This month marks the centenary of the outbreak of the fighting in the First World War. That appalling conflict — often still known as the Great War — devastated a generation.
My mother’s father, born in 1899, was one of nine grandsons of his mother’s father. Of those nine, six fell in that war. My grandfather himself, then aged 19, was severely wounded.
That was supposed to be the war to end all wars. But it didn’t. Within a quarter of a century, the world was at war again.
My other grandfather commanded HMS Belfast (now by Tower Bridge in London), escorting convoys to Russia, sinking the battleship Scharnhorst and attacking the Normandy defences on D-Day. Since then, there have been many terrible conflicts — between, and increasingly within, countries. Greed for power, territory, resources and ideological domination continue to drive some humans to inhumanity. But, for almost three quarters of a century now, the world has not plunged again into global conflagration. Why?
There are many reasons — not least the creation of the United Nations, where I was, until recently, the United Kingdom’s Deputy Permanent Representative. The UN’s framework of international law and cooperation and its promotion of peace and security, development, trade, humanitarian assistance, justice and human rights are often slow and difficult. But the world is all the more peaceful for them.
Likewise, the many evolving regional structures like the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). But Nato — the most enduring and successful military alliance in history — deserves a large part of the credit for the absence of global conflict. This may seem paradoxical. But, by preparing for war, Nato has helped preserve peace. And by acting in Afghanistan, with partners like the UAE, Nato has been helping a nation rebuild itself and reject extremist forces that presented a global threat.
The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, will host a summit of Nato leaders tomorrow and on Friday. The UAE will be there as one of Nato’s valued partners. This will be one of the most important meetings in Nato’s history, as its 28 members consider how it can continue at the forefront of building stability and protecting peace in an unpredictable world. This will be the first Nato summit in the UK since Margaret Thatcher hosted the London Summit in 1990, which proved a turning point for the alliance as its leaders charted a new post-Cold War course for Nato.
Nato’s leaders will again meet in the UK at a pivotal moment. The bloc’s combat mission in Afghanistan is coming to an end. Russia has illegally annexed Crimea and destabilised Ukraine. Instability spans an arc from the Sahel and North Africa to Syria and Iraq.
Cameron has set five goals for the summit:
* Strengthen Nato’s ability to respond quickly to any threat; reassure Nato members who fear for their security and deter any Russian aggression.
* Ensure that Nato’s new mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces, and the international funding for them, will stop Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist haven again and enable it to sustain its own forces in the long run.
* Agree how Nato will address the challenges of failed states, regional conflicts, terrorism and cyber attacks. That means Nato members investing smartly in their own defence capabilities and supporting other countries who need to strengthen theirs.
* Demonstrate Nato’s commitment to working with those who share its values. The UK is supporting an interoperability initiative with several Nato partners including the UAE.
* Establish a new charter, spelling out a shared commitment to provide support to military personnel and their families when they are wounded, killed or when they retire.
This summit will be held in Wales, a nation with one of the oldest European languages, a warrior history and more than 600 castles. Formally united with England for nearly 500 years, it is a Principate — that is, an ‘emirate’, with its own national assembly and government and indeed its own ‘emir’: Prince Charles.
The Welsh economy is modern, diverse and outward-looking — including advanced materials, creative industries, life sciences, energy, environment, food and drink.
The UAE is Wales’ third largest export market. Welsh exports to the UAE increased by more than 80 per cent last year. Growing numbers of students from the Gulf attend Welsh universities. Cardiff University is an associate of the British University in Dubai.
Eight thousand Emiratis visited Wales last year. Readers of the Rough Guide recently voted Wales one of the top five destinations in the world. So we hope the Emirati delegation will feel welcome!
I celebrated my tenth birthday in Wales (the year before the UAE was formed!). My treat was a ride in a local lifeboat. The UK lifeboat service depends on brave and dedicated volunteers who can respond and save lives when disaster strikes. The same principles of commitment and preparedness underpin Nato.
This summit must succeed so that, just as my grandfathers did not have to see me follow their footsteps into world war, our generation — not only in Europe, but beyond — can see our children’s children celebrate their birthdays and grow up in peace.
Philip Parham is UK’s Ambassador to the UAE.
