Today the Foreign Affairs Committee launches a new inquiry into
the UK’s efforts to tackle terrorism globally.
The inquiry will develop an understanding of the motivations,
locations, tactics, ambitions and organisation of the most
pressing terrorist threats and consider how the threat from
terrorist actors and groups may evolve in the next decade.
The inquiry will examine the UK’s counter-terrorism policy,
asking what actions have been taken by the UK to deter, contain,
counter and prevent acts of terrorism emanating overseas.
The inquiry will assess Foreign, Commonwealth & Development
Office (FCDO) policy on all forms of terrorism which could
threaten British citizens or British interests. It will also
assess how regional instability can foster insecurity directly
impacting on the UK. It will examine how the UK can best use its
influence within bilateral and multilateral security partnerships
and review whether the Integrated Review's approach to the
terrorist threat is sufficient.
The deadline for written evidence is Monday 12 June
2023.
Chair's comments
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, , said:
“Although the next two decades will be shaped by hostilities
emanating from hostile states, the threat of terrorist actors
remains acute and enduring.
This inquiry will examine the nature of the threat to the UK, map
out the global threat picture, and interrogate the current FCDO
approach to keeping our people, and interests, safe. It will also
consider the intersectionality of foreign policy and the threat
to the UK from terrorist actors.
The Foreign Office’s contribution to countering terrorism is
pivotal. It is long overdue an examination."
Terms of Reference
The Committee welcomes written evidence on the following:
- In which regions and countries overseas is the terrorist
threat to the UK acute or developing?
- What factors and trends can be identified in the global
terror picture? What are the ambitions, locations, tactics,
ideologies and level of organisation of the terror threat?
- How does UK foreign policy impact on the threat of terrorism
to the UK and UK interests?
- Which overseas terror groups or organisations most directly
threaten UK interests? How has the nature of the threat from
these groups changed in the past 5-10 years? How is this threat
expected to evolve in the coming 5-10 years?
- How effective are the Government’s efforts to track and
forecast future terrorism trends (including state-sponsored
terrorism), with reference to the Integrated Review (2021) and
Integrated Review Refresh (2023)? How can these be improved?
- What steps might HMG take to counter the global promotion of
terrorism (e.g. foreign online radicalisation and recruitment),
and how might this be improved?
- What has been the effectiveness of the FCDO in leading HMG’s
counterterrorism approach across government? Where can these
efforts be improved?
- How effectively has the FCDO exerted influence on counter
terrorism policies bilaterally and multilaterally in recent
years? How resilient are these relationships and networks?
- How does the FCDO structure and respond to the threat of
terrorism to the UK, including through CSSF (Conflict, Stability
and Security Fund) programming?
