Good International Citizenship: A Third Way for British Foreign Policy*

Abstract

To date, there has not been a sustained attempt to bring the philosophy of the Third Way into foreign policy. In order to fill this gap, the authors turn to the idea of ‘good international citizenship’ pioneered by the former Australian Foreign Minister, Gareth Evans. It is argued that good international citizenship provides a conceptual rationale for an ethical foreign policy as well as a standard for judging the priority accorded to the goals of security, trade and human rights. Through an examination of a number of cases, the authors conclude that Britain’s record as a good international citizen has been uneven and argue—against Labour’s critics—that the government has set a new course for Britain’s way in the world. More importantly, it has encouraged a public debate about the meaning and priority accorded to the promotion of different values.