CFI Honorary President Lord Polak CBE called for the new Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) department to project the UK as a “force for good” by supporting extending the arms embargo on Iran, backing allies at the UN, helping build on the Israel-UAE deal and ensuring that aid to the Palestinians is not misappropriated, speaking in the House of Lords on Thursday.
Lord Polak said: “The Statement concludes that the new FCDO will project the UK as an ever-stronger force for good in the world. ‘Good’ would mean supporting our US allies in extending the arms embargo on the terror-sponsoring Iranian regime”
He added: “’Good’ would mean not only wholeheartedly and unconditionally welcoming the UAE-Israel agreement but also helping to build on it. ‘Good’ would also mean consistently voting in the right camp at the United Nations, and ensuring that our generous aid to the Palestinians is rechannelled directly to the Palestinian people, because we know that so much of it is being misused and misappropriated”.
He asked the Minister: “Can I therefore ask the Minister whether the new department will acknowledge where mistakes have been made and correct them? Then, we can indeed project the UK as an even stronger force for good in the world”.
FCDO Minister Lord Ahmad said in his response that the merger “allows us to directly align our values agenda with the important support we give to the most vulnerable communities around the world”.
On the Israel-UAE agreement, he emphasised: “I welcome that, and I know the UK Government have welcomed that, as forward progress in reaching out and ensuring that we see lasting peace in the Middle East. It is an important step forward”.
Lord Ahmad underlined that on aid, “Where there are shortcomings, and things need to improve, we will do just that”, stating: “I agree with my noble friend: not only the Palestinian people but any recipient of aid, anywhere in the world, must be the direct beneficiary”.
“On the issue of the UN and the United Kingdom’s consistency of statements, as he will be aware, we have, for example, strengthened our position on the Human Rights Council”, he said.
