• Research Briefing

    Prospects for Afghanistan as ISAF withdrawal approaches

    2014 is a pivotal year for Afghanistan, with a crucial presidential election in April and the end of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission in December. Security overall is deteriorating in Afghanistan and although the Afghan National Security Forces are taking the lead, questions remain about their effectiveness and the government’s dependence on international help to pay for them. It is unclear whether there will be any Western military presence after 2014. Negotiations with the Taliban do not seem to offer much hope.

  • Research Briefing

    Care.data

    This note provides information about the introduction of the NHS care.data system and the use of patients' data for research, and about how patients’ can opt out of having information from their medical records shared through this system.

  • Research Briefing

    Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011

    This note examines the changes to the control order regime brought about by the introduction of Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures under the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011. It considers the operation of the Act during its first two years, including its effectiveness, criticisms and proposals for change.

  • Research Briefing

    Nigeria: MINT-ed?

    Jim O’Neill, the economist who first coined the term ‘BRICS’ in 2001, has announced that Nigeria (along with Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey [acronym: MINT) could become one of the next emerging ‘economic giants’. Yet there remain grounds for wondering whether Mr O’Neill’s view is overly rose-tinted. In sharp contrast to him, some recent observers have been talking instead of possible ‘revolution’ or the ‘disintegration’ of Nigeria. Perhaps, like pre-1914 Russia, it is precariously teetering between all three options.

  • Research Briefing

    Interpal

    The UK charity collects money for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and in Lebanon and Jordan. It has been the subject of controversy because of allegations that money distributed by it has gone to promote terrorism. After some delays it has been cleared by the Charity Commission, but it is still a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation, on the US Treasury’s list.

  • Research Briefing

    In brief: Mali – Ibrahim Boubacar Keita wins the presidential election

    On 11 August Mali held the second round of its presidential election. The overwhelming winner with 77.6% of the vote was Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (IBK). He beat Soumaila Cisse, who won 22.4% of the vote. IBK has a credible mandate and has pledged to push ahead with national reconciliation, tackle corruption and rebuild the country’s collapsed economy. But many challenges lie ahead.

  • Research Briefing

    The draft EU data protection framework

    The UK’s data protection law is based on a 1995 European Directive. The European Commission believes that the Directive is now out of date and has therefore proposed a comprehensive reform of the 1995 rules to strengthen online privacy rights and boost Europe’s digital economy. Aspects of the reform are controversial and negotiations continue at European level to find agreement.

  • Research Briefing

    Preventing violent extremism

    This note gives information on the Government’s review of the Prevent strategy, a collection of initiatives aimed at tackling religious extremism, which was inherited from the previous Government. It outlines the new strategy and includes information on the integration work led by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

  • Research Briefing

    Algeria 2013

    Instability in North Africa appears to be spreading, as a hostage crisis unfolds in an Algerian gas plant run jointly by BP. The Algerian government seemed to have escaped lightly compared with other North African governments from the Arab uprisings. But the war in neighbouring Libya and increasing unrest in the Sahel region to Algeria’s south have taken their toll. It remains to be seen whether Algeria’s authoritarian regime will be seriously challenged by the twin threats of domestic political unrest and jihadi terrorism.

  • Research Briefing

    Justice and Security Bill

    This paper has been prepared for the Second Reading of the Justice and Security Bill in the House of Commons, which is due to take place on 18 December 2012. The Bill, which has proved contentious, was originally introduced in the House of Lords on 28 May 2012. It is aimed at modernising and strengthening the oversight of the intelligence and security services and would allow the civil courts to use closed material procedures to hear sensitive evidence in cases that raised national security concerns. It would also preclude the courts from ordering the disclosure of sensitive information in certain circumstances. The Bill was revised significantly in the Lords and was introduced in the House of Commons on 28 November 2012.

  • Research Briefing

    Kenya since the 2007/08 crisis

    This note reviews major political developments since the 2007/08 crisis, whose legacies Kenya is still struggling to overcome. Elections are scheduled for March 2013 but two of the candidates seeking high office - Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto - are due to stand trial at the International Criminal Court in the following month. Meanwhile, Kenyan troops have now been in southern Somalia for over a year and helped re-take the strategic port of Kismayo in September 2012. But there remains uncertainty about Kenya's objectives in Somalia.

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