Reports

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform looks at the future of EU-Turkey relations. Relations between the EU and Turkey have become fractious. In 2018, the EU froze Turkish accession negotiations in response to the deterioration of Turkish democracy. Ankara’s naval operations near Greek islands and Cyprus further increased tensions with...

This briefing by the Foreign Policy Centre looks at a way to address the continuing conflict in Syria. Ten years on since Syrians rose up against the oppressive Assad regime, a resolution to the devastating conflict that followed does not seem near. The US and the EU continue to back the UN-led political process bringing...

This report from UK think tank Localis looks at renewing the case for the local investment state. As far back as the twelfth century, we have evidence that local authorities have engaged in commercial activity effectively – benefitting residents, improving public services and generating much-needed revenue independent of central government. Jo Chamberlain’s fabled ‘gas and...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House looks at the pernicious effects of politically sanctioned corruption on governance in Iraq. This paper explores the pernicious effects of politically sanctioned corruption on governance in Iraq. This type of corruption is more consequential for the coherence of the state, and for its everyday functioning, than petty...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy looks at expanding educational opportunities for every child. This working paper maps the ways in which social disadvantage affects educational outcomes among children and young people, impacting their progression through the education system and ultimately their employment prospects. Having commissioned Roger Taylor, former Chair...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at government targets, what they miss and what they help. Government targets in public services may do more harm than good. The government has added new targets to existing ones across key public services such as the NHS, schools and the police, which it...

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at defending values in cyber. The report details heightened challenges in the cyber world that increasingly threaten the democratic goal of building a free and open cyberspace. Despite efforts to engage with these challenges, the findings show that so-far threats have outpaced strategy. For...

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at how the Financial Action Task Torce can prioritise financial inclusion. This Policy Brief sets out five recommendations for how the FATF could refocus its framework so that it not only achieves its primary objective of effectively tackling financial crime but also actively promotes financial inclusion. Based...

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at the extent to which the FATF framework has impacted digital financial inclusion. This Occasional Paper assesses the extent to which the FATF framework has impacted digital financial inclusion. This paper finds that the FATF framework has several effects on digital financial inclusion and financial inclusion more...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the Declaration on Government Reform. Michael Gove has set out a new plan for reforming the civil service – and wider questions of how government works – that could lead to extensive changes. The Declaration on Government Reform was published in the name...

This report from UK think tank Bright Blue looks at the financial experience of Universal Credit claimants during the pandemic. This original analysis compares both the actual and perceived financial situations of those who do not claim Universal Credit (‘non-UC’), those who were claiming Universal Credit in February 2020 (‘existing UC’), and those who began...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government is a response to the government's proposed rail reforms. The government’s proposed rail reforms lack sufficient detail to guarantee success. This paper is a response to the government’s white paper. The Plan for Rail announced the formation of Great British Railways (GBR), a new arm’s-length...

This report from UK think tank the IIED looks at transformative urban recovery in the global South. COVID-19 has created a critical juncture in the evolution of cities, but there has been limited focus on its urban dimensions in the global South. Drawing on the experiences of grassroots organisations, international agencies and other key urban...

This report from UK think tank the IIED provides a guide for negotiators. The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) will be a major milestone in global agreements on biodiversity conservation, setting international ambition for the next decade. This guide seeks to support Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) who wish to strengthen the...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy looks at women's participation in the labour market. Over the coming months, CPP will launch a series of research reports examining the policies required to close the participation and pay gap between women and men with accessible and affordable childcare being a core focus...

This report from UK think tank the Work Foundation looks at hybrid working and whether policies have kept pace with supporting the new ways of working. Hybrid working is here to stay. But have organisational policies and management practices kept pace to support new ways of working? Without addressing policy-to-practice gaps, organisational culture, and the...

This report from UK think tank IIED looks at a sustainable route out of the debt crisis for low-income countries. The public debt of low-income countries is increasing significantly, with the ratio of public debt service costs to government tax revenue likely to exceed 30% in a third of low-income countries. This could reduce their...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies looks at The UK has positioned itself post-Brexit as a champion of both free trade and environmental protection. This major new Centre for Policy Studies paper argues that these goals can and should be mutually reinforcing - that the UK should use its post-Brexit...

This report from UK think tank British Future and the Centre for English Identity & Politics looks at why it’s time for an inclusive England outside the stadium. New research from British Future and the Centre for English Identity and Politics examines English identity, race and football today. The research examines: Do symbols of English...

This report from UK think tank IPPR looks at a trade partnership grounded in supporting climate action, tackling economic inequalities and human rights. The contemporary model of international trade is under strain. Rising trade tensions, paralysis at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and economic instability as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have led to...

This report from UK think tank IIED provides a guide of negotiators. The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) will be a major milestone in global agreements on biodiversity conservation, setting international ambition for the next decade. This guide seeks to support Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) who wish to see strengthened provisions...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice looks at why communities matter and what matters to them. Despite the many challenges it has brought, the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed interest in local community life in the UK. At a time when many are asking how we can build upon this community...

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute looks at the support for a United Kingdom-Australia free trade deal. Original ASI & C|T Group polling shows that the citizens of the United Kingdom and Australia greatly support the signing of a free trade deal between the UK and Australia. 65% of Brits support...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Policy Studies looks at how children can catch up after Covid. New polling by Public First for the Centre for Policy Studies think tank shows that over two thirds (67%) of parents think children in England have been negatively affected by lockdown. A follow-up poll found that...

This report from UK think tank Chatham House provides a network analysis of Haftar’s military alliance. In recent years, the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), under the command of Khalifa Haftar, has dominated authorities in eastern Libya, expanded into southern Libya and sought to capture the capital, Tripoli. Unlike other armed groups, the LAAF has...