Lord West: Homeland security, international co-operation

On 29 and 30 May 2008, the first International Security Forum of Ministers of Interior and Homeland Security convened in Jerusalem. The Forum came barely two months after the publication of the UK’s first National Security Strategy, which emphasised the need for the UK to engage with international partners more than ever before. Representing the UK was Admiral the Lord West of Spithead, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Security and Counter-terrorism. In an interview with Monitor correspondent Joe Charlaff at the conference, he stressed the importance of international co-operation to the UK’s strategy. In particular, he discussed what the UK most needs to learn from engagement with other countries working in the Homeland security arena.