Download or read book House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee The Future of the BBC World Service HC 1045 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014-03-31 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this report, published on the last day that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funding responsibility for the World Service, the Foreign Affairs Committee says that it has "clear differences" with the BBC on new arrangements for governance of the World Service. It specifically has reservations about the move to licence fee funding for the World Service and what that would mean for the World Service's budget, and its ability to be heard amongst all the other competing voices within the BBC. The Committee regrets that the World Service now has no direct voice on either the BBC Executive Board or the Management Board, and it says that it "remains to be seen" whether representation of the World Service's interests at Board level by the Director of News and Current Affairs will indeed safeguard the distinct nature of the World Service. The Committee welcomes the assurance given in evidence by James Harding, the BBC's Director of News and Current Affairs, that the £245 million budget for the World Service in 2014-15 will be used as a baseline for the following two years. But what is really needed is longer-term protection at institutional level, and we continue to be concerned about the absence of a direct voice for the World Service on either the BBC's Executive Board or the Management Board
Download or read book HC 842 Hong Kong China s Ban On The Committee s Visit written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In July 2014, the Committee launched an inquiry into the UK's relations with Hong Kong, 30 years after the signing of the Joint Declaration. As part of this inquiry, they planned to visit Hong Kong to speak to a wide range of interlocutors about the UK-Hong Kong relationship. The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities informed the Committee that they considered this to be interference in China's internal affairs and they urged a halt to the inquiry. On 28 November, the Chinese Deputy Ambassador informed the Committee that the Chinese government would take any necessary measures to prevent the Committee from visiting Hong Kong, forcing the postponement of the visit. It was made clear that the Committee would be prevented from entering Hong Kong, despite the fact that, as UK nationals, no visa for entry was required. The Committee considers the ban by China to be unprecedented, and sees it as an obstruction to the conduct of the Committee's parliamentary duties.
Download or read book HC 564 UK Government Policy on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2015 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is a genuine, if developing, democracy. It is also a haven of tolerance and stability in a critically unstable region where those values are needed more than ever. It has huge strategic value to the UK as a bridge to other regional powers, is a key bulwark against ISIL, and has significant oil and gas potential. But it is also vulnerable and needs the support of its friends. It should respond positively to the invitation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to be its "partner of choice" on trade, education and cultural exchange as well as on defence and intelligence matters. The Kurdistan Region has work to do on developing its democratic culture and its respect for human rights, and UK support should go hand in hand with proof of progress in these areas. The Committee commends the Region's defence force, the Peshmerga, for its defence of Kurdish territory against ISIL and its protection of vulnerable minorities. It supports the UK Government's decision to offer the Peshmerga equipment and training. Advice is also needed from the Kurdistan Region's experts on issues like counter-terrorism and on the situation on the ground in Iraq and Syria. More diplomats need to be working out of a proper office in Erbil instead of hotel rooms. And this is not easily achieved as the FCO has suffered from cuts to its meagre budget at a time when more expertise and high-level co-operation is desperately needed.
Download or read book HC 605 The FCO s Performance and Finances in 2013 14 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2015 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The cuts imposed on the FCO since 2010 have been severe and have gone beyond just trimming fat: capacity now appears to be being damaged. If further cuts are imposed, the UK's diplomatic imprint and influence would probably reduce, and the Government would need to roll back some of its foreign policy objectives. The FCO's budget is a tiny element of Government expenditure, but the FCO makes disproportionate contribution to policy making at the highest level, including decisions on whether to commit to military action. The next Government needs to protect future FCO budgets under the next Spending Review.
Download or read book HC 551 The FCO s Human Rights Work in 2013 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The FCO designated 28 countries of concern in its 2013 report, where it judged the gravity of the human rights abuses to be so severe that a particular focus should be applied. The Committee concentrated attention on three of these countries: Sri Lanka, Burma, and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Favourable trade concessions to the EU market should be removed from Sri Lanka if the Government of Sri Lanka continues to deny the OHCHR investigation team access into the country. The Government should advocate re-imposition of sanctions by the EU if there is no improvement in the human rights situation in Burma. The human rights of Israeli, Palestinian and Bedouin citizens living in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories continue to be of serious concern to the UK.
Download or read book Government Foreign Policy Towards the United States HC 695 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014-04-03 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This reports finds that the Coalition Government has developed in public a more mature and measured relationship with the US, although there has been no fundamental change in the nature of the tie. The Committee declares the relationship to be in good health. In particular, the Committee said that it was not aware of any evidence that the House of Commons vote in August 2013 against potential military action in Syria had damaged the UK's relationship with the US. Rather, the Committee concluded that the episode illustrated general features of the UK-US relationship, namely that developments in the UK could influence US policy; and that the underlying tie was resilient. Today's publication follows up a report produced by the previous Foreign Affairs Committee at the end of the last Parliament, which recommended that the UK Government should adopt a more hard-headed and less deferential approach to the US. The Coalition Government seemed to have taken up this recommendation. The Committee criticises the UK Government's poor provision of information about the UK-US Joint Strategy Board, which was created during President Obama's State Visit to the UK in May 2011. Among strategic issues that it considered, the Committee agreed with the Government that the proposed EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) could have significant positive strategic impact for the UK and the transatlantic relationship.
Download or read book HC 377 The Use of Diego Garcia by the United States written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014-06-19 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1966, the UK concluded an Agreement with the United States giving it permission to use the British Indian Ocean Territory, including the island of Diego Garcia, for defence purposes for an initial period of 50 years. Unless the UK or the US takes steps to terminate the Agreement, it will automatically be extended in 2016 for a further twenty years. The disclosure in 2008 that the US had, contrary to previous statements by the FCO, used facilities at Diego Garcia in the course of rendition (the practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less rigorous regulations for the humane treatment of prisoners) since 2001, dented public confidence in the UK's ability to exercise control over its sovereign territory. If the UK allows the 1966 Agreement to be extended beyond 2016, the text should be revised. It should specify that any extraordinary use of the US base or facilities, requires prior approval from the UK Government; and it should state explicitly that the British Indian Ocean Territory should not be used for rendition unless authority has first been granted by the UK Government, on a case by case basis
Download or read book The BBC written by Tom Mills and published by Verso Books. This book was released on 2016-11-15 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The BBC: the mouthpiece of the Establishment? The BBC is one of the most important institutions in Britain; it is also one of the most misunderstood. Despite its claim to be independent and impartial, and the constant accusations of a liberal bias, the BBC has always sided with the elite. As Tom Mills demonstrates, we are only getting the news that the Establishment wants aired in public. Throughout its existence, the BBC has been in thrall to those in power. This was true in 1926 when it stood against the workers during the General Strike, and since then the Corporation has continued to mute the voices of those who oppose the status quo: miners in 1984; anti-war protesters in 2003; those who offer alternatives to austerity economics since 2008. From the outset much of its activity has been scrutinised by the secret services at the invitation of those in charge. Since the 1990s the BBC has been integrated into the market, while its independence from government and big business has been steadily eroded. The BBC is an important and timely examination of a crucial public institution that is constantly under threat.
Download or read book BBC World Service written by Gordon Johnston and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-14 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the first full-length history of the BBC World Service: from its interwar launch as short-wave radio broadcasts for the British Empire, to its twenty-first-century incarnation as the multi-media global platform of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The book provides insights into the BBC’s working relationship with the Foreign Office, the early years of the Empire Service, and the role of the BBC during the Second World War. In following the voice of the BBC through the Cold War and the contraction of the British empire, the book argues that debates about the work and purposes of the World Service have always involved deliberations about the future of the UK and its place in the world. In current times, these debates have been shaped by the British government’s commitment to leave the European Union and the centrifugal currents in British politics which in the longer term threaten the integrity of the United Kingdom. Through a detailed exploration of its past, the book poses questions about the World Service’s possible future and argues that, for the BBC, the question is not only what it means to be a global broadcaster as we enter the third decade of the twenty-first century, but what it means to be a national broadcaster in a divided kingdom.
Download or read book Decision to Go to War in Iraq written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Committee and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Committees report examines whether the Government presented accurate and complete information to Parliament in the period leading up to the war in Iraq, particularly regarding Iraqs possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Committee finds that Ministers did not mislead Parliament, and that on the basis of the evidence available to the Committee, Alastair Campbell did not exert improper influence on the inclusion of the 45 minutes claim (the time it would take Iraq to deploy WMD) within the September intelligence dossier, as has been alleged. Detailed conclusions reached include: i) the 45 minutes claim did not warrant the prominence given to it, (because it was based on a single, uncorroborated source); ii) the Government should explain why the claim was given such prominence and whether it still considers this to be accurate, in the light of subsequent events; iii) it was wrong for Alastair Campbell or any unelected Special Adviser to have chaired a meeting on an intelligence matter, and it is recommended that this practice cease; iv) the February dodgy dossier was counter-productive and undermined the credibility of the Governments case, and it was fundamentally wrong to allow such a document to be presented to Parliament and made widely available without ministerial oversight; v) the Government should be prepared, on principle, to accede to intelligence requests from the Foreign Affairs Committee, where its importance to an inquiry can be demonstrated, unless there are genuine concerns for national security. In cases where this is refused, the Government should give its full reasons for doing so. Ultimately, the continuing concerns about the WMD claims are unlikely to be dispelled unless more evidence of Iraqs WMD programmes comes to light.
Download or read book Disinformation and Fake News written by Shashi Jayakumar and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-10-31 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a collection of chapters penned by practitioners from around the world on the impact that disinformation and fake news has had in both the online and social sphere. While much has been said about individual disinformation campaigns in specific countries, this book offers a panoramic view of how these campaigns are conducted, who they target, and how they are spread. By bringing together research on specific countries and international data mined from questionnaires and online studies, the understanding of the term 'fake news' is greatly expanded and the issues we face are brought to light. The book includes contributions by experts such as Jean-Baptiste Vilmer (Macron Leaks), and includes case studies from Asia, such as Singapore and Myanmar, written in an accessible manner for the general interested reader, practitioners and policymakers in the field.
Download or read book An Inquiry Into the Culture Practices and Ethics of the Press written by Leveson Inquiry and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2012-11-29 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The main report is available separately (HC 780, ISBN 9780102981063).
Download or read book The Challenge of Obesity in the WHO European Region and the Strategies for Response written by World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe and published by World Health Organization. This book was released on 2007 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a brief, clear and easily accessible way, this summary illustrates the dynamics of the obesity epidemic and its impact on public health throughout the WHO European Region, particularly in eastern countries. It describes how factors that increase the risk of obesity are shaped in different settings, such as the family, school, community and workplace. It makes both ethical and economic arguments for accelerating action against obesity, and analyses effective programs and policies in different government sectors, such as education, health, agriculture and trade, urban planning and transport. The summary also describes how to design policies and programs to prevent obesity and how to monitor progress, and calls for specific action by stakeholders: not only government sectors but also the private sector - including food manufacturers, advertisers and traders - and professional consumers' and international and intergovernmental organizations such as the European Union.
Download or read book Science Policy Under Thatcher written by Jon Agar and published by UCL Press. This book was released on 2019-06-03 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Margaret Thatcher was prime minister from 1979 to 1990, during which time her Conservative administration transformed the political landscape of Britain. Science Policy under Thatcher is the first book to examine systematically the interplay of science and government under her leadership. Thatcher was a working scientist before she became a professional politician, and she maintained a close watch on science matters as prime minister. Scientific knowledge and advice were important to many urgent issues of the 1980s, from late Cold War questions of defence to emerging environmental problems such as acid rain and climate change. Drawing on newly released primary sources, Jon Agar explores how Thatcher worked with and occasionally against the structures of scientific advice, as the scientific aspects of such issues were balanced or conflicted with other demands and values. To what extent, for example, was the freedom of the individual scientist to choose research projects balanced against the desire to secure more commercial applications? What was Thatcher’s stance towards European scientific collaboration and commitments? How did cuts in public expenditure affect the publicly funded research and teaching of universities? In weaving together numerous topics, including AIDS and bioethics, the nuclear industry and strategic defence, Agar adds to the picture we have of Thatcher and her radically Conservative agenda, and argues that the science policy devised under her leadership, not least in relation to industrial strategy, had a prolonged influence on the culture of British science.
Download or read book State of the World s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2013 written by Beth Walker and published by Minority Rights Group. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In almost every country in the world, minorities and indigenous peoples suffer greater ill-health and receive poorer quality of care than other segments of the population. They die younger, face higher rates of disease and struggle more to access health services compared to the rest of the population. This year's edition of State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples presents a global picture of the health issues experienced by minorities and indegenous communities, features country profiles and case studies, and makes recommendations for addressing these key issues.
Download or read book Fostering freedom online the role of Internet intermediaries written by MacKinnon, Rebecca and published by UNESCO Publishing. This book was released on 2015-01-29 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Internet intermediaries play a unique role in linking authors of content and audiences. They may either protect or jeopardize end user rights to free expression, given their role in capturing, storing, searching, sharing, transferring and processing large amount of information, data and user-generated content. This research aims to identify principles for good practices and processes that are consistent with international standards for free expression that Internet intermediaries may follow in order to protect the human rights of end users online.
Download or read book Computational Propaganda written by Samuel C. Woolley and published by Oxford Studies in Digital Poli. This book was released on 2018-11-12 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social media platforms do not just circulate political ideas, they support manipulative disinformation campaigns. While some of these disinformation campaigns are carried out directly by individuals, most are waged by software, commonly known as bots, programmed to perform simple, repetitive, robotic tasks. Some social media bots collect and distribute legitimate information, while others communicate with and harass people, manipulate trending algorithms, and inundate systems with spam. Campaigns made up of bots, fake accounts, and trolls can be coordinated by one person, or a small group of people, to give the illusion of large-scale consensus. Some political regimes use political bots to silence opponents and to push official state messaging, to sway the vote during elections, and to defame critics, human rights defenders, civil society groups, and journalists. This book argues that such automation and platform manipulation, amounts to a new political communications mechanism that Samuel Woolley and Philip N. Noward call "computational propaganda." This differs from older styles of propaganda in that it uses algorithms, automation, and human curation to purposefully distribute misleading information over social media networks while it actively learns from and mimicks real people so as to manipulate public opinion across a diverse range of platforms and device networks. This book includes cases of computational propaganda from nine countries (both democratic and authoritarian) and four continents (North and South America, Europe, and Asia), covering propaganda efforts over a wide array of social media platforms and usage in different types of political processes (elections, referenda, and during political crises).
