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Jul 25, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Philip Loft
Concern about Iranian foreign policy is not limited to its nuclear programme, but also to its proxy forces and alliances with violent groups across the Middle East, several of which are UK-designated terrorist organisations. Since the Iranian revolution of 1979, when the Shah was overthrown and Ayatollah Khomeini returned to the country, the Iranian regime has sought to embed its influence across the region.
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Jul 23, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Philip Loft
In July 2024, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian is due to take office as Iran’s next president. His election follows the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in May. Describing himself as a “reformist-principalist”, Dr Pezeshkian is loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader and the principles of the revolution which established the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. He has sometimes been a critic, however. During the election, he criticised the use of force to apply the hijab dress code against women.
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May 15, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Eleanor Davis |Patrick Butchard |Philip Brien |Philip Loft
As of mid-2023, there were an estimated , mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. In recent years, most refugees and asylum seekers have come from only a few countries. Just under 40% are under the age of 18. This briefing sets out who refugees are, the risks they might face, and related UK aid and diplomatic activity. What is a refugee and what are their rights?
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May 7, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | CJ McKinney |Maria Lalic |Philip Loft
E-petition 648577 calls for the Government to create a visa scheme for “Palestinian individuals affected by war, to be allowed into the UK. Just like we did for Ukraine”. The petition closed on 18 April 2024 with over 100,000 signatures. The Government’s response to the petition, issued in December 2023, said there were no plans to introduce a special visa scheme. It pointed to existing visa routes, in particular for immediate family members of British citizens and permanent residents.
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Mar 26, 2024 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Philip Loft
On 1 March 2024, Iranians voted in elections for its parliament and for its Assembly of Experts (which appoints the Supreme Leader). They were the first elections held in the country since the widespread protests in 2022/23 that followed the death of Mahsa Amini, during which 551 protestors were killed by security forces according to the UN fact-finding mission. The new parliament and assembly will again be dominated by conservative and hard-line political factions. But turnout was low.
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Philip Loft
In 2014, fighting broke out in Yemen between the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi (backed militarily by a Saudi-led coalition from 2015) and the Houthis (an Iran-aligned Yemen group, who currently control northern Yemen, including the capital, Sana’a). Since 2022, there has been some progress towards a political settlement.
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Oct 26, 2023 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Philip Brien |Philip Loft
In 2010, the then Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, said the UK Government would end direct aid to the Chinese Government. While government-to-government aid has ended, some aid and technical assistance focused on China has continued. As China is the world’s second largest economy, continuing UK aid has been controversial, particularly in the context of recent reductions in the UK aid budget.
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Oct 10, 2023 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Nikki Sutherland |Nuala Burnett |Philip Brien |Philip Loft
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is about access to water and is commonly used by non-governmental organisations and aid agencies. It covers accessibility, water quality and water safety, and encompasses drinking water, sanitation (for example, access to toilets) and hygiene practices (for example, handwashing). In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognised the human right to water and sanitation.
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Oct 9, 2023 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Nigel Walker |Philip Brien |Philip Loft
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)The Sustainable Development Goals were launched in 2015 and apply to all UN member states, including the UK. There are 17 goals intended to be met by 2030, including ending poverty in all its forms everywhere and achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. In July 2023, the UN issued a progress report on the SDGs. It warned that progress on most goals has stalled, and, in some cases, gone into reverse.
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Sep 14, 2023 | 
commonslibrary.parliament.uk | Philip Brien |Philip Loft
2023 marks the half-way point to the deadline of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. As stated in the UN resolution marking their launch in 2015, the SDGs seek to galvanise a global effort to promote human development (PDF) and enable those “left behind” to “achieve their full human potential”. The UN has warned progress on the goals has stalled, and, in some cases, went into reverse during the Covid-19 pandemic.
