THE geopolitical norms are once more in the pressure cooker, as international players assert themselves and their authority. As we approach the third anniversary of the tanks rolling into Ukraine from Russia, the tensions are building as the graves are deepening. Any changes to this dynamic must lead to peace, not an escalation of war, but there can be no peace without justice.
In parallel, we are relieved to see the release of Israeli and Palestinian hostages. It is deeply moving to see families reunited. But for far too many, this will never be. The loss of at least 50,000 has meant that wounds will never heal. All the while we hear actors talking of further displacement to those who have lost everything.
Of late, I have been engaged over the Sudanese conflict. Some 24.6m are facing acute hunger and over 12.5m are displaced. The scale of the humanitarian cost as sides pillage, rape and burn their way through villages is leaving more than its scars. It has been described as the ‘forgotten war’ and yet the most tragic of circumstances. It is complex. Outside actors are fuelling the fighting with funds, weapons and mercenaries.
The latest appeal for humanitarian aid, launched by the UN this week has sought greater attention, as the US have announced that it will be withdrawing its support.
In all these horrendous conflicts, patterns are emerging which demand progressive leaders address, of which the UK must also step up into this space.
How we hold nations to account is not working. When arrest warrants are dispatched by the International Criminal Courts, we expect justice to be served. But the amnesty within national borders protect rogue leaders from accountability. Then we have the UN Security Council which requires unanimous support to make progress, so progress stalls as soon as one nation withdraws support. The General Assembly advance resolutions, but their effect can be reduced to little more than a position statement.
I may not access these platforms, but I do Parliament, and spend much time holding Government to account, of all colours, on these issues. In the UK’s drive for ‘growth’ we have to understand the cost of who we seek to trade with. The arms sales to Israel, while reduced under Labour, have been exposed as being in breach of legal advice in the Foreign Office. The trading relationships with the UAE, a major actor in the Sudanese war, has UK fingerprints all over it. Now the Chancellor is seeking to open up ties with countries like China, well established for its human rights abuses of forced labour, torture and imprisonment.
Who we trade with, what kind of growth we have matters. It impacts on the way we conduct ourselves when there is conflict in our ethics.
I know the economy is broken. How we fix it really matters. The big question is do we chase after growth at any cost, or can we step back and question how that growth is calculated, and ask what the social benefits are.
As robust debate over the Comprehensive Spending Review is underway, the Government needs to make significant decisions. I believe that there must be three things which determine this.
First we need an ethical economy. Therefore our relationships with global actors needs urgent review. If we were to act, we could use our leverage in de-escalating the conflicts and step above the partisanship of these relationships to rebuild the global institutions of accountability and justice.
Second, we need a sustainable economy. Talk of reviews of excavation of hydrocarbons in the North Sea or expansion of Heathrow Airport fail to addresses the climate emergency, at the root of so many global conflicts.
Third, we need to focus on redistribution. The obscene wealth circulating in the UK, when contrasted with significant poverty has been embedded over the last government.
In joining with our city’s agencies, I responded to the Government’s Child Poverty Task Group to highlight the challenges York families face. No child should grow up in poverty, and yet 4.3m do today. I have called on the Government to scrap the two-child limit in the system and remove the benefit cap, while supporting parents into good quality work, ensuring that families have enough to live on.
From the global to the local, the decisions Government makes impact us all. Building a sustainable, ethical and fair economy at home, will have global impact if we get it right, and enable the UK to bring a positive impact to this fractured world.