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A series of heartrending stories from Europe’s southern shores – near the Italian island of Lampedusa, in the Greek waters of the Aegean Sea, at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta – have brought Mediterranean migration to the top of the political agenda. EU leaders have emphasised the need for policies treating migration to be guided by the principles of 'prevention, protection and solidarity'. The Mediterranean Task Force, established in October 2013, has suggested 38 ways to prevent further loss of life ...

The agreement reached in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme should allow Iran to return to the international scene as a political as well as a trade partner. While the terms of the deal will require attention and effort, hopes in Europe, Iran and the MENA region are running high for the first time in many years. Tehran could soon play the role of constructive regional power, helping resolve a wide range of regional security problems and serving as a motor of economic growth for the entire region. ...

Gaza's Population at the Breaking Point

In-Depth Analysis 29-11-2013

Over the past six years, Gaza's 1.8 million residents – 70 % of whom are refugees and 80 % of whom depend on humanitarian assistance for their daily livelihood – have struggled with the land, air, and sea blockade imposed by Israel for security reasons. In the last year, the decline of Gaza's socio-economic situation has accelerated dizzyingly. Almost one in three people is unemployed, with youth and women the hardest hit. The blockade and Israel's restrictions on the movement of goods and persons ...

Iraq's Deadly Spiral toward a Civil War

In-Depth Analysis 09-10-2013

In recent months sectarian violence in Iraq has escalated worryingly. More than 6 400 people have been killed across the country this year, half of them in the last three months. The Shia-dominated central government has failed to address the grievances of the Sunni minority and has responded to public protests with a heavy hand, leading militant Sunni groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant to gain ground. The situation is compounded by the dangerous spill-over from the civil war ...

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is an intergovernmental organisation with a strong religious element that regroups 57 Muslim or predominantly Muslim member states. Its priorities are promoting the interests of Muslim communities across the world and fighting Islamophobia, especially in the Western world. The OIC has a loose parliamentary arm, the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), based in Tehran. The PUIC has a rather limited role and low visibility, as it merely ...

Syria: Weighing the Risks

In-Depth Analysis 09-09-2013

Following two and a half years of bloody civil war in Syria, world leaders remain uncertain how to staunch a humanitarian calamity that has left more than 100 000 Syrians dead, 6 million displaced and immeasurable material damage and human suffering. China and Russia have incapacitated the United Nations, and the military conflict in Syria is escalating dangerously. The chemical attack on civilian targets near Damascus on 21 August has refocused the attention of the international community on the ...

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa transformed his country into a bold and assertive presence on the world stage. He supported new Islamist forces in countries affected by the Arab Spring, but ensured continuity in the Gulf. The appointment of the new cabinet suggests a slightly more domestic orientation. The youthful ruler may coordinate more with regional partners, but will maintain an independent approach to international questions.

Algeria is a regional power in both economic, political and military terms. Up to now, relations between the EU and Algeria have been mainly based on economic considerations. The crisis in Mali, the Franco-African military intervention (AFISMA) and the terrorist attacks at the gas facility In Amenas in eastern Algeria have opened a new window of opportunity for reinforced cooperation in the field of security between Algeria and the EU in order to combat common threats. Given its strong military power ...

Cautious Reforms in Saudi Arabia

Briefing 28-05-2013

While a number of recent 'firsts' have suggested that Saudi Arabia may be open to reform, particularly for women, the reforms have not altered the basic structure of the Saudi legal and administrative system. Saudi Arabia traditional position of leadership within the Islamic and Arab worlds is being seriously challenged. The judicial system is configured to maintain the status quo. Shari'a (Islamic law) is applied by ultraconservative religious leaders, slowing down efforts to reform Saudi society ...

Freezing assets is an EU competence; recovering them, on the other hand, is a competence of the Member States. For the EU, recovering the assets of the ousted Tunisian and Egyptian regimes is an issue of political commitment and credibility, with the Union's reputation in Arab Spring countries partly at stake. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (in force since 2005) makes clear that recovering assets is a priority in a coordinated international fight against corruption. There exists ...