Key Takeaways
- The UK welcomed the Swiss Chairpersonship and the OSCE Office of the Co‑ordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities for convening the Prague Forum.
- It stressed that OSCE‑mandated meetings are essential across the three security dimensions and expressed frustration that some states continue to block debate on human rights, democracy, and media freedom.
- The Forum’s agenda centred on how anticipatory technologies, strategic foresight, and science‑based diplomacy can boost security and stability in the OSCE region.
- Emerging technologies such as AI and advanced data analysis offer valuable early‑warning, risk‑identification, and humanitarian‑response capabilities, but they can also amplify disinformation, enable hostile activity, and destabilise societies if misused.
- Realising the benefits of technology requires responsible governance and genuine multistakeholder cooperation among states, international organisations, businesses, academia, and civil society, with a clear commitment to human rights and public trust.
- The UK linked the discussion to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, highlighting the war’s severe economic, environmental, and humanitarian toll, including attacks on civilian infrastructure, and pledged continued solidarity with Ukraine.
- Hybrid threats—technology‑enabled disinformation, cyber‑attacks, sabotage, transnational repression, and foreign interference—were identified as key challenges; the UK responded with the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 and a joint EU‑UK cyber‑sanctions package targeting Russian state, criminal, and proxy networks.
- The UK also unveiled its largest ever counter‑foreign‑information‑manipulation‑and‑interference (FIMI) sanctions package, aimed at exposing hostile activity, imposing costs, and strengthening collective resilience.
- The OSCE should integrate work across its three dimensions, improve early warning and situational awareness, and develop a practical toolbox for participating states to detect, prevent, and respond to hybrid threats while safeguarding human rights.
- The United Kingdom affirmed its readiness to support these efforts and to ensure that technological progress contributes to a safer, more resilient, and more humane future for the OSCE region.
Introduction and Appreciation
The United Kingdom began its statement by expressing gratitude to the Swiss Chairpersonship and the Office of the Co‑ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities for organising the Prague Forum. Acknowledging the importance of the OSCE’s platform, the UK noted that mandated meetings are vital for addressing security across the organisation’s three dimensions—political‑military, economic‑environmental, and human.
OSCE Mandate and Human Rights Concerns
While appreciating the forum’s convening, the UK reiterated its disappointment that certain participating states have repeatedly obstructed legitimate discussion on human rights, democracy, and media freedom. The delegation stressed that open dialogue on these issues is indispensable for the OSCE’s credibility and effectiveness.
Forum Agenda: Anticipatory Technologies and Strategic Foresight
The UK highlighted that the Forum’s agenda appropriately centred on how anticipatory technologies, strategic foresight, and science‑based diplomacy can enhance security and stability throughout the OSCE region. By focusing on forward‑looking tools, the meeting sought to equip states with better means to anticipate and mitigate emerging challenges.
Opportunities Presented by Emerging Technologies
Rapid technological change was described as presenting significant opportunities. Artificial intelligence, sophisticated data analytics, and other frontier technologies can improve early‑warning systems, identify interconnected economic and environmental risks, strengthen public‑service delivery, and support more effective responses to humanitarian crises.
Risks and Misuse of Technology
At the same time, the UK warned that these same technologies can amplify disinformation, enable hostile activity, and deepen instability when deployed without appropriate safeguards. The dual‑use nature of innovation necessitates vigilance to prevent misuse that could undermine democratic societies and critical infrastructure.
Need for Responsible Governance and Multistakeholder Cooperation
To harness the benefits while curbing the dangers, the UK argued that responsible governance and genuine multistakeholder cooperation are essential. States, international organisations, businesses, academia, and civil society must collaborate to build inclusive, secure, and sustainable digital ecosystems that serve people, respect human rights, and reinforce public trust.
Impact of Russia’s War on Ukraine
The delegation emphasized that these discussions cannot be divorced from Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. Moscow’s aggression continues to inflict severe economic, environmental, and humanitarian damage, notably through attacks on Ukraine’s energy, water, and other civilian infrastructure. The UK welcomed OSCE efforts to assess the war’s environmental consequences, reduce long‑term risks, and support Ukraine’s recovery and resilience, and pledged to stand resolutely with Kyiv.
Hybrid Threats and UK Legislative Response
Beyond conventional warfare, the UK pointed to the rise of hybrid threats—technology‑enabled disinformation, cyber‑attacks, sabotage, transnational repression, and foreign interference—that aim to exploit vulnerabilities, undermine critical infrastructure, and destabilise democracies. In response, the United Kingdom adopted the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, which creates new powers to designate and disrupt organisations engaged in foreign‑power threat activity, effectively treating proxy groups as extensions of hostile intelligence services.
Joint Sanctions and Counter‑FIMI Measures
Complementing the domestic legislation, the UK and the European Union issued their first joint cyber‑sanctions package, targeting Russian state, criminal, and proxy networks responsible for cyber‑attacks across Europe. This followed the UK’s largest ever counter‑foreign‑information‑manipulation‑and‑interference (FIMI) sanctions package, which aims at individuals and entities involved in Russian malign influence operations seeking to destabilise Ukraine. Together, these measures demonstrate the UK’s determination to expose hostile activity, impose costs, and bolster collective resilience.
OSCE’s Role in Building a Hybrid‑Threat Toolbox
The UK urged the OSCE to connect work across its three dimensions, strengthen early warning and situational awareness, and develop a practical toolbox to help participating states detect, prevent, and respond to hybrid threats while upholding human rights. Such a toolbox would integrate technological foresight, diplomatic engagement, and legal mechanisms to enhance regional resilience.
Conclusion: UK Commitment to a Secure, Resilient Future
In closing, the United Kingdom affirmed its readiness to support the OSCE’s endeavours and to ensure that technological progress contributes to a safer, more resilient, and more humane future for all participating states. By combining robust governance, coordinated sanctions, and forward‑looking diplomatic tools, the UK seeks to turn the challenges of rapid innovation into opportunities for lasting peace and security.