In a report published ahead of the UN’s General Assembly week, the Foreign Affairs Committee urged the Government restore the aid budget
Britain’s aid cuts are a “gift” to China and Russia’s efforts to undermine an increasingly polarised United Nations, a Commons committee has warned.
In a report published ahead of the UN’s General Assembly week, the Foreign Affairs Committee urged the Government restore the aid budget and funding for multilateral institutions or risk leaving space for the UK’s adversaries.
At the start of the year, the Government announced plans to reduce aid spending to 0.3% of national income to fund greater defence spending.
The cut followed the previous government’s decision to reduce the aid budget to 0.5% of national income from 0.7%, a target it had been legally committed to.
The budget for the Foreign Office directorate that deals with multilateral institutions, including the UN, has also been cut, falling by 65% between 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Committee chair Dame Emily Thornberry said the cuts were “a gift to China and Russia, who seek to exert malign and disruptive influence and control at the UN”.
She added: “We need to be much more vocal when we see permanent members (of the UN Security Council) abuse and misuse multilateral institutions.
“Today’s report finds that the UK is widely respected and should use its positive reputation and voice to call out China and Russia. To date, we have been far too cautious.”
The report comes ahead of what could be a pivotal week at the UN, which is holding its General Assembly in New York as it marks 80 years since its foundation.
The UK is expected to use the General Assembly to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, which Dame Emily said demonstrated the UN “continues to hold weight”.
In its report, the committee warned of “tension and polarisation” at the UN Security Council between Russia and China on one side and Britain, France and the US on the other.
Urging the Government to “push back” at efforts to “weaken” the UN, the MPs said: “The need for strategic and purposeful multilateralism, underpinned by a strong commitment to the rules-based international order, has never been more urgent.”