By Dr David Grigorian.

Dr David Grigorian, Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund's Monetary and Capital Markets Department and a co-founder of Policy Forum Armenia, gives an in-depth analysis of Armenia's economic development from independence and to the present day. He argues that better governance is crucial to efforts to reform the economy, tackle public debt and improve long-term growth prospects.

Download FPC Briefing: Armenia's Economy since Independence (390 kilobyte PDF)

By Alexander Jackson.

FPC Research Associate Alex Jackson gives us his analysis of the new alliance between billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili and Western-feted opposition leader Irakli Alasania, that has been shaking up Georgian politics in recent weeks.

Download FPC Briefing: Comrades in arms, or a marriage of convenience (320 kilobyte PDF)

By Catherine Owen.

Russia specialist Catherine Owen gives the FPC her take on unfolding political events in Russia, following the December 4th Duma elections. She examines the voting problems and the response of both the ruling elite and nascent opposition.

Download the article (330 kilobyte PDF)

By Gerard Russell. Source: Politics.co.uk

As Libya approaches a new dawn we must appreciate that some things will go wrong, but there is an advisory role for foreign powers to fulfil.

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By Tanweer Ali.

In a new FPC Briefing Tanweer Ali examines worrying trends in human rights standards in the Czech Republic.

Download FPC Briefing: Human Rights in the Czech Republic (220 kilobyte PDF)

By Verity Robins.

China has woken up to its drug problem, but it is failing woefully in trying to tackle it. Nestled between two major heroin-producing regions, the Golden Triangle (Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam) and the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran), China has long been a transit path for drugs headed toward the rest of the world. Along an ever-expanding network of routes that lead to China's international seaports, domestic heroin use is soaring. No longer just a transit country, it now has a sizable user population of its own. The rise in domestic heroin addiction has had disastrous social consequences, with an increase in Chinese drug cultivation and organised criminal activity, as well as a rise in intravenous drug use and a spiralling HIV/AIDS epidemic.

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By Adam Hug. Source: E! Sharp

Bright future? Europe has diverse incentives to deploy to help consolidate democracy in Yerevan.

Over the past few weeks, Armenia has experienced a level of political turbulence not seen since 2008, as large crowds gathered to commemorate the third anniversary of the March 1 post-election protests that were strongly suppressed by the Armenian government, a move fiercely condemned by the international community.

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By William Gumede.

FPC Senior Research Associate William Gumede gives a facinating take on the potential impact of North Africa's uprisings on countries south of the Sahara.

Download Africa Rising? (290 kilobyte PDF)

By Stephen Minas. Source: ABC.net.ac

On January 25, Egyptians took to Tahrir Square to claim freedom from dictatorship. They were soon followed by former Bush administration officials and conservative commentators, who took to the opinion pages of America's journals of record to claim vindication.

Specifically, vindication for George W Bush's 'freedom agenda' of promoting the spread of democracy. And as the protests in Egypt grew ever larger, and the reign of President Hosni Mubarak looked increasingly doomed, the claims on behalf of the 'freedom agenda' became bolder.

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By Tim Flatman.

Tim Flatman gives his take on the challenging situation in Sudan's Abyei region and makes the case for more robust US and UK engagement.

Download Abyei: Beyond expediency, towards sustainable peace (230 kilobyte PDF)

By Stephen Minas. Source: The Diplomat

'Egypt Leaves the Internet.' The statement from Internet monitoring firm Renesys was far from the most dramatic headline to emerge from the just-ended standoff between ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and demonstrators demanding an end to his 30-year rule. Indeed, when considering the Mubarak government's systematic repression of its people—protesters attacked by plain-clothes thugs, detainees reportedly tortured, journalists harassed and arrested—an Internet blackout seems almost routine.

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By Ziya Meral. Source: Channel 4 News Website

While President Mubarak and his faithful inner circle are pulling all of their usual tricks to maintain power, the international community is busy conceiving scenarios for the future of Egypt.

For some, the future looks bleak. Doomsday projections include an immediate Islamist takeover of the country which would result in Islamisation of the seemingly secular country structures, end of neutral relations with Israel, cooperation with the "war on terror" and issues regarding Palestine, stability in economic relations, and access to key transportation routes. The archetype, which the process in Egypt is likened to in these scenarios, is Iran.

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By Alex Bigham. Source: Yorkshire Post

International support for the protests in Egypt has come from some unlikely quarters. While you'd expect qualified endorsement from leaders in the west, one of the most repressive regimes in the world has been trying to claim the uprising as its own. The Iranian state media has said the protests were inspired by the 1979 revolution, as a protest against a western backed, secular despot.

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By Prof Baskin Oran.

For the third paper in our Exploring Turkishness: Rights, Identity and the EU essay series, the Foreign Policy Centre is delighted to publish a new paper by leading Turkish academic and human rights campaigner, Professor Baskin Oran of Ankara University. In his new paper The Issue of "Turkish" and "Türkiyeli" he sets out his clear arguments for the creation of a new and inclusive identity that could cover all citizens of Turkey. (Translation provided by Deniz Ugur)

Download Exploring Turkishness: The Issue of Turkish and Türkiyeli (410 kilobyte PDF)

By Adam Hug. Source: The Jerusalem Post

For too long, the challenges facing Israel's Arab citizens have been obscured for international observers by the all-too-pressing concerns of the conflict. But this is gradually changing due to recognition of the growing tensions between the country's Jewish and Arab communities. It is against this backdrop that the Foreign Policy Center has published its new report, "Full and Equal Citizens: How to deliver equality for Israel's Arab community," as part of our work on minority rights across the world. It makes a number of recommendations.

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By Ziya Meral.

In the second paper as part of our Exploring Turkishness: Rights, Identity and the EU Essay Series Ziya Miral examines the state's approach to regulating religion and its role in defining Turkish identity. He draws attention to the problems this causes for Turkey's minority communities, with a particular focus on its non-Muslim minorities, and argues for an equal conception of citizenship that respects ethnic and religious diversity.

Download Exploring Turkishness: Laicite, Religion & SPDPD in Turkey (200 kilobyte PDF)

By Alexander Jackson.

It says much for Mikheil Saakashvili's reputation for unpredictability that a new constitution which deprives him of much of his power is being seen as a machination to hold on to that power.

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Download The New Georgian Constitution (PDF includes references) (300 kilobyte PDF)

By Zeynep Dereli.

The Foreign Policy Centre is delighted to publish the first in a new series of short papers as part of a new project, Exploring Turkishness: Rights, Identity and the EU. In this first paper Senior Research Associate Zeynep Dereli makes the case for a broader, more inclusive approach to the idea of citizenship of Turkey, addressing some of the challenges facing Turkish women and minority groups.

Download Exploring Turkishness: Women and Minorities (510 kilobyte PDF)

By Marc Herzog.

Marc Herzog's new briefing gives a fascinating insight into the statistics behind Turkey's recent constitutional referendum and examines what the result means for Turkey's future.

Download FPC Briefing:Turkey's 2010 constitutional referendum (410 kilobyte PDF)

By Adam Hug.

In the second report in our three paper Kazakhstan at a Crossroads series supported by the Civil Activity Fund, Adam Hug explores some of Kazakhstan's recent economic problems and the challenges the country faces reforming its economic governance for the benefit of citizens and international investors alike. The report looks at issues including the politicisation of corruption, resource nationalism and internet restrictions. It argues that continued engagement with Kazakhstan must address fundamental governance concerns as well as short-term economic gains.

Download Kazakhstan at a Crossroads: Governance and Economy report (440 kilobyte PDF)

By Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, Tahirih Danesh.

FPC Senior Research Associate Tahirih Danesh and Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, Senior Fellow at European Foundation for Democracy have produced a hard hitting and challenging briefing that explores the way in which the Iran regime's revolutionary character defines the way it operates both within and beyond its borders.

Download FPC Briefing: Terroracracy (220 kilobyte PDF)

The full text of a speech by Mustafa Sarigül, leader of Turkey's Change Movement, to the Foreign Policy Centre's A new politics for Turkey? Sarýgül's challenge to the Turkish political establishment event held at the UK Houses of Parliament on March 22nd 2010.

Download FPC Speech by Mustafa Sarýgül (350 kilobyte PDF)

By Adam Hug.

2010 stands as a landmark year in the history of Kazakhstan and for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It will be the first time a Central Asian nation takes the leadership role of a major international political organisation, but also Kazakhstan will be the first non-democracy to become the OSCE's Chairman-in-Office. Kazakhstan will be under the international spotlight to an extent it has not seen since independence. Against that backdrop the Foreign Policy Centre is publishing a series of three detailed background papers assessing a number of key issues in Kazakhstan that will be followed by a pamphlet. The first paper, focusing on human rights and democracy, is now available to download.

Download Kazakhstan at a Crossroads: Human Rights and Democracy (390 kilobyte PDF)

By Ella Rolfe.

Recent curbs on civil liberties are attempts to grasp slipping control over population

While Pakistan may seem to be descending into a pitched battle between state and Taliban, the current power relations are much more nuanced than this. To be sure, the Pakistani authorities are engaged in a large military operation against the Taliban in the country's north-western tribal areas; but there is a power struggle within the Pakistani polity as well. And the army, not the civilian government, is firmly in charge of efforts against militancy.

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By Chris Ogden .

New FPC Research Associate Chris Ogden looks into the future of India's Hindu nationalist opposition party - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP - Indian People's Party)- that faces a potentially uncertain and unstable future after its 2009 election defeat. Despite remaining as India's second largest political force, and indeed the country's only other national party besides Congress, the BJP faces a period of repackaging for India's electorate. Given that the BJP's current head, LK Advani who turns 82 on Sunday 8th November, and has announced his plans to step-down, any re-branding will be underscored by a phase of internal restructuring, most prominently involving the emergence of a new leader.

Download FPC Briefing: India's BJP Contemplate their Future (240 kilobyte PDF)

By Deen Sharp.

In June 2009 Lebanon held its first 'free' election since 1972. On the conclusion of the elections Western media and political analysts were particularly guilty of premature celebrations and hyperbole, regarding the Western backed March 14 coalition election victory. These past elections were not a battle in which: "President Barack Obama defeated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran"(1) or Western ideals of liberal democracy triumphed against Islamic totalitarianism. This confusion was immediately evident after the winning March 14 coalition soon began to fracture and Lebanon fell into all too familiar political paralysis. The reason for this misplaced euphoria by Western pundits was due to an essential misunderstanding about the battle being fought on the Lebanese political playing field. These elections were largely void of political ideology and were centered on the fight to represent certain sectarian groups, especially so for the Christian population, and the protection of patrimonial networks.

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By Adam Hug, Tahirih Danesh.

The Foreign Policy Centre made a submission to the UN UPR of Iran on the basis of its two most recent Iran publications 'From Cradle to Coffin: A Report on Child Executions in Iran' and 'A Revolution without Rights: Women, Kurds and Baha'is Searching For Equality in Iran'.

The FPC's information featured significantly in the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights summary of stakeholder submissions. To see the UN OHCHR report visit:

http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session7/IR/A_HRC_WG6_7_IRN_3_E.pdf

Download FPC UPR Submission on Iran (210 kilobyte PDF)

By Adam Hug. Source: E!Sharp

The EU has the tools to nurture democracy in Tbilisi, argues Adam Hug, FPC Policy Director, in an article for E!Sharp: http://www.esharp.eu/Web-specials/Keeping-Georgia-on-Europe-s-mind

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By Carlos Bellini, Daniel Lledo, Thiago de Aragao.

This article presents an evaluation of the State coup that occurred in Honduras last Sunday (27 June) and its possible internal consequences as well as a new scenario that is unfolding in Latin America.

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By Chris Phillips. Source: The Guardian Comment is Free

As the battle lines are drawn for the Lebanese elections in June, reports suggest the surprising kingmakers could be Lebanon's Armenians. This small community of barely 150,000 look set to abandon its traditional neutrality and back the Hezbollah-led opposition. While this appears to be yet another example of the complex interconfessional horse trading that has characterised Lebanese politics for years, it could be a sign that the state is finally taking slow steps away from its long-standing sectarianism.

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By Alex Bigham. Source: The Guardian's Comment is Free

After meeting on the rugby pitch for their annual match, Fiji's police and army found themselves on opposite sides of a coup d'etat.

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By Dick Leonard, Dick Leonard. Source: European Voice

In a recent meeting in Vienna with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, Graham Watson, the leader of the Liberal and Democrat group (ALDE) in the European Parliament, set out three priority issues on which it hopes that progress will be made during the six-month Austrian presidency.

One of these was to ensure that the small Vienna-Based EU Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) should become a fully-fledged EU Fundamental Rights Agency. This had been agreed in principle at an EU summit in December 2003, but so far little has been done to bring it about.

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