Tech and the future of UK foreign policy

Foreign Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 8 Mar 2021 Closed: 24 Oct 2022 Parliament page
This inquiry will focus on how the FCDO should be supporting the UK’s response to the opportunities and challenges presented by new and emerging technologies, including through new forms of diplomatic engagement and building globally shared understandings of standards, rules and norms for the responsible development and use of new … Read more
8 Recommendations
2 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
3 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 15 events
24 Oct
2022
Report published
8 Jul
2022
Report published
6 Jul
2022
Correspondence
1 Mar
2022
Oral evidence
1 Mar
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
11 Jan
2022
Oral evidence
11 Jan
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
24 Nov
2021
Correspondence
2 Nov
2021
Oral evidence
2 Nov
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
7 Sep
2021
Oral evidence
7 Sep
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
1 Mar 2022
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Foreign Affairs Committee
Chris Jones · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Professor Charlotte Watts · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Rt Hon Amanda Milling
11 Jan 2022
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Foreign Affairs Committee
Balthasar Staehelin · International Committee of the Red Cross John Hughes · Twitter Miranda Sissons · Meta Sarah Spencer · International Committee of the Red Cross
2 Nov 2021
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Foreign Affairs Committee
David Sullivan · Digital Trust & Safety Partnership Jason Pielemeier · Global Network Initiative Joe Westby · Amnesty International Katie O'Donovan · Google UK
7 Sep 2021
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Foreign Affairs Committee
Anne-Marie Engtoft Larsen · Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark Martijn Rasser · Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Tobias Feakin · Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ulrike Franke · European Council on Foreign Relations
29 Jun 2021
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Foreign Affairs Committee
Ashish Jaiman · Microsoft Harriet Moynihan · Chatham House Hugh Milward · Microsoft Ria Thomas · Polynia Advisory Toomas Ilves
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third report - Encoding values: Putting tech at the heart of UK … HC 170 8 Jul 2022 10 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
2 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third report - Encoding values: Pu…
The UK’s global technology leadership ambitions should be Government-led but will need to pull in...
The UK’s global technology leadership ambitions should be Government-led but will need to pull in significant support from the private sector as well as academia. There is an opportunity for the FCDO to exemplify the values articulated in the Integrated … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of science and technology leadership and states it participates in multi-stakeholder fora and engages with external stakeholders to ensure diverse voices are heard. They highlight existing partnerships and programs that support this aim.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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3 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third report - Encoding values: Pu…
The UK should work with allies to ensure global practice in frameworks designed to protect...
The UK should work with allies to ensure global practice in frameworks designed to protect data, and to prevent our adversaries exporting data from around the world to build the massive data sets needed to develop algorithms to automate surveillance … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that global challenges around data collection, aggregation and access are a national security liability, and that the upcoming International Technology Strategy will cover this area. However, they do not advocate export controls on data, instead preferring free flows of data where there is trust and appropriate protection.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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6 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third report - Encoding values: Pu…
We cannot meaningfully influence the global order without the cooperation and support of our partners.
We cannot meaningfully influence the global order without the cooperation and support of our partners. While there is an opportunity for the UK to exercise thought leadership, we cannot go it alone and should not seek to carve out a … Read more
Government Response
The UK will leverage its position and strengths in technology to ensure that the global technology ecosystem aligns with our values and shape global decisions. The International Technology Strategy makes having a values-based approach to technology governance and regulation a strategic priority.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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9 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third report - Encoding values: Pu…
The FCDO’s forthcoming International Technology Strategy should set out clear objectives and targeted actions for...
The FCDO’s forthcoming International Technology Strategy should set out clear objectives and targeted actions for achieving them, to be used as a blueprint or framework that diplomats can easily use to guide their decisions and activities at Post level and … Read more
Government Response
The International Technology Strategy provides a framework and sets out the UK's top international priority actions to deliver the UK's technology ambitions and will guide the development of more detailed actions across the diplomatic network via an internal implementation plan.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 10 of 8 classified
Accepted 5
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 4
Total 8 recs + 2 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
6 Jul 2022 Correspondence from the Tech Envoy & HM Consul General to San Francisco on his experience as the UK’s first tech envoy to the US, dated 24/06/2022
Parliament page
24 Nov 2021 To committee Letter from Google following their appearance before the Committee on 2 November 2021, dated 16/11/2021
Parliament page
28 Jul 2021 Correspondence from Microsoft following up on their appearance before the Committee on 29 June 2021, dated 20/07/2021
Parliament page