The Foreign Policy Centre is delighted to announce the launch of an important new publication, Spotlight on Azerbaijan, that brings together the analysis of leading experts on Azerbaijan to look at the key human rights and governance issues in Azerbaijan including democratic development, rule of law, media freedom and property rights, while examining the impact of its international relationships, the economy and the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on domestic issues.

Edited by Adam Hug (Foreign Policy Centre) and supported by the Open Society Foundations, Spotlight on Azerbaijan contains contributions from: Vugar Bayramov (Centre for Economic and Social Development); Michelle Brady (American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative-Azerbaijan); Giorgi Gogia (Human Rights Watch); Vugar Gojayev (Human Rights House-Azerbaijan); Rashid Hajili (Media Rights Institute); Jacqueline Hale (OSI-Brussels); Tabib Huseynov; Monica Martinez (OSCE-Baku); Dr Katy Pearce (University of Washington); Firdevs Robinson (Foreign Policy Centre); Dennis Sammut (LINKS).

• Download the Spotlight on Azerbaijan publication

Date: Tuesday 22nd May, 6pm-7.30pm

Venue: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Room (off Westminster Hall), Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

The FPC, with the kind support of the Open Society Foundations, is delighted to announce a major Westminster seminar to discuss some of the key issues addressed in our new Spotlight on Azerbaijan publication. The event will explore the major challenges Azerbaijan faces regarding democratic development, rule of law, media freedom, corruption and other human rights issues, while examining the impact of its international relationships and the unresolved Nagorno Karabakh conflict on its domestic politics.

Our panel will comprise:

• Emma Reynolds MP, Shadow Europe Minister
• Vugar Gojayev, Country Coordinator, Human Rights House-Azerbaijan
• Dr Leila Alieva, Director, the Center for National and International Studies (CNIS)
• Dennis Sammut, Director, LINKS

Chair: Adam Hug, Policy Director, Foreign Policy Centre

The event is free and open to all. Copies of Spotlight on Azerbaijan will be available free of charge.

To RSVP please email: events@fpc.org.uk

UK perspectives on EU employment and social law

Date: Friday 15th June 6pm-7.30pm

Venue: Diamond Room, Macdonald Burlington Hotel, Burlington Arcade, 126 New Street, Birmingham B2 4JQ

The FPC, EC and TUC's 'Single Market, Equal Rights?' Birmingham seminar will bring together a range of different British perspectives on the EU's role in employment and social law. The event will look at the current state of the debate in Brussels on employment and social rights, take the political temperature in the UK around the issue and set out the benefits and challenges for workers, businesses and the country.

Our panel will comprise:

• Emma Reynolds MP, Shadow Europe Minister
• Malcolm Harbour MEP, Chair European Parliament Single Market Committee
• Lorely Burt MP, Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party
• Rob Johnston, Midlands Regional Secretary, TUC
• Dr Anneliese Dodds, Lecturer in Public Policy, Aston University

Chair: Adam Hug, Policy Director, FPC

The event is free and open to all.

Please contact events@fpc.org.uk to RSVP for this event

• Single Market, Equal Rights? Birmingham event
• Single Market, Equal Rights? publication

FPC Senior Research Associate Firdevs Robinson gives a detailed and wide ranging account of the current challenges facing the long-running attempts to resolve the division and separation of Cyprus. She argues that unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is loosing hope that meaningful progress will be made in the near future and that as the Republic of Cyprus (Greek Cyprus) moves towards holding the EU Presidency, Brussels is no longer seen by the TRNC as a positive actor. She also draws attention to the growing rifts between the TRNC and Turkey on cultural and political lines, while exploring the current phase of tensions between Greek Cyprus and Turkey.

• FPC Briefing: Cyprus: One step forward, two steps back

UK perspectives on EU employment and social law

Single Market, Equal Rights? UK perspectives on EU employment and social law gives a wide-ranging assessment of the contentious British debate over Europe's role in determining the level of employment and social rights. It explores:

• The UK-specific dimensions of the debate, both in terms of the party politics and the impact it has on the wider relationship between Britain and the EU
• The extent of EU involvement in employment and social protection compared to national action
• The relationship between the single market and EU employment and social law
• The balance between the role of the European Commission and the European Court of Justice
• The Posted Workers, Working Time and Agency Workers directives and other contentious issues

The publication is edited by Foreign Policy Centre Policy Director Adam Hug and the TUC's Head of European Union and International Relations Owen Tudor. It features contributions from a range of leading experts including: Prof Catherine Barnard (Trinity College, Cambridge), Karen Clements (British Chambers of Commerce), Prof Anne Davies (Brasenose College, Oxford), Prof Claire Kilpatrick (European University Institute), Lord Monks (formerly TUC and ETUC), Clare Moody (Unite), Mats Persson (Open Europe) and Ariane Poulain (Business for New Europe).

• Single Market, Equal Rights?
• Click here for audio of the Single Market Equal Rights Conf