Documents to download

Ahead of the forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on the ‘Humanitarian impact of developments in the Middle East and North Africa’ (for which a separate briefing is available), this paper updates the 2013 House of Lords Library publication, Recent Developments in Syria, the Middle East and North Africa. Given the size of the region and the speed with which developments are unfolding in many countries, this note is not exhaustive but provides a brief summary of events in selected countries, including Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Yemen and Egypt.

Documents to download

Related posts

  • British Sovereignty Protection (Chagos Islands) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 15 of 2026–27

    The British Sovereignty Protection (Chagos Islands) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party). The bill would restrict any cession or transfer of sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) unless certain requirements were met, including the consent of the Chagossian people and an act of parliament. It would also see the UK remain sovereign over the military base on Diego Garcia.

    British Sovereignty Protection (Chagos Islands) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 15 of 2026–27

  • Genocide Determination Bill [HL]: HL Bill 13 of 2026–27

    The bill would enable the High Court in England and Wales, the Court of Session in Scotland and the High Court in Northern Ireland, to make preliminary determinations on whether a genocide is occurring overseas, or if there is deemed to be a serious risk of one occurring. The bill would require the government to refer the preliminary determination to international bodies such as the International Court of Justice.

    Genocide Determination Bill [HL]: HL Bill 13 of 2026–27

  • Convention establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine

    The UK is a signatory to the convention establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine. The commission would assess claims for compensation for damage and losses caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has broadly welcomed the convention, but also raised concerns about the scope and efficacy of the commission.

    Convention establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine