The Spirit of Locarno Foreign Secretary’s speech, August 2025

It’s a real pleasure to be here in Locarno – a place of immense beauty and profound historical significance. Thank you so much to my good friend Minister Councillor Cassis. And I want to thank Professor Frank for his reflections on the Treaties — signed during a remarkable period in history.  

It was perhaps when the world was experiencing what the great historian Adam Tooze called a deluge of modernity. The 1920s brought the first transatlantic phone call, the earliest films with sound, the rise of radio and the dawn of commercial flights. These technologies reshaped daily life and transformed diplomacy. 

Governments could communicate faster, coordinate more closely and respond swiftly to global events — vital in a decade marked by profound challenges with the Great Depression looming, fascism rising and international co-operation reeling. 

It was a time that called for clarity, it was a time that called for strength and conviction. And so it is today, my friends. 

In Silicon Valley, tech leaders speak of the singularity — the moment in which change progresses so far that we enter into a post-human era. I think that is a long way off — indeed it may never come. 

But recent tech shifts are significant enough to call this a new chapter — if you like, I call it the great remaking of our society. A phase where innovation leaps forward and reshapes geopolitics, redefining diplomacy and security once again. 

War has sadly returned to our continent — spreading from the battlefield into cyberspace. Power is being redefined — not just by armies, but by algorithms. And the international order is under strain — from disinformation to digital surveillance, AI-enabled weapons to quantum disruption. 

So, our diplomatic tools have got to adapt. 

They have to become sharper and more effective at building partnerships. So we can seize the immense opportunities that lie ahead. 

That is why the UK is working with friends and allies — to shape those norms, to promote responsible innovation and embed safety into emerging technologies. And Switzerland is one of our closest and dearest partners. 

Together, our scientists are developing early-warning systems for cyber threats. Our universities are creating tools to expose disinformation. And our governments are holding talks on the risks of emerging technologies — from AI to quantum to cyber. 

We are also making progress in the fight against dirty money — the kind that fuels inequality, undermines democracy and holds back the world’s poorest. This is a global fight, and it demands global resolve. Switzerland is a vital partner in that endeavour. 

I am looking forward to hosting a summit next year in London to build an international coalition for transparency, enforcement, and reform. Because when we act together, we can turn the tide. 

But this partnership is not just about managing problems — it’s about unlocking opportunity. In the last few years, we’ve signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen our science and research ties. And our innovation agencies have funded  40 joint projects — from life sciences to next generation tech. 

 The same spirit of collaboration guides our pursuit of peace. Switzerland’s role as guardian of the Geneva Conventions and its record in mediation is unmatched. 

And together, we are supporting peace efforts from Myanmar to Colombia. This includes co-funding a pioneering study on how to bring reluctant parties together for dialogue and talks. 

This partnership is a model for diplomacy in the 21st century agile, collaborative and forward-looking. And that is why I am here – to help shape a future where British–Swiss cooperation is even stronger. 

On a personal note, I’m also delighted to be part of this film festival — I just wish I could stay longer but international events mean I cannot. Given my job, you might be surprised to hear that I enjoy dark, intense, even tragic films. Just as those dramas ask us to stay with the story — through painful and uncomfortable moments — diplomacy asks us to do the same. 

So, in this moment of extraordinary change, let us rededicate ourselves to working together — patiently and persistently. Not turning away or switching off. But engaging in diplomacy that is progressive, realistic and innovative. 

Seeing the world with clear eyes — as it is, and as we wish it to be. And deepening our collaboration — guided by shared values and fuelled by shared purpose. 

That is how we build peace, defend freedom, and shape a future grounded in cooperation and hope. 

That, to me, is the true spirit of Locarno. And that is the spirit we must carry forward — together.