Foreword
Published 3 August 2023
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The UK is facing an ever-changing and growing set of risks. Even in the 3 years since we published our last National Risk Register in 2020, we have seen the barbaric invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the wide-ranging and long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing impact of climate change on our day-to-day lives. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming our world – bringing with them opportunities, but also a number of risks.
This country has overcome countless challenges before, but I am determined to build on our national resilience so that we are prepared for whatever the future holds. To do that, we need to be more open than ever about the risks we face. Government cannot tackle these challenges alone; due to our increasingly complex and interconnected world, all of society needs to work together to strengthen our defences and build a more resilient nation.
That is why we are publishing a new and refreshed National Risk Register. This document reflects our more sophisticated understanding of the risk landscape following events such as COVID-19.
Crucially, the Register is more transparent than ever. For the first time, it is based directly on the government’s internal, classified National Security Risk Assessment. Information has only been excluded from the document where there is a specific reason to do so, for example for national security reasons or for commercial confidentiality. We are giving businesses and other organisations as much information as possible about the risks they face, so that they can use this knowledge to support their own planning, preparation and response.
By focusing on our collective resilience, we can help the nation be more safe, more secure – and in turn, more prosperous. This National Risk Register plays a vital role in that process, allowing us to build towards an even brighter future
The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP
Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office