Committee publication · Correspondence · 25 March 2026
Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary relating to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) priorities, dated 23 March 2026
From: Foreign Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Summary
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper outlines six refreshed priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for the Spending Review period: Security, Growth and Resilience, Migration, Development and Climate, Women and Girls, and Agile Alliances. Cooper frames these priorities against a volatile global landscape marked by escalating Middle East tensions, rising protectionism, and technological transformation, arguing they will protect UK security, promote prosperity, and uphold British values while advancing long-term national interest.
Key findings
- FCDO priorities restructured around six areas: Euro-Atlantic security and NATO, targeted economic partnerships and supply chain resilience, reducing illegal migration through international cooperation and returns agreements, modernising development from donor to investor model, championing women's rights including tech-enabled threats, and building pragmatic alliances to diversify dependencies.
- Foreign Secretary identifies recent Iranian strikes on Gulf partners and bases as directly threatening British lives and illustrating how global events shape UK cost of living, citizen safety, border security and economic resilience.
- Government has reset EU relations, increased defence spending (largest rise since Cold War), stepped up Ukraine support, restored climate leadership, and struck trade deals with EU, US and India.
- FCDO2030 reform programme aims to deliver three outcomes: more strategic and adaptable organisation with rapid resource reallocation; empowered, skilled workforce; and modern digital tools for diplomatic and operational delivery.
- Cooper argues for 'more active statecraft, more agile alliances, and a more adaptive approach' rejecting false choice between great power politics and unquestioning reliance on existing multilateral frameworks.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Yvette Cooper, Dame Emily Thornberry, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), NATO, Iran, Russia, European Union, United States
Notable line
“The world we face in 2026 is volatile, contested and unstable - with conflict increasing, protectionism rising and technology transforming our lives.”
Key Quotes
“In recent weeks we have seen intense escalation in the Middle East region, with increasingly reckless strikes from the Iranian regime targeting Gulf partners, including strikes on bases, on airports and on hotels which directly put British lives at risk.”
“This crisis illustrates once again how foreign policy affects every aspect of people's lives in the UK. Global events shape the cost of living, the safety of our citizens, the security of our borders and the resilience of our economy.”
“We need _more active statecraft, more agile alliances, and a more adaptive approach to the international system to deliver on our objectives.”
“The FCDO will lead this work across Government, leveraging our world-class diplomatic service to navigate both the challenges and opportunities of the modern world …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗