Documents to download

Ahead of the forthcoming debate in the House of Lords on the ‘Humanitarian impact of developments in the Middle East and North Africa’ (for which a separate briefing is available), this paper updates the 2013 House of Lords Library publication, Recent Developments in Syria, the Middle East and North Africa. Given the size of the region and the speed with which developments are unfolding in many countries, this note is not exhaustive but provides a brief summary of events in selected countries, including Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Yemen and Egypt.

Documents to download

Related posts

  • UK-Mauritius treaty on the Chagos Archipelago

    The Chagos Archipelago has been the subject of a long-standing dispute over its sovereignty between the UK and Mauritius. Having been retained by the UK since 1965, the largest island, Diego Garcia, later became the site of a joint UK-US military base. In May 2025, the UK reached an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands back to Mauritius, while maintaining an initial 99-year lease of Diego Garcia. The agreement also includes security and financial provisions.

    UK-Mauritius treaty on the Chagos Archipelago

  • End of the second world war: 80th anniversary

    2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.

    End of the second world war: 80th anniversary

  • Compensation for victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism

    Between the 1970s and 1990s, the Gaddafi-led Libyan regime supplied the Provisional IRA with weapons, finance and military training. This included shipments of the explosive Semtex, which was used in several bombings where a number of people died and many more were injured. Campaigners have called on the UK government to use Libyan assets frozen in 2011 to compensate victims. However, successive governments, including the current Labour government, have declined to do so, arguing it would break international law.

    Compensation for victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism