what we were doing when we saw the news. I remember I was in the commercial world, I was in the publishing industry, and I sold advertising in the publishing industry. I worked on a big open plan, sales floor in Soho, full of energy, full of excitement and I came back from lunch and came up with lift, came out onto the sales floor. Silence, the sales floor was almost completely deserted.

Our sales director had a glass walled office right in the centre of the sales floor, so that he could keep an eye on all the hard working salespeople during the day. His office was rammed with people all staring at the television and I remember going in and saying what’s going on? And someone’s saying, oh, there’s been this terrible accident, a plane has hit a tower block in New York. I said, what is it? Some light aircraft? Someone said no, the news says it’s a jetliner. Of course, with all the lack of information and self-confidence that someone of my age then could muster I said, that doesn’t happen. Commercial aircraft don’t fly into tower blocks or flight plans, that just doesn’t happen.

And I was in the middle of a heated argument about how that doesn’t happen. When we all watched live, the second aircraft hit the second tower, and all of us fell silent, and I felt numb, and the feeling has never left me. And I think even at that point, before fully understanding the implications of what happened, I realised that that event, changed the world and changed it forever. It is seared into our collective consciousness and it was emblematic.

It remains emblematic of the savage era of terrorism ranging from highly organised attacks at one end of the spectrum, through to what’s sometimes feel almost to be random acts of violence perpetrated by individuals who’ve been radicalised, whether online or in their communities, and every kind of threat in between.

I was born and brought up in London and like all Londoners, I remember again, seared into my memory, exactly what I was doing, exactly where I was exactly, what I was thinking when I heard about London’s 7/7 bombing attacks where 52 innocent victims met their death at the hands of Islamist terrorists.

Terrorists we know pursue a range of goals and they operate across the world and their terrible attacks have plagued the lives of people across this region. For decades.

The sad truth is that violent attacks like this are nothing new to you and the people of this region. Only a few months ago, the UK and Israel were sadly united in grief following the horrific murder of British Israeli citizens Lucy, Maya and Rina Dee. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with Rabbi Dee on a number of occasions and his stoicism and strength is a genuine wonder to behold but as everybody here knows, that was sadly not an isolated incident.

And over time, the threats we face have evolved. But so of course, has our response and by acting together, by acting internationally, we have been able to reduce, although sadly not eliminate, the threat of terrorism, and our collective work and cooperation has saved countless lives.

Terrorist networks are more fragmented than they have been previously, most organised terrorist groups focus their activity now on whipping up discontent and anger, and grooming others to act on their behalf.

They target individuals who are already present in countries and try to encourage them to act violently on their behalf. But even if the terrorists approach has changed, the fundamental challenge sadly remains the same.

Terrorists still have capacity, serious capacity to do us harm and they are constantly looking for gaps in our defences that they can exploit. Their methods, of course, have changed, have mutated, but that twisted logic remains timeless, whether it be Daesh or Hamas, or extreme right wing terrorists or revolutionary Marxists.

They all insist that their political goals matter more than the lives of their innocent victims. They as well as their stooges, accomplices and apologists insist that their anger justifies the spilling of other people’s blood. And that is, sadly, why they are so callous in their disregard for the sanctity of human life.

That’s why their logic stands in direct, glaring opposition to our values and that is why the UK is unequivocal in condemning all acts of terrorism and we have stood by Israel’s side, in the face of attacks this year and in the past, and we will continue to do so in the future.

In the UK, we have just proscribed the Wagner group whose attacks against the heroic people of Ukraine seek to advance Russia’s political cause, and whose brutal actions across the continent of Africa have caused widespread harm and horror there.

We call upon the whole international community to hunt the terrorists down to bring them to justice and create a world where terrorists find no support. Because to tackle terrorism, we need the full range of tools. The strongest of those, the most fundamental of those, is strong relationships. One of the reasons I’m here this week is to celebrate and publicise and shout about the strong bilateral relationship that the UK has with Israel.

Earlier this year, you celebrated the 75th anniversary of your most modern incarnation. Foreign Minister Cohen and I signed a bilateral roadmap to strengthen our close strategic partnership. I am delighted that we are now also negotiating an upgraded trade agreement and that our tech hub has facilitated hundreds of innovative partnerships.

Some of you in this room I know are aware of this, many of you will not be aware that Israel supplies one in seven of all medicines used in my country’s National Health Service. So thank you for that as well.

But I think nothing better illustrates our partnership than the work that we do together to keep our peoples safe. I was incredibly impressed just a few minutes ago, immediately prior to coming here to be shown Israel’s Iron Dome defence capabilities which have made such a vital contribution in saving lives.

Developing and deploying such capabilities is one way that Israel has been able to defend ourselves but of course, as famous and as visible as that is, it is not the only part of Israel’s defence, which is quieter, more discreet, sometimes invisible.

Intelligence officers, police officers, diplomats, those who are tackling illicit finance flows. Those who analyse and try and disrupt radicalization online all have an incredibly important role to play, often, unseen, but nevertheless, essential in much of this work.

The majority of this work relies on close cooperation, both bilaterally between the UK and Israel, and also as part of a network of other partners. I pay tribute to all those striving in both our countries day in and day out to identify and stop those who would do us harm and undermine the democracies in which we both live.

Sadly, it is not only terrorist groups which have this goal. These groups, as you well know, have enablers in the region.

The Iranian regime has publicly and regularly called for the destruction of the State of Israel, something that the UK would never countenance. They transfer weapons around the region, they fund terrorist groups, such as Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. These groups that attempt to rain death and destruction on the people of Israel, they fire rockets into civilian areas, they target children, and civilian infrastructure, they stab and they shoot innocent people, of all faiths, of all nationalities, of all ethnicities. People who are doing nothing more than going about their daily lives in your extraordinary country.

Iran refuses to take responsibility for their complicity in these attacks. But we in the UK, are under no illusion at all, about Iran’s malign role. Just as our strategic partnership means working together to stop terrorist groups, it must also be to counter Iran’s destabilising actions in the region.

We must also be careful to avoid a counsel of despair because there have been so many wonderful, positive developments in this region. Last year, for example, in the Negev Summit, building on the 2020 Abraham Accords, we saw light and we saw positivity.

Just this weekend, Israeli officials took their place at a UN meeting hosted in Saudi Arabia, alongside other delegations from around the world. I hope that the next steps in the normalising of Israel’s relationships with its neighbours will carry us even further forward and even further along the path to sustainable, long term peace in this region.

We fully support the summit process, as well as all efforts to build regional architecture based on peaceful coexistence, greater understanding, and closer cooperation. We will work with all of those to build on what has been achieved so far, in pursuit of that sustainable peace. Because this will not only help us beat those terrorists that I spoke about, but it will also help us defend ourselves against the hidden backers of those terrorists.

On that subject, we must be increasingly aware of the military cooperation between Iran and Russia, most clearly illustrated by Iran’s wholesale provision of Shahed drones, to the Russian military.

That is why all those, like the UK that oppose Iran must do everything we can to help the Ukrainians as they defend themselves.

As we try to enhance regional cooperation, we cannot ignore the Israel Palestinian conflict, you will know that I feel there is no justification, there can be no excuse for the targeting of civilians. But we do not need to share or endorse the twisted logic of terrorists to understand that a two state solution is the best, perhaps the only, route to a genuinely sustainable peace in the region.

Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accords. This year, we also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreements. Both were moments of hope. Neither was straightforward or easy to negotiate. Both required courage, imagination, perseverance, and demanded all sides to show the same quality to deliver lasting peace.

In Northern Ireland, the shadow of terrorism has not completely gone and the troubles were not the same as the situation here. But what that example does show me is that the first step is always the hardest. It is only by reconciling with those with whom reconciliation seemed unthinkable, can peace prevail. That first step would be for all sides, Israelis and Palestinians, to recommit and to demonstrate unequivocal support for a two state solution.

It means that both sides must crack down on activities that flame violence and spread racism and hate. That’s why we come back here to the sanctity of human life and we do need to make sure that there is a respect for law.

I know that is something which I’ve been able to discuss here with the Israeli ministers and I commend Israel’s taking of legal action against those settlers who have perpetrated violence. Of course, we will always stand by Israel’s right to self defence and the right to self defence belongs exclusively to Israel’s security forces who operate within the line of international law.

You should know that I will make the same point when I meet with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, and I will make it clear that rather than spreading disgusting, anti-Semitic tropes, and outrageous distortions of history, they should be clear in their denouncement of violence.

They should be clear that there is no acceptance for brutality and terrorists. And they should be clear there is no excuse to target Israelis, particularly Israeli civilians, because that is the only way that peace is possible the only way for peace to be sustainable for Israelis and Palestinians to come together, and to work together, and to fulfil the aspirations and hope that underpin the Oslo Accords.

I am not naive. I know that these are incredibly challenging goals, and that they are exceptionally difficult. But I’ve also seen this country firsthand. I’ve read much of this country’s history. And one of the things that has always amazed and impressed me about Israel is Israel’s ability to seemingly do the impossible to survive in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.

75 years of your continued existence is proof that this is a country that can do amazing things. You have stood as a beacon of liberal democracy in the Middle East. And you have proven to be a great friend, and a valued partner to the United Kingdom. That is why I am and will always be proud to be seen as a friend of Israel.

My good wishes to this country are as sincere as they are heartfelt. Shana Tova.

The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in Lagos, Nigeria on 1 August 2023.

I’m delighted to be here.

All around us, Lagos is buzzing with activity and innovation. It’s global city of entrepreneurs and free market ventures. A thriving hub of science, technology and innovation. A pulsating, captivating metropolis – attracting investment from all corners of the globe.

What better venue could there be to share the UK’s vision of our partnerships, not just with Nigeria, but with other African countries as well, a partnership we intend to endure for decades to come. The United Kingdom has long been a friend and partner of Nigeria – and other countries in Africa.

As Foreign Secretary, I am proud of the UK’s ties to this continent. They are underpinned by our shared history, the diaspora communities in the UK and in African countries – as well as the countless professional connections across academia, business, defence and development. They are continually nourished by the precious bonds of friendship.

Now, as the UK’s Foreign Secretary I’m not allowed to have a favourite continent. But if I did, it would be Africa. My mother was born here. I am proud of my Sierra Leonean roots. I’m also proud of the United Kingdom’s contribution to the history of this great continent.

But I’m not here to talk about our shared history – fascinating a subject that it is, I am here to talk about the future. It was Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who said that his country faces neither east nor west. It faces forward.

That is very much my outlook too. It’s why I want to focus on our shared future in an era of geopolitical competition, demographic shifts, existential challenges and exciting new technologies as well.

We are living through an era when the tectonic plates of world politics are shifting decisively. And a battle of ideas is taking place once again. This time, its focus is on the nature and the future of the international order.

The UK’s position is clear. Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination and human rights must prevail. Alongside democracy, the rule of law, liberty and freedom.

And I know that these are your values too. Which is why we welcome the strong and principled stance that the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States have taken on the defence of democratic values and the constitutional order in Niger.

These are all values that we cherish, and they are values of the UN Charter. Alongside self-determination, territorial integrity and an end to all laws of conquest and annexation.

Russia’s attack of Ukraine and invasion of that country, is an attack on our shared values. An attack on the UN Charter and an attack on the international order.

But this month Russia has hit a new low. We are witnessing the grotesque spectacle of a G20 nation, deliberately burning food stocks whilst there are millions of people around the world struggling to eat.

We live in a world of rapidly increasing transnational threats. Climate change is the most urgent and obvious example. We need strong multilateral institutions – particularly International Financial Institutions – that represent the world as it is today, economically, politically and demographically.

This is not currently the case. The UK recognises that. And we want to work with African leaders in partnership to change it.

We want and need a better-functioning International Financial System. We want and need permanent African representation on the UN Security Council. We want and need the African Union to become a member of the G20. Because we want and need the sheer demographic heft of African countries to be appropriately recognised in international organisations. So that we can shape the future of our world in partnership with African countries.

Why? Because, by 2050, 2 billion people will live in Africa. Half will be under 25. Africa’s share of the world’s population is forecast to double from 18% to 37% by 2100. Whilst Europe’s is set to shrink from 10% to just 5%.

The shift in world power that this represents has been evident for some time. And it is my goal as Foreign Secretary to ensure that our strategic approach reflects that.

African countries will play a pivotal role in determining the future of the international order. That is why I’m here this week. To renew old friendships and to forge new ones.

I want us to take forward a mutually beneficial agenda on trade, investment, climate action and reform of the international order. As a partner, and as a friend. Because partnership and friendship will help us reach the ambitious goals we have set ourselves.

A prosperous, stable and secure Africa is what everyone wants, and what everybody needs. It’s good for the 1.5 billion people who live on this great continent. It’s also good for the UK. And it’s good for the world.

Our approach in Africa will continue to be driven by the needs and perspectives of our partners across the continent. Be it development, security, sustainability or green and clean infrastructure, we are working shoulder to shoulder with our African partners – and we will continue to do so.

Of course – there are many unknowns. We do not know when the next pandemic will strike. We cannot predict exactly when Ukraine will defeat this Russia’s invasion. We don’t know how the situation in Sudan or Niger will evolve. We have limited control over the pace of geopolitical change. And we cannot predict, with any great precision, the ultimate effects of climate change.

But what we do have is the power to set direction and plan strategically, laying the foundations of resilience whilst working towards our mutual prosperity and security.

That’s why partnership is so important. And it’s why we will continue to support African countries through urgent crises via our bilateral programmes, as we work in concert with organisations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to enhance stability and security.

It’s why we continue to support the African Continental Free Trade Area. Because by strengthening stability and security, we will improve lives in Africa and the UK simultaneously.

But let me come back to our venue here today. Lagos represents Africa’s ever-growing confidence, it’s ever-growing economic strength and the immense future potential.

Through trade, investment and the combined force of public investment and private capital, the UK wants to partner with you in reaching your full economic potential. Because when African countries are prosperous and stable, the UK benefits.

The UK has been one of the biggest international investors in Africa. According to The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, British companies collectively hold the largest stock of Foreign Direct Investment in African countries. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Africa reached £44.7 billion in 2022 – an increase of 32.5% on the previous year.

This is already an excellent foundation on which to build. But in the future, I want to do even more.

Over half of British International Investment’s portfolio is in Africa. It committed nearly £700 million of investment in 2022 alone, and is set to become one of the largest climate investors in Africa by 2026.

UK Export Finance has provided more than £3.5 billion for projects in Africa since 2020. And the City of London offers high-quality finance, investment opportunities and support in creating the right regulations for sustainable growth.

In 2021 and 2022, African issuers raised £13 billion on the London Stock Exchange.

Here in Nigeria, the UK’s Manufacturing Africa programme is supporting 22 manufacturing deals, worth $664 million, spanning electric vehicles, solar energy waste recycling – and much more. We strongly welcome President Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unifying of exchange rates.

And I was delighted to see that Ghana has adopted an ambitious economic reform programme to secure approval of their IMF programme. These decisions will encourage economic investment, and will help drive growth, and jobs.

But sound macro-economic reforms at national level, no matter how inventive and bold, can only go so far. African countries need capital to drive investment, development and jobs.

That’s why it’s imperative that International Financial Institutions accommodate our shared aspiration for a bigger, more responsive and fairer system. If multilateral development banks implement the recommendations of the G20’s independent Capital Adequacy Framework review, they will unlock hundreds of billions of dollars in development finance.

The UK is taking a leading role on reform of International Financial Institutions. And we’re investing in the World Bank and the African Development Bank – which of course is majority African owned – so that they can finance infrastructure and support trade right across Africa.

We support the aims of the Bridgetown Agenda. And I’m working with our partners to ensure that our aspiration is converted into action. It’s why we support the ‘Room to Run’ guarantee to the African Development Bank, which is expected to unlock up to $2 billion worth of new financing for projects across the continent.

But the public sector alone cannot provide all the investment that is needed. Private capital is essential.

That’s why the UK government is promoting private sector investment in Nigeria, and across the continent. And we will do our utmost to galvanise even more interest. I’ll come back to that in just a second.

We will also continue to champion further multilateral reforms that will benefit Africa. Like the better and faster implementation of international tax rules that will stop revenues leaking from your national treasury. Or international rules for the governance of Artificial Intelligence and transformational technologies.

Reform of international rules is not in the UK’s gift alone – no one country can bring about multilateral reform. But change is possible when we work in partnership on reforms that benefit not just African countries or the UK – but the whole world.

A sustainable international order is in all our interests. It will make us safer. And it will drive future prosperity. Higher growth will bring more and better jobs as well as the revenue you need to update infrastructure and provide public services for all Nigerians.

Whilst I’m on the subject of growth, let me say how strongly I believe that the inclusion of women is critical to all our economies. If women participated in labour markets on an equal footing with men, this could add $28 trillion, or 26%, to global GDP in 2025.

Failure to take advantage of that statistic is wasteful beyond belief. That’s why British International Investment will ensure that at least 25% of their new investments focus on empowering women and girls’ and their economic development.

And if we’re talking about future economic growth and our shared prosperity agenda, I have to say a word of praise for Nigeria. Your track record on tech is exceptional – indeed you received 44% of all international tech investment into Africa in 2021.

And the UK is proud to be playing even a small part in your success. Our Digital Access Programme promotes connectivity and digital skills in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

This in turn stimulates innovation and sparks global development. And I’m also proud to announce a new £10 million partnership with Infacredit, which shares the risk in financing new infrastructure projects, and by doing so, leverages much more domestic private capital. That’s a great way of financing economic development, and we’re working to set up similar facilities in other African countries.

But a real uplift in growth and prosperity cannot come without an increase in international trade. That’s why our Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) will extend tariff cuts to hundreds of more products exported from developing countries in Africa and elsewhere. This means that 98% of goods imported from Africa into the UK will enter duty free and new rules of origin will help the least developed economies integrate into global supply chains.

Increased trade stimulates partnerships. And our collective power today – the power of African countries and the UK together – is founded on the quality and number of our partnerships. Only together can we adequately address shared challenges. Only together can we harness opportunities, and only together can we improve living standards.

That’s why in April next year, we will be hosting the UK-African Investment Summit in London. This will be a milestone event and a further sign of the way we are stepping up our engagement and partnership with African countries.

Our summit recognises the immense potential and opportunities for innovation across this continent for governments, businesses and for investors. And we want the summit’s outcome to be a new consensus across governments and the private sector that together we can deliver on inclusive growth, jobs, food security and the green economic transition.

But you cannot have prosperity without security. Strengthening peace and security in Africa is therefore critical to unlocking our full joint potential.

And it is also critical that we include women in peace processes so that they deliver better and longer lasting outcomes. Development gains and a fragile peace can be easily lost if large parts of a population are marginalised, or human rights are not respected.

We will continue to focus on strengthening African countries’ resilience against threats, as well as addressing the drivers of conflict and instability. Strategic security and defence partnerships – like those we have with Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya – are a powerful means of achieving this goal.

We support African countries in their ongoing fight to counter-terrorism. African leadership, with support from the UK and others, has eliminated piracy off the coast of Somalia – and dramatically curtailed piracy off the Gulf of Guinea. As a result, the whole world has benefited.

But security and prosperity rely on scientific innovation. The UK government recognises the need for investment in science and technology. That’s why we plan to expand our science and technology partnerships. Building on the success of our Digital Access Programme, which promotes connectivity and digital skills in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

And we will work with our partners to commercialise scientific knowledge. Public-private partnerships and an open approach to science make the spread of innovation easier and the work of pioneers more accessible.

Our spirit of partnership provides opportunities to collaborate and accelerates progress towards our shared objectives. I say again: when you benefit, we benefit. We are proud that there are already many strong examples of partnerships with the UK across this continent.

My ambition is not just to emulate but to surpass those achievements. And to face our shared future with optimism. Let there be no doubt. When it comes to our partnerships, the best is yet to come.

Thank you.