Foreign policy and the Commonwealth

British diplomacy is considered as being the best in the world

I. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

1. Origins and structure of his Majesty’s diplomatic Service

 FO: Foreign Office : created in 1782 : to deal with British foreign affairs
 To deal with colonial affairs
 India was part of British territory
 19th: Commonwealth Office Relations Office + Dominions: self-governing nations, distinct
from colonies: New Zealand, Australia, Canada
 India Office: a ministry dedicated to Indian affairs ; the Indian Civil Service responsible for
managing the provinces, difficult exam ; India = jewel of the crown, largest colony
 Evolution of the Institution : reflection both of the evolution of British foreign policy but also
of big international transformation : decolonization
 A whole ministry for India = imp to the Brits
 20th : the colonial offices scoped diminish : more and more colonies obtained their
independence from the British empire
 1986 : Creation of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1968 and FCDO in 2020
(development) : encouraging third world countries to develop
 The Foreign Office is now responsible for the conduct of British conduct with foreign states ;
located in King Charles Street and the head of the FO is James Cleverly : Foreign Secretary :
first step for someone to afterwards become PM
 FO missions: external affairs = deals with external relations with foreign countries and gvts ;
the promotion of British interests abroad ; matters concerning the Commonwealth ;
Commonwealth + British Overseas Territories = the remaining territories from the British
empire, still linked to Britain but self-governing, Brit in charge of their foreign affairs and
defence; managing the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
 Geographical departments, thematic departments (migration, international trade,…)
 How the British FO works : strict hierarchy, held by several traditions ; when you’re a
diplomat, you come from a specific social class – upper- , behave a certain, educated in
certain schools, master a type of language : gentlemen highly educated diplomats, still true
to a certain extent nowadays : 60’s still from Oxford and Cambridge; those who occupy top
positions still come from diplomatic dynasties
 Until 1972, only single women could work in the diplomatic service
 2017 : 30% of women in the top FO positions

2. The evolution of British diplomacy: from ch…..

 Churchil : 1948 : speech : the three circles of influence ; explained that the UK was at the
center of three influence : North America, Europe and Empire / Commonwealth ; the UK was
present in each circle but could adapt = develop new interests depending on the evolution of
each one
 UK joined EEC in 1973
 20th cent : diplomatic relations : close ties with the Empire, economic interest, strong
connections with European countries; special relationship = with the US, a set of shared
values, support for western type of democracy, support for economic liberalism, a shared
language, a military alliance, NATO, Transatlantic friendships : the friendship between
Reagan and thatcher, tony Blair and bill Clinton, Trump and Johnson
 The evolution of the FO depends on the ev of the international situation : priorities :affected
by decolonization + the UK’s decline in power compared to the soviet union USSR and the
USA + EEC, Brexit  imp impact on FO prioritize relations with countries, changed the way
they perceived their role in the world
 A minister for dvt of Africa, Indo-Pacific Zone and the Overseas Territories, but only a
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Europe
 Economic interests directed elsewhere bc of Bxt  Indo-Pacific tilt, the Commonwealth
 Now the “special relationship” refers in a renew interest into the old Empire: the UK’s belief
of special links with its former colonies even if they are independent
 Nowadays the UK’s diplomatic networks is the largest : 280 embassies and high
commissions ; new openings in 2018 : Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Samoa, Tonga,
Vanuatu (bc of bxt) : signals that Britain tries to renew links ; 14 overseas territories
 Soft Power : true of many western countries // hard power ; power of influence abroad
based on its culture, values, customs (1990, John Darwin)  to promote a good image,
encourage the Human Rights, a better understanding of the UK
 Investments in the British Council, the BBC  British cultural diplomacy
 Insist a lot on the UK’s international partnerships

II. The Commonwealth of Nations

1. From Empire to Commonwealth : historical background

Largest empire in the world

Started with Queen Elisabeth the First
From the 16th century onwards the British emp grew rapidly
1900 : ¼ of the world population and world’s surface
“The empire on which the sun never sets”
1931 : Statute of Westminster : creation of the Commonwealth of Nations : Dominions,
forced to grant parliamentary sovereignty : self-governing : free association of countries
with Britain ; NZ, Canada, SA, Aus
 Decolonization
 1947: independence of India and Pakistan, 1948 Burma and Ceylon, 1957 Ghana, 1960
Nigeria, 1962 Jamaica
2. A cultural and political association… or a useless neo-imperial structure ?
 The Commonwealth of Nations = to keep links with former colonies, imperial legacy
 Until 1947, the Co was mostly a wide club : Britain + white dominions : Aus, CA, NZ, SA : sent
many ppl to settle and live at those places : economic power of the Whites BUT the entry of
india into the Co : changed
 The monarch is the head of the Commonwealth: symbolic head: to enable former colonies to
become Republics and join the Co
 Nowadays, most of the former colonies are part of the Co: map but certain did not join +
others that were not colonies : Rwanda, Congo
 The role: consulting and cooperating in the common interests if its members and to promote
international understanding and world peace”
 1,7 billion ppl
 Every summit with all heads of gvt : political dimension, not as powerful as the G8 or G20,
tries to act as mediator in case of a conflict between its members; criticized for being
ineffective, they cannot be punished, decisions not legally minding ; exception :
condemnation of apartheid : SA could join the Co only after ending the Apartheid
 Monarch: head of state of Canada and Australia: dollars but face of the monarch
 Cultural dimension : shared history, shared languages, Commonwealth Games every four
years, important form of discussion to raise awareness on environmental questions (islands)
 Some observers still see the Co as a new imperial / colonial structure especially in the post
bxt context : the UK does not need the UE bc they have their former empire (arg of pro bxt
leaders)
 “Global Britain” Theresa May : uk’s place in the world, interests of former colonies, Britain
does not need Europe