A debate on the UK’s commitment to reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka has been scheduled for Thursday 11 February 2021 in the main House of Commons Chamber. The debate was selected by the Backbench Business Committee.
Documents to download
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Antarctica: the treaty system and territorial claims (2 MB, PDF)
The UK is one of seven states with territorial claims in the Antarctic. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty froze all territorial disputes relating to the continent in order to further peaceful scientific investigation and conservation there, and its 1991 Protocol introduced stringent measures on environmental protection including a 50-year moratorium on mineral extraction. A new annex to this Protocol was agreed in 2005 which requires visitors to Antarctica to be prepared for an environmental emergency or pay for the clean-up of any damage: the Antarctic Bill 2012-13 would allow the UK to implement this and make some other minor changes.
The relationship between the Antarctic Treaty System and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – which includes the right to exploit the continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles from shore – is far from clear. Australia and Argentina are the only countries so far to have submitted a claim to a portion of the Antarctic’s extended continental shelf. The UK has only reserved the right to do so in future.
Documents to download
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Antarctica: the treaty system and territorial claims (2 MB, PDF)
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The House of Commons is due to consider Lords amendments to the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill 2019-2021 on 27 January 2021. This short briefing explains the amendments made to the Bill by the House of Lords and relevant Committee recommendations
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This landing page features a new series of Commons Library briefings on the policies, capabilities and programmes of the nuclear weapon states.
