The Prime Minister today published the first National Security Strategy for the United Kingdom. The strategy sets out lessons learned recently through experiences of terrorism and civil emergencies in the UK and overseas, including in Rwanda, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sierra Leone. These highlight the need to plan for the longer term, including supporting failing states and stabilising areas recovering from conflict, as well as tackling violent extremism.
In his statement to Parliament the Prime Minister said:
"The nature of the threats and the risks we face has changed beyond recognition and confounds all the old assumptions about national defence and international security. As the national security strategy makes clear, new threats demand new approaches. A radically updated and much more coordinated response is now required.
"We need to mobilise all the resources available to us: the power of our military, police and security services; the persuasive force and reach of diplomacy; the authority of strengthened global institutions which, with our full support, can deploy both 'hard' and 'soft' power; and because arms and authority will never be enough, the power of ideas, of shared values and hopes that can win over hearts and minds."
The Prime Minister also announced a review of the UK’s Armed Forces reserves, to see how they could play a greater role in stabilisation and reconstruction in post-conflict zones. There would also be an integrated civilian-military HQ in Afghanistan, building on the December plans for a more integrated approach across security, governance, and development.
The Strategy argues that globalisation and an increasingly interdependent world bring massive opportunities, and that the UK, as an outward-facing nation with global links and a focus on skills, is well placed to exploit them. But it also recognises the vulnerabilities associated with globalisation: modern communications and the internet can present opportunities for terrorism and transnational crime, and thus it says that broader alliances and a reformed international architecture are needed to tackle these challenges.
As well as recognising that the challenges are increasingly global and demand global solutions, the Strategy recognises that the roots of problems are often local, and sets out:
• a new Civil Protection network, replacing the old idea of civil defence, building and strengthening local capacity to respond to a range of circumstances from floods to terrorism;
• a new National Risk Register, publishing information previously held privately within Government, so the public can see at first hand the risks we face, and plan accordingly;
• an update on the “Prevent” work to help local communities resist violent extremism.
The Strategy also sets out a more long-term, integrated approach:
• A reinforced cross-government counter-terrorist effort, including expanding the inter-departmental Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, and work to strengthen protection at our borders and for crowded places.
• Stronger partnerships with local authorities and communities and announces a new National Security Forum composed of business, academics, community organisations and military and security experts to advise Government.
• Greater transparency and accountability in this increasingly important and visible area of policy, with an enhanced scrutiny and public role for the Intelligence and Security Committee, including the first public hearings.
Copies of the strategy are available at: