14 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2.8 We are the second largest bilateral aid donor in the world after the US, and the only G7 nation to meet the United Nations/Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) target to spend 0.7% of GNI on Official Development Assistance. We have enshrined this commitment in law. Our leadership on international development, including our overseas presence and our research and innovation, enables us to influence a range of partners and multilateral organisations. British non-governmental organisations are highly respected. They promote human rights, the protection of civilians and good governance around the globe. 2.9 Our media, sports and arts reach millions around the world. The BBC World Service alone has a global audience of 210 million, and one in every 16 adults around the world watches, listens to, or reads the BBC news. The British Council works in over 110 countries worldwide and is at the forefront of the UK’s international networks and soft power. 2.10 The UK is a global leader in science, technology, medicine, energy, and the creative industries. We are home to 18 of the world’s top 100 universities, and four of the top ten. The UK has significant and growing education links worldwide. More than a quarter of current world leaders have studied in the UK. More than 80% of UK institutions have international partnerships, through which 1.8 million overseas students receive a British education each year. UK companies are leaders in innovation, research and development of new technologies, and high-end goods and services. 2.11 We will use our long-term relationships to develop and maintain the alliances and partnerships that we rely on every day for our security and prosperity. 2.12 Our special relationship with the US remains essential to our national security. It is founded on shared values, and our exceptionally close defence, diplomatic, security and intelligence cooperation. This is amplified through NATO and our Five Eyes intelligencesharing partnership with the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We are extending and expanding our defence and security relationships with our European partners, notably France through our commitments under the 2010 Lancaster House Treaty, and Germany. We have close relationships with all EU member states, and with allies worldwide such as Japan. 2.13 We have strengthened our security partnerships in the Middle East, especially the Gulf, and in Africa. We are actively promoting closer relationships across the Asia-Pacific region, including with Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Republic of Korea. We are also building stronger relationships with growing powers, including China, India, Brazil and Mexico. The UK was the first major Western country to become a prospective founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which has received significant support in the region. We continuously look to establish and build productive and open relationships, bringing past adversaries in from the cold while not shying away from addressing areas of divergence. 2.14 We sit at the heart of the rules-based international order. The UK is the only nation to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and in NATO, the EU, the Commonwealth, the G7 and G20, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OECD, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. 2.15 We use our membership of these organisations as an instrument to amplify our nation’s power and prosperity. In all these organisations, we play a central role in strengthening international norms and promoting our values. We promote good governance, anti-corruption, the rule of law and open societies. We maintain and champion free trade, including through the EU, and we work with growing powers around the world to build a stronger and more resilient global economy.