Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Written Evidence


Further memorandum submitted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY STRATEGY BOARD

Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from the Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 22 May 2003

  I wrote to you in November last year about the establishment of the new Public Diplomacy Strategy Board under the Chairmanship of Michael Jay. I thought you might welcome a brief summary of what the Board has achieved so far.

  The Board has agreed an overarching Strategy for our public diplomacy activities overseas. I enclose a copy. The Strategy provides a framework and common agenda for our collective efforts to understand and improve foreign perceptions of the UK. The list of countries in the strategy is not meant to be prescriptive, but to indicate the broad geographical areas where we aim to focus our activities.

  The Strategy is a living document and will be kept under review by the Board. It will also be informed by data from a new international tracking study. This study is being funded jointly by the FCO, the British Council, British Trade International and Visit Britain. It will provide a global snapshot of people's attitudes towards the UK. It will allow us to track on an annual basis how perceptions are changing and to identify areas or issues on which we need to concentrate our efforts.

  The Board is also developing ideas on a series of public diplomacy campaigns. As you know, this year's campaign in China is already underway. Unfortunately we have had to scale down or postpone several events in May and June given the possible public health risks from the SARS virus. But the campaign will run until the end of the year and many elements of it are still on track to deliver maximum impact, including a series of TV documentaries which will be shown on the national TV network with an expected audience of over one hundred million. In 2004 the focus will be on the EU accession states and on Science and Technology in North America. In addition, we are using the Strategy Board to ensure that our efforts to break down the barriers of misunderstanding between the West and Islam are taken forward in a coherent and joined-up way, designed to maximise our collective impact.

  I would be very happy to arrange for one of my officials to brief the Clerk in more detail on the Strategy Board's work, if the Committee would find that helpful. I know Michael Jay would be happy to brief the Committee, too, when he appears before you to discuss the FCO's Departmental Report on 24 June. I also have it in mind to arrange a seminar to explain the work we are doing to promote the UK overseas to MPs and Peers and to draw on their ideas and experience. I would welcome your thoughts on this; and how we might best ensure that the time devoted to such a seminar is used productively.

Rt Hon Jack Straw, MP

Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

May 2003

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY STRATEGY

1.   Purpose

  The purpose of this strategy is to inform activity by public diplomacy partners and identify a common agenda around which they can focus their collective efforts. Some of this activity will be joint; much will be separate but complementary. The aim is that the overall impact of this activity should be more than the sum of the parts.

2.   Strategic Objective

  To understand and improve foreign perceptions of the UK

    —  so that we are increasingly seen and appreciated as modernising, diverse, creative, successful and relevant

    —  with a lively, inclusive, open and welcoming people

    —  in order to underpin our political and cultural influence, commercial competitiveness, and ability to attract visitors, students, investment and talent.

3.   Core Narrative

  Information services, promotion of the UK and policy presentation should be informed by, and seek to communicate, the following two key messages about the UK:

  (i)  We are building dynamically on our traditions, renewing and modernising our society through our:

    —  Creativity and innovation, including in the creative industries, arts, sciences and industry.

    —  Openness to new ideas and new people.

    —  Regional, national and cultural diversity.

    —  Institutional adaptability, as seen in devolution and constitutional change.

  (ii)  We are principled and professional, as shown in our:

    —  Global engagement in the UN, EU, Commonwealth, international peacekeeping and more generally.

    —  Reliability, straight dealing and trustworthiness in business and international affairs.

    —  Commitment to justice, human rights, the rule of law and international security.

4.   Key Audiences

  We want perceptions overseas to be as up-to-date and positive as possible generally, and in particular amongst influential, informed and educated people.

  There is no single global audience for HMG's collective public diplomacy efforts. For example, the FCO and British Trade International will often wish to focus on business and political opinion formers and decision-makers; the British Council on the successor generation; and Visit Britain on those who might visit the UK. But these audiences overlap; and there will be considerable scope for joint action on specific public diplomacy projects and campaigns.

5.   Geographical Priorities

    —  Major transitional countries (eg China, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa).

    —  EU accession states (in Central and Eastern Europe).

    —  Key Islamic countries (eg Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia).

    —  Major developed countries (eg Japan, France, Germany).

    —  The USA (which is sufficiently distinct from other major developed countries to warrant its own category).

6.   Priority Themes (in the forthcoming three years 2003-06)

    —  The UK as a principled player in the international arena, with a strong civil society, active NGOs and a commitment to individual liberty.

    —  The UK as a business, political and governance partner of choice in a globalising world (particularly in the EU accession states and major transitional countries).

    —  The UK as a modern, diverse and innovative country, with devolved systems of government allowing the different parts of the UK to play to their strengths.

    —  The UK as a world leader in science and technology (particularly in the USA and other major developed countries).

    —  The UK as a world class destination for study, training and tourism (in major educational and tourist markets).

7.   Key Operating Principles

  We shall:

  A.  clarify the comparative strengths of the public diplomacy partners, identify overlaps and maximise complementarity.

  B.  listen and work together on public diplomacy priorities where value is added by a joined-up approach.

  C.  work with others, including the business and diaspora communities and NGOs.

  D.  base what we do on research, build in performance measures at the design stage, monitor implementation and evaluate results.

  E.  plan ahead, so that major public diplomacy initiatives meet strategic priorities.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

May 2003


PUBLIC DIPLOMACY STRATEGY: ACTION PLAN

  The Public Diplomacy Strategy Board will oversee the following activities:

1.   A joint programme of tracking research

  Project Group established March 2003. Tender process is underway: contract to be awarded in July, fieldwork to be completed before Ramadan, first survey to be complete by end December 2003.

2.   A joint programme of major campaigns

  John Sorrell and David Green to organise a workshop (preferably before the PDSB meets in July) to share understanding on the strategic priorities and comparative strengths of each organisation, to draw up a set of criteria to help us decide on our future programme of campaigns and to generate ideas for possible campaigns in 2005-07.

3.   A single database of positive stories about the UK to underpin the core narrative

  Work is ongoing. Secretariat is to coordinate.

4.   A grid of future public diplomacy activities in the key countries

  Circulated April 2003. Secretariat is to update.

5.   Sufficient funds to implement this

  Action plan for dialogue with Regional Development Authorities and others agreed at PDSB, 1 May.

6.   Communication

  Board members to communicate strategy to internal audience from 9 May; communication to wider audience to be kept under review.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

May 2003





 
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