• In Focus

    AI in Weapon Systems Committee report: Proceed with caution

    A House of Lords special inquiry committee has recommended that the government proceeds with caution on the development and use of artificial intelligence in weapon systems. This includes adopting an operational definition for autonomous weapon systems and ensuring human control at all stages of such systems’ lifecycle. The government has committed to ensuring meaningful human control and accountability throughout the lifecycle of AI-enabled military systems, but not to adopting an operational definition.

  • In Focus

    UK-India relations: 2030 roadmap and future trade partnership

    The UK and India have a complex and multifaceted history. In recent years, their relationship has focused on political and economic cooperation. Both countries have agreed to a framework setting out future relations and are currently negotiating a free trade agreement. With India’s next general election scheduled to take place between April and June 2024, this briefing analyses the potential trajectory of UK-India relations.

  • Research Briefing

    Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill: HL Bill 38 of 2023–24

    The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill would prevent public authorities from participating in or expressing support for boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns. The bill would allow the government to exempt states and territories from its provisions by regulations, with the exception of Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Occupied Golan Heights.

  • In Focus

    International Agreements Committee report on the UK-Rwanda treaty

    The UK government signed a treaty with Rwanda in December 2023 in response to a Supreme Court judgment that its proposed Rwanda asylum policy was unlawful. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has recommended that the government does not ratify the treaty until Parliament is satisfied that the protections it provides have been fully implemented, in the context of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill asking Parliament to make a judgement that Rwanda is safe.

  • In Focus

    Questions to the foreign secretary: 16 January 2024

    Members of the House of Lords will ask Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton a series of oral questions on 16 January 2024. These include what steps the UK government is taking to address the Rohingya refugee crisis; what progress has been made towards securing a ceasefire in Gaza; how the government is promoting implementation of the UN sustainable development goals; and how the UK is championing a rules-based international order.

  • Current Affairs Digest

    Current Affairs Digest: International Affairs (December 2023)

    In recent years, Central and West Africa have witnessed several successful military coups, raising concerns about the stability and democratic progress of the region. This briefing examines how regional and international bodies have reacted to these coups and discusses the potential implications for democracy and security in Africa.

  • In Focus

    Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Promoting the declaration’s principles 75 years on

    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 75 years ago, on 10 December 1948. The declaration set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. As such it became a foundational instrument of the modern international human rights system. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on member states to “rejuvenate” the declaration.

  • In Focus

    Ukrainian Holodomor

    The Ukrainian Holodomor, also known as the ‘great famine’, took place between 1932 and 1933. Agricultural policies introduced under Joseph Stalin’s Soviet regime have been blamed for the deaths of millions of people during this time. In recent years, various governments and parliaments have recognised the event as genocide. The UK government has said it would only refer to the event as genocide following a determination by a competent court.

  • In Focus

    King’s Speech 2023: Foreign affairs and defence

    This year’s King’s Speech will take place at a particular volatile time in global affairs. The crisis in Gaza, war in Ukraine, and the wider diplomatic challenges associated by the actions of nations such as China continue to occupy the international agenda. At the same time, the UK has reorientated its defence priorities to take account of the shifting global environment and the changing nature of global threats. This briefing examines a range of those issues before the King addresses Parliament on 7 November 2023.

  • In Focus

    Israel-Hamas conflict: Latest developments

    The current crisis in the Middle East began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas militants launched a series of surprise cross-border attacks on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing defence personnel and civilians and taking hostages. Since then, Israel has struck back with airstrikes on Gaza and has cut off supplies of food, energy and water to the enclave ahead of an anticipated ground invasion. This in turn has led to concern over civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Diplomatic efforts to prevent the crisis from worsening further are ongoing.

  • In Focus

    Western Balkans and the Dayton Peace Agreement

    The Western Balkans has a history of regional conflict, and democracy and political freedoms face challenges in many countries in the region. All Western Balkans countries have submitted bids to join the EU. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, leaders of the Bosnian Serb-majority area have in recent years undertaken actions to undermine institutions established as part of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which brought an end to the Bosnian war in 1995.

  • In Focus

    Climate change-induced migration: UK collaboration with international partners

    Climate change is likely to increase migration flows over the coming decades. Increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events are expected to increase “forcible displacements”, and the “slow-onset” impacts of climate change are expected to make the hardest hit regions uninhabitable. The UK is involved with several international forums which aim to discuss and cooperate on these issues.

  • In Focus

    Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework: Reports by the House of Lords Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub-Committee

    A House of Lords committee found in July 2022 that the Northern Ireland Protocol was affecting Northern Ireland businesses differently depending on whether they traded mostly with Great Britain or with Ireland and the EU. A year later, the same committee found the Windsor Framework, which amended the protocol in February 2023, was an improvement on the protocol as originally negotiated, but has not solved all the problems associated with it.

  • In Focus

    Citizens’ rights after Brexit: Report and follow-up work of the House of Lords European Affairs Committee

    In July 2021 the House of Lords European Affairs Committee published a report examining citizens’ rights in the UK and EU after Brexit. The committee raised concerns about the European Union settlement scheme for EU citizens wishing to continue to reside in the UK, among other things. The committee wrote to the home secretary in 2023 asking further questions. This briefing looks at some of the issues raised in the report, the committee’s follow-up work and the government’s responses.

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