World affairs Archives

Research Briefing

Burma: recent political and security developments

Thursday, 13 February, 2014

Burma’s international rehabilitation continues. However, critics argue that the pace of this rehabilitation is too fast because the outcome of the current Constitutional review process is not yet clear; a durable peace deal with the country’s ethnic insurgencies has not been achieved; and inter-communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims persists. There has been criticism of the UK Government for providing some training for the Burmese military.
Research Briefing

The Council of Europe: an introduction

Wednesday, 05 February, 2014

What is it? The Council of Europe (CoE) is primarily a human rights organisation. Its most important achievement is arguably the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty designed to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The CoE is sometimes confused with the European Union (EU), which is a different organisation although
Insight

The Council of Europe: an introduction

Wednesday, 05 February, 2014
Research Briefing

Syrian refugees and the UK

Tuesday, 28 January, 2014

In July 2013, the United Nations estimated that more than 100,000 people had been killed in the conflict in Syria. Since then the UN no longer makes estimates. More than 9 million Syrians need help in the country, 6.5 million of whom are internally displaced. 2.4 million Syrians have fled abroad. 2 million Syrian children
Insight

Syrian refugees and the UK

Tuesday, 28 January, 2014
Research Briefing

Armed Forces Redundancies

Friday, 24 January, 2014

The fourth and final tranche of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme was announced on 23 January 2014. Over 11,000 personnel have made redundant since 2011 with a further 1,500 expected in 2014.
Research Briefing

The Deep Sea Mining Bill 2013-14

Tuesday, 21 January, 2014

Mrs Sheryll Murray MP came fourth in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills and has introduced the Deep Sea Mining Bill 2013/14 which will receive its have its Report Stage on the 24 January 2014..
Research Briefing

The Commission Work Programme 2014

Friday, 17 January, 2014

The European Commission's Work Programme for 2014 sets out four priority areas in which it intends to act: economic and monetary union, sustainable growth, justice and security and external action. The UK Government broadly supports the programme but has some specific concerns and reservations.
Research Briefing

The “MINT” emerging economies

Tuesday, 14 January, 2014

Ever since the success of the acronym “BRICs” – coined at the beginning of the 2000s to describe the large fast-growing economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China – economists and investment managers have been attempting to come up with another collection of large emerging economies with bright prospects that can be combined to form
Insight

The “MINT” emerging economies

Tuesday, 14 January, 2014
- Insight
- Africa
- Americas
- Asia Pacific
- Economy
- Europe
- Middle East
Research Briefing

Nigeria: MINT-ed?

Thursday, 09 January, 2014

Jim O’Neill, the economist who first coined the term ‘BRICS’ in 2001, has announced that Nigeria (along with Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey [acronym: MINT) could become one of the next emerging ‘economic giants’. Yet there remain grounds for wondering whether Mr O’Neill’s view is overly rose-tinted. In sharp contrast to him, some recent observers have been talking instead of possible ‘revolution’ or the ‘disintegration’ of Nigeria. Perhaps, like pre-1914 Russia, it is precariously teetering between all three options.
Research Briefing

European Union (Approvals) Bill

Wednesday, 08 January, 2014

The Bill aims to approve two draft EU Council Regulations made under Article 352 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
- Research Briefing
- EU law and treaties
Research Briefing

EU Enforcement of Free Movement of People Rules

Friday, 20 December, 2013

What action has the EU taken to enforce freedom of movement throughout the EU?
Research Briefing

The Prawer-Begin Plan

Friday, 20 December, 2013

There has been a lot of controversy about the Prawer-Begin plan to relocate some of Israel’s semi-nomadic Bedouin population to approved towns, with the UN Human Rights Council saying that it violates Bedouin rights and is discriminatory. In December it was announced that the bill would be substantially amended after opposition from both left- and right-wing politicians in the Knesset.
Research Briefing

Germany’s coalition habit

Monday, 16 December, 2013

On 17 December 2013, Chancellor Angela Merkel formally begins another ‘grand coalition’ between her centre-right CDU/CSU and the centre-left SPD. Germany’s political system lends itself to coalition governments, both centrally and regionally. But despite often close cooperation between the main parties, grand coalitions between right and left are rare at the highest level.
- Research Briefing
- Europe

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