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International Security in a Networked World: An Address by the Right Honourable William Hague

M.P.

Georgetown University

November 18th, 2010

Tomi Maxted

This event was an address given by the Right Honorable William Hague M.P., Secretary of State for

Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom.

Secretary of State William Hague spoke at Georgetown University about British foreign policy in an

increasingly networked world. He discussed what has allowed the British coalition government to

function, and heavily stressed the special US-UK relationship throughout his address. He highlighted the

British stance on key international issues, including security concerns, the European Union, defense

spending, free trade, and more. His main argument was that despite a more globalized world, Britain still

had an important and leading role to play in international affairs, and by cultivating the already strongalliances in Europe and abroad, Britain could take a pioneering role on key issues that affect the

international community.

Hague began his address by explaining the factors that led to the remarkable feat of a coalition

government, the first in the UK since World War II. He admitted that British politics are famously

adversarial, but two main developments led to a friendlier environment between the two ruling parties: the

Conservative Party became more socially liberal and the Liberal Democrats Party became more

economically liberal. He said that thought his was a watershed moment in British politics, the new

coalition government has functioned quite well, and that British foreign policy has improved as a result.

Hague placed great emphasis on the special US-UK relationship, and he continued his address bydescribing the very nature of the friendship between the two countries. He stated that close cooperation

in international security has been at the heart of the relationship and that it is without parallel anywhere

in the world. He acknowledged that each side has its own identity and interests, but that it is impossible

to see a mortal threat to one country that does not in some way affect the other. He mentioned the

cooperation that the two countries have enjoyed in issues such as Iran, nuclear non-proliferation,

Afghanistan, Israel-Palestine, democratization of the Western Balkans, and Sudan. Furthermore, the

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cooperation over the bombs found in the UK that were sent from Yemen was only the latest example of

this US-UK bond.

Next, Hague stressed perhaps his most important point and the crux of his speech. He said that there was

no reduction in Britains global role under the new government, and in fact, there was an augmentation.

Though the economic underpinning of the UK has been weakened, there is a push from the Britishgovernment to expand aid to non-EU countries as well, citing the fact that Denmark receives more aid

from the UK than most of Latin America. Hague also emphasized that even though globalization has

made the world flat, international relations are no longer the sole preserver of governments. He said that

the world is also becoming more bilateral, and bilateral relations are very important.

Hagues next topic was defense, arguing that strong defenses require strong finances. He argued that

though budget cuts were necessary in the face of ever increasing constraints on the national economy,

cuts in defense were never a good thing. He reaffirmed Britains commitment to NATOs goal of 2

percent of GDP spent on the military budget. He also cited the Franco-British military treaty as a sign of

Britains commitment to defense.

Hague ended his address by mentioning a few other key issues affecting the global community. He argued

that the safe flow of goods and people is important, and foreign policy is not just about making the right

decisions in the present. Instead, Britain should have an expanded foreign policy agenda, and it has

pursued this expansion by increasing ties with countries in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin

America. Sometimes, he added, this has been done in conjunction with the US. Hague also wanted to

reinvigorate the UKs commitment to the commonwealth. Finally, Hague briefly discussed cyber-

security, On this issue, the US-UK partnership is of the first order, and the two countries must take a

leading role in combating this dangerous threat.