* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Domestic politics doesn’t get more dramatic than the sweeping changes we’ve seen this past week.
The UK has a new Prime Minister and a new government. We also have a new Secretary of State for International Development (DfID), Priti Patel. She may have taken up her post with far less fanfare but her appointment is hugely significant for aid agencies, and indeed for Britain’s role in the world
Sure, we’re talking about domestic politics with officials in suits running departments in Whitehall.
But decisions are made here, particularly in DfID and the Foreign Office, which have ripple effects across the globe. If we get it right, these decisions – backed by sensible and targeted funding - can change children’s lives forever in the toughest corners of the world.
Over the past five years, Ms Patel’s predecessor Justine Greening showed that Britain can be a world leader in ‘soft’ power. Justine Greening worked hard - tackling violence against women and girls, empowering youth and reshaping the way we respond to humanitarian emergencies.
She challenged the role of international development. And she brought a tangible, results-focused approach to the department – ensuring that we as a sector continued to focus on action. From the Sustainable Development Goals to DfID’s commitment to ensure girls can be girls and not wives, the results speak for themselves.
People rightly question what impact a department in Whitehall can have on children’s lives thousands of miles away.
Yet the UK has been punching above its weight in championing the rights of children in war, ending child marriage, and restoring dignity to desperate children. We have earned our place as a force to be reckoned with on the world stage, persuading other world leaders to do the right thing.
We need that track record to continue. To achieve that World Vision UK sends three challenges to Priti Patel.
With the bold SDG agenda now in place, we need Priti Patel to be a leading global voice in championing how vital it is to deliver these goals, and instilling a sense of urgency in world leaders to achieve this.
- Champion a movement to end violence against children
Priti Patel must pick up the baton from her predecessor, Justine Greening, and continue leading global efforts to tackle child, early and forced marriage, and sexual violence in conflict. We need another strong character on the world stage to help build global momentum to end all forms of violence against children once and for all.
- Build on the UK’s global leadership role to tackle global challenges
There must be no cuts to the government’s promise to spend 0.7 per cent of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product on overseas aid. It saves lives, builds opportunities, and reflects our compassionate values as a nation. The UK’s leadership in global moments like the Syria Conference this February has also been crucial in achieving positive outcomes for the world’s most vulnerable children. Priti Patel must ensure her department continues this proud tradition to support the world’s most vulnerable children.
Priti Patel inherits the job at a time when the world is at a cross roads. We trust that she’ll champion the causes of today’s children - tomorrow’s adults. We hope to make both our roles redundant in 50 years’ time.
