Separation anxiety: European influence at the UN after Brexit

Key points

+ Brexit came at a bad time for Europe at the United Nations, as the United States, Russia, and China were challenging the liberal internationalism that the European Union promoted – and that some EU members question too.

+ The United Kingdom had been an anchor of EU policy at the UN, providing expertise and diplomatic leadership even though British officials often complained about the constraints of European coordination.

+ Brexit had the potential to upset Franco-British cooperation at the Security Council, and European coordination on development and human rights.

+ Germany and France needed to raise their game at the UN to compensate for Brexit, while the UK might ultimately find that it needs to work closely with the EU in New York and Geneva.

+ There was no need for complex diplomatic mechanisms to manage UK-EU coordination at the UN after Brexit, but both sides need to commit personnel and resources to protecting a liberal United Nations.
What strategic options do the United Kingdom and the European Union have at the United Nations after Brexit? This report Separation anxiety: European influence at the UN after Brexit by the European Council on Foreign Relations argued that the UK has long been an 'anchor' of European multilateral diplomacy, and that splits between the UK and the EU27 could create space for China and Russia to roll back human rights at the UN.

Richard Gowan, ECFR Senior Policy Fellow and author of the contended that the EU would need more assertive strategic leadership from France and Germany in UN forums to broker agreements within the European bloc and respond to spoilers. He argued that Brexit had the potential to upset European coordination on development and human rights across the UN system.

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