Brexit and the UN Security Council

Declining British influence

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4032864
AutoresJess Gifkins (0000-0003-0551-787X), Samuel Jarvi (0000-0002-1987-9751), Samuel Jarvis, Jason Ralph (0000-0002-8402-678X)
Año2019
Volumen95
Número6
Páginas1349-1368
Fecha de publicación2019-11-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Affairs (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0020-5850 • E-ISSN: 1468-2346
EditorialOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/ia/iiz205
OpenAlexW2986761539
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas8

The United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union has ramifications beyond the UK and the EU. This article analyses the impact of the Brexit referendum on the UK's political capital in the United Nations Security Council; a dimension of Brexit that has received little attention thus far. Drawing on extensive elite interviews we show that the UK has considerable political capital in the Council, where it is seen as one of the most effective actors, but the reputational costs of Brexit are tarnishing this image. With case-studies on the UK's role in Somalia and Yemen we show how the UK has been able to further its interests with dual roles in the EU and Security Council, and the risks posed by tensions between trade and human rights after Brexit. We also analyse what it takes to be influential within the Security Council and argue that more attention should be paid to the practices of diplomacy. Influence is gained via penholding, strong diplomatic skill and a well-regarded UN permanent representative. The UK accrues political capital as a leader on the humanitarian and human rights side of the Council's agenda, but this reputation is at risk as it exits the EU

Brexit · Diplomacy · Economics · Elite · European union · Human rights · International trade · Political capital · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Referendum · Reputation · European and International Law Studies · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics · Public Administration