This paper looks at the general prohibition in international law on the use of force or threat of force directed at other states, and the legal advice on which the Government decided to participate with the US and France in air strikes on Syrian government targets on 14 April.
A Westminster Hall debate on the ‘Work of the Council of Europe’ has been scheduled for Wednesday 18 April 2018 from 9.30am to 11.00am. The debate has been initiated by Vernon Coaker MP.
The Commission published a draft legal text of the withdrawal agreement in February 2018 and an updated draft on 15 March. On 19 March a third text was published which showed where there is full agreement between the EU and the UK, where there is agreement in principle and where there is no agreement. This paper looks at the recent draft, making reference to earlier drafts where relevant.
A Westminster Hall debate on the 'Future of the Commonwealth' is scheduled for Wednesday 21 March 2018 from 2:30-4:00pm. The Member initiating the debate is Richard Graham MP.
This paper looks at the path towards 'sufficient progress' in the first phase of Brexit negotiations and the Joint Report agreed by the UK Government and the EU. It focuses on the three priority areas: citizens' rights, the financial settlement and the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The paper also looks at other recent developments and parliamentary consideration of Brexit.
This Debate Pack has been prepared for the debate on 'The Government's review of defence capability', to be held in Westminster Hall on Thursday 19 October 2017, from 3:00pm, and initiated by Marcus Fysh MP.
Is the UK obliged to defend South Korea? This Commons Library briefing paper looks at the potential implications for the UK of a 1953 Declaration amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Tensions have risen alarmingly in the Korean peninsula during the course of 2017. North Korea appears to be making faster progress towards having a nuclear weapons system that can reach the US than many observers expected. What have been the responses of the US, China, South Korea and Japan to developments since the beginning of this year?
This page has been prepared for the debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 6 September 2017 from 2.30pm to 4.00pm on the ‘International Day of Democracy’. The debate has been initiated by Stuart C. McDonald MP.
What happened at the second round of Brexit negotiations from 17 to 20 July 2017 and what have we learnt? This first phase of the negotiations aims to reach agreement on citizens' rights, the financial settlement and the border between Ireland the Northern Ireland, as well as other separation issues, such as Euratom, EU external agreements and dispute resolution. But there was little evidence of agreement on any of these, and the UK Government has been asked for more clarification at the next round. A lot is at stake, because if sufficient progress isn't made by October, the negotiations will not move on to future relations, an EU-UK trade agreement or transitional arrangements.
This Commons Library briefing gives a short introduction to the 47-member Council of Europe, which is a human rights and democracy organisation, entirely separate from the EU. Its best-known products are the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights that oversees how the Convention is implemented.
This Debate Pack has been prepared for the general debate on 'Exiting the European Union and sanctions', to be held in the main chamber on Wednesday 19 July 2017
What has the UK Government said about its strategy for the Brexit negotiations? The Prime Minister and the Brexit Secretary have set out their views in speeches and white papers, and now the EU institutions have set out theirs. They often coincide, but there are areas that could be difficult to resolve. This paper summarises the starting points of the UK and the EU institutions at the beginning of the Article 50 process.