The Foreign Secretary has today announced 3 strategic reviews to help reconnect Britain and deliver the UK government’s missions internationally.

Three appointed external experts will look at:

• the UK’s global impact
• how to maximise the benefits of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) joint integrated development diplomacy model in our development work
• our economic capability in diplomacy

The reviews will underpin a continued drive to bolster our reputation and relationships overseas and help to inform the department’s international approach in a changing world.

Professor Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government and Professor of Global Economic Governance at the University of Oxford, will lead the review on the UK’s global impact – identifying ways to enhance relationships with both new and longstanding international partners in pursuit of shared objectives, and ensure we are well prepared to assess and act on geo-political opportunities and shifts.

Baroness Minouche Shafik, former Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, will consider how to maximise the UK’s combined diplomatic and development expertise in its international development work. The review will also look at how we modernise the UK’s development offer in a rapidly changing global context, and ensure the UK has the right capabilities to deliver for the future.

Sir Martin Donnelly, former Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, will identify ways to ensure that UK jobs and growth are at the heart of our foreign policy including by assessing FCDO’s role in developing international economic partnerships, supporting trade and investment shaping international rules and recommending changes to FCDO’s economic diplomacy capability.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

From day one I have been clear that we will deliver a pragmatic approach to both diplomacy and development, restoring our reputation overseas and drawing on expertise to help us navigate the great threats and opportunities of today.

These reviews will help us shape our strategy to increase the UK’s global impact, build growth internationally and ensure development and diplomacy work hand in hand. I want to thank the external experts for their efforts as we work together to reconnect Britain for our security and growth at home.

Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds said:

A credible, clear and effective development policy is key to delivering this government’s mission to create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet.

The review we’re launching today will help in that mission, ensuring we bring together the best of UK skills and capability to deliver a modern approach to international development based on genuine respect and partnership.

The reviewers will be supported by government officials both within the FCDO and other government departments to ensure they are able to deliver an informed assessment, including working closely with the Department of Business and Trade to maximise the impact of our collective capability overseas.

The outcomes of these reviews are expected to be delivered by the end of the year, with further work on the development review continuing into early 2025. They will ensure that the FCDO remains at the cutting-edge of diplomacy and international development. We will communicate a summary of the review findings upon their conclusion.

Background

• the external reviewers have been appointed for their expertise and experience in the relevant fields
• their roles are unpaid, and the reviewers have offered their time on a voluntary basis
• they will act in a personal capacity and independently from government but with the support of our diplomatic and development officials to ensure they have the information needed to carry out the work

The global impact review will focus on:

• the FCDO’s strategic capability to assess ongoing geopolitical shifts and their ramifications for the UK
• the FCDO’s handling of the UK’s bilateral and multilateral relationships with the countries that have been described as ‘rising powers’ and the so-called ‘Global South’, including the UK role in multilateral institutions
• how the FCDO has dealt with the growth of international functions in a range of domestic departments and its capacity to integrate and coordinate HM Government international policy

The development review will focus on:

• how to maximise the impact of the FCDO’s integrated development and diplomacy model
• how to improve development capability, including recruitment and retention of staff in key areas
• how the FCDO provides assurance on strategic alignment, value for money and appropriate use of public funds
• UK comparative advantage and strategic direction

The economic diplomacy review will focus on:

• the strategic context shaping the FCDO engagement on economic diplomacy
• the FCDO’s current role, and that of the Foreign Secretary, in driving growth and jobs in the UK
• the capability needed in the FCDO to fulfil these roles