• In Focus

    Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin: China’s plans for global governance

    China recently hosted a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the northern port city of Tianjin. Established in 2001 with six member states, the intergovernmental organisation now comprises 10 countries, including China, Russia and India, which collectively represent over 42% of the world’s population. Commentators argue it has evolved from a group focused on regional security into a forum aimed at projecting a non-western alternative worldview.

  • In Focus

    UK-Mauritius treaty on the Chagos Archipelago

    The Chagos Archipelago has been the subject of a long-standing dispute over its sovereignty between the UK and Mauritius. Having been retained by the UK since 1965, the largest island, Diego Garcia, later became the site of a joint UK-US military base. In May 2025, the UK reached an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands back to Mauritius, while maintaining an initial 99-year lease of Diego Garcia. The agreement also includes security and financial provisions.

  • In Focus

    End of the second world war: 80th anniversary

    2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.

  • In Focus

    Compensation for victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism

    Between the 1970s and 1990s, the Gaddafi-led Libyan regime supplied the Provisional IRA with weapons, finance and military training. This included shipments of the explosive Semtex, which was used in several bombings where a number of people died and many more were injured. Campaigners have called on the UK government to use Libyan assets frozen in 2011 to compensate victims. However, successive governments, including the current Labour government, have declined to do so, arguing it would break international law.

  • In Focus

    Equality in death? The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

    On 8 May 2025, the country will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the end of the second world war in Europe. Many of the commemorations will take place in cemeteries where those who died during the conflict are remembered. This briefing focuses on the organisation behind these cemeteries, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It looks at how the commission developed and recent work on one of its key principles: equality in death.

  • In Focus

    UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership agreement: House of Lords International Agreements Committee report

    The UK signed a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukraine in January 2025, setting out commitments to cooperate on defence and security, as well as in other policy fields. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee supported the rationale behind the agreement, but said it lacked detail and a plan for implementation. It recommended the agreement should be reviewed in the event Russia and Ukraine reach a peace settlement.

  • In Focus

    Media Freedom Coalition and the UK’s actions to ensure the safety and security of journalists worldwide

    The UK co-founded and is a member of the Media Freedom Coalition, which advocates for media freedom, the safety of journalists, and holding those who harm journalists to account. More than 50 journalists have been killed every year since 2019, often with impunity. They can also be subject to detention and legal intimidation. The previous government worked with the UN and other multilateral organisations to promote media freedom, and the current government has said it will protect independent journalism.

  • In Focus

    Ottawa Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions: Recent developments

    The Baltic States and Poland recently announced their withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans anti-personnel mines. Lithuania has also withdrawn from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, of which those other states are not signatories. The countries have linked their decisions to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the potential for future risks to their territorial integrity. Russia has used both anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions in its invasion of Ukraine.

  • In Focus

    Recent US and UK government policy on Ukraine

    The US government has recently shifted its approach to Ukraine, engaging in direct negotiations with Russia regarding the conflict’s resolution, pursuing a minerals agreement with Ukraine, and temporarily halting military aid and intelligence sharing. During these developments, the UK government has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine through financial and military assistance, in addition to hosting a peace summit and committing further military aid.

  • In Focus

    UK global position: Defence, international partnerships and influence

    The global landscape has changed significantly over the last couple of decades. This has led to questions about the UK’s current global standing and its ambitions. This briefing considers these issues in the context of the UK’s membership of international organisations, and its defence policy, foreign policy, and influence through soft power, the economy and aid spending.

  • In Focus

    Free trade agreements with India and Southeast Asian nations

    In February 2025, the UK government announced that it was resuming negotiations with India with the aim of agreeing a free trade deal. This followed work by the previous Conservative government which initially opened trade talks in 2021. An overview of these talks is provided in this briefing alongside information about the UK’s relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Relevant trade statistics are also included.

  • In Focus

    Detention of British nationals in Iran

    Iranian authorities have detained British and dual nationals on various charges in recent years, including espionage. The exact number of those detained is not published because some choose to avoid publicity. UN human rights experts have referred to “systemic arbitrary detention” in Iran. The Labour government plans to support British nationals detained overseas by creating a special envoy for complex detention cases and ensuring a legal right to consular assistance.

  • In Focus

    Youth mobility schemes

    The UK has schemes to allow young people from specific countries to come to the UK to live and work for a limited period of time. In April 2024, the European Commission made a proposal to the European Council to open negotiations with the UK on agreeing a youth mobility scheme between the UK and the EU. The Labour government has stated that it has no plans for a scheme with the EU. Several organisations have expressed support for it, but others have expressed concern that it would be a return to a form of freedom of movement.

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