Responsible technology and resilience against hybrid threats: UK statement to the 32nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum
Ambassador Holland highlights responsible governance and multistakeholder cooperation are essential to harness frontier technologies while protecting human rights and public trust. The OSCE must strengthen early warning, address hybrid threats and support Ukraine’s recovery and resilience in the face of Russia’s illegal war.
Thank you, Chair.
The United Kingdom thanks the Swiss Chairpersonship and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities for convening this Forum. OSCE mandated meetings are vital in all three dimensions of regional security, and I reiterate for the record the UK’s disappointment that certain countries have again blocked legitimate discussion of human rights, democracy and media freedom.
Here in Prague our agenda rightly focuses on how anticipatory technologies, strategic foresight and science-based diplomacy can strengthen security and stability across the OSCE region.
Rapid technological change presents significant opportunities. Artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis and other frontier technologies can improve early warning, identify interconnected economic and environmental risks, strengthen public services and support responses to humanitarian crises. But these technologies can also amplify disinformation, enable hostile activity and deepen instability when misused or deployed without appropriate safeguards.
Realising their benefits requires responsible governance and genuine multistakeholder cooperation. States, international organisations, businesses, academia and civil society must work together to build inclusive, secure and sustainable digital ecosystems. Technology must serve people, respect human rights and reinforce public trust.
We cannot separate these discussions from Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. Russia’s aggression continues to cause severe economic, environmental and humanitarian damage, including through attacks on Ukraine’s energy, water and other civilian infrastructure. The UK welcomes practical OSCE work to assess the war’s environmental consequences, reduce long-term risks and support Ukraine’s recovery and resilience. We will continue to stand resolutely with Ukraine.
Nor can we ignore wider hybrid threats. Technology-enabled disinformation, cyber-attacks, sabotage, transnational repression, and foreign interference are designed to exploit vulnerabilities, undermine critical infrastructure and destabilise our democracies. In July, the UK adopted the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, creating new powers to designate and disrupt organisations engaged in foreign power threat activity, which enables HMG to treat proxy organisations like foreign intelligence services. The UK and EU also issued their first joint cyber sanctions package, targeting Russian state, criminal and proxy networks responsible for cyber-attacks across Europe.
These measures follow the UK’s largest counter-FIMI sanctions package to date, targeting individuals and entities involved in Russian malign influence and efforts to destabilise Ukraine. They demonstrate our determination to expose hostile activity, impose costs and strengthen collective resilience.
The OSCE should connect work across its dimensions, strengthen early warning and situational awareness, and develop a practical toolbox to help participating States detect, prevent and respond to hybrid threats while respecting human rights.
The United Kingdom stands ready to support this work and help ensure technological progress contributes to a safer, more resilient and more humane future.
Thank you.