British Policy and Parliament

Election 2001 News: Implications for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

FREEDOM, JUSTICE, HONESTY: DEFENCE AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS - The Liberal Democrat Manifesto (excerpts)

Britain can achieve far more by working with others than working alone. An internationalist approach is the best way to protect our freedom and our interests. We will work to build effective international and regional organisations to promote peace and freedom throughout the world, combat poverty and disease and tackle global environmental problems.

Liberal Democrats will:

Promote a foreign policy based on democracy, human rights and good governance

Seek to make international institutions more able to address global security, trade and environmental issues

Resist further erosion of Britain's defence capability while co-operating more closely with the country's allies

Events in one nation can have a profound impact on life in other countries. The world is no longer one of self-contained nation states. Britain has too often given aid and comfort to authoritarian regimes which oppress their people and threaten world stability. And as Britain's own defence capability has weakened, the country has been slow to pool resources with its allies."

[Box of action points includes:]

"Stop using taxpayers' money to support the arms trade by ending subsidies for arms sold to foreign regimes."

[Then sections on four main issues]

"FOREIGN POLICY

Britain stands at the centre of a web of global institutions. Our membership of the UN Security Council, the Commonwealth, the EU, NATO, and other global bodies gives Britain a key role in world affairs. But with power comes responsibility.

We must not turn a blind eye to injustice nor support authoritarian regimes which oppress their people and threaten world stability. Britain's influence should be used to fight for human rights and equitable and peaceful relationships between nations.

The Liberal Democrat approach puts democratic values, human rights and good governance at the top of the foreign policy agenda. We will:

End subsidies for arms sold to foreign regimes. We will put an end to the use of Export Credit Guarantees to support arms exports. We will establish a Parliamentary Arms Export Committee to monitor arms exports and scrutinise individual licence applications. We will require arms brokers to register under a Code of Conduct, and revoke the licences of those who break the code.

Take account of human rights and development needs in government policy. We will audit relevant government departments to ensure that policies on issues such as aid, arms sales and credit guarantees conform to the standards we have set.

Give priority to conflict prevention. It should focus on traditional threats to security but also the consequences of environmental degradation, resource depletion, volatile markets and unfair trade. Preventive diplomacy will be given a higher priority in the budgets of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence.

Continue the fight against slave labour. We will co-operate with international bodies like the International Labour Organisation to stamp out slavery.

Maintain funding for the BBC World Service and the British Council. We will ensure that these two organisations, which have a vital role in spreading the values of freedom and democracy, receive proper funding."

"INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

We favour greater international co-operation to make the world a safer place and to uphold human rights in other countries. We will: Seek to strengthen the powers of the UN. The UN needs a more active role in holding member states to account for gross and persistent breaches of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Too many UN Conventions and Security Council resolutions are flouted and ignored. We propose that the Secretary General conducts an audit to determine outstanding obligations and the action needed to comply with them.

Ensure that the United Nations has the resources to act. We will promote the establishment of a Staff College based in Britain to train UN peacekeepers. We also advocate the formation of a UN Rapid Reaction Disaster Task Force to tackle both man-made and natural disasters.

Work with Britain's partners in the Commonwealth to make it more effective in promoting conflict resolution, good governance and democratic values.

Support the International Criminal Court. If it is powerful and well resourced, the Court will enhance human rights. We will press opponents of the court to recognise its authority."

"DEFENCE

We are proud of Britain's record of defending democracy, and to remember those who have given their lives, we will make the day after Remembrance Sunday a public holiday. British armed forces rightly enjoy the respect of the world. It is essential to preserve that reputation. But as the country's own defence capability has shrunk since the end of the Cold War, it has been slow to pool resources with allies. Britain's capabilities must continue to adapt to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. We will:

Resist further erosion of our defence capability. We will maintain the current level of spending and resist any further reductions.

Promote flexibility, mobility, rapid deployment and joint operations as the basis of Britain's defence policy, to enable the UK to honour Britain's commitments to the EU, NATO, the Commonwealth and the UN.

Promote equal opportunities and family welfare in the armed forces. We will oppose unfair discrimination in the forces. We will review welfare policies in order to set minimum and consistent standards that can be applied at home and abroad for service families.

Work for the elimination worldwide of all nuclear weapons. We will urge a new round of multilateral arms reduction talks, but will retain the UK's minimum nuclear deterrent for the foreseeable future.

Oppose the National Missile Defence System (NMD). The system currently being proposed by the USA represents a threat to international stability and arms control agreements.

Put in place a moratorium on the use of Depleted Uranium Shells until there is clear evidence regarding the health risks involved."