Foreign Policy Centre

Far from a democratic turning point, Syria’s election sidelined #accountability, limited representation & failed to meet basic standards.

💬 “Creating the appearance of representative governance through a tightly controlled legislative body is not the solution.”

🗳️⚖️ New Op-ed by Mohammad Al Abdallah, Jalal Alhamad & Riad Ali

On 5 Oct, #Syria held its first parliamentary #elections since regime change — but the process entrenched executive control, sidelining accountability and reform.

🔗 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-the-fi...

⬆️Explore insights on #TransitionalJustice, #LegalReform & #InternationalEngagement

Chaired by Mark Stephens CBE, the event featured:

• Yumen Hallaq (SNHR)
• Sana Kikhia (SLDP)
• Dr Maria Kastrinou (Brunel)
• Alan Haji (SJAC)
• Mariana Karkoutly (Huquqyat)
• Prof Simon Mabon (SEPAD)

Expert Briefing: ‘Syria’s transition nine months on: Examining frameworks for international justice and accountability’ - The Foreign Policy Centre On 9th September 2025, the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the University of Lancaster’s Sectarianism, Proxies and Desectarianisati...

🧭 New expert briefing: ‘#Syria’s transition nine months on’

Our roundtable, co-hosted with @ibahri.bsky.social & @sepad.bsky.social, brought together Syrian and international experts to assess the political & legal transition following Assad’s fall.

🔗- fpc.org.uk/expert-brief...

🔹 Rule of law framed as key to UK’s global identity
🔹 David Lammy outlined Labour’s “#ProgressiveRealism”
🔹 Aid cuts & future funding raised across fringes
🔹 Calls to protect #UKsoftpower & the #BBCWorldService
💷 Illicit Finance Summit confirmed for 2026

🔴 FPC at Labour Party Conference 2025
The FPC team was in Liverpool engaging with civil society, decision-makers & party members on issues at the core of our work — from anti-corruption & #SLAPPs to diplomacy, #ForeignPolicy & democratic resilience.

Key takeaways ⬇️

🔴 Next stop: Labour Party Conference (28 Sept–1 Oct, Liverpool). See you there!

📢 As co-chair of the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, Susan used the conference to engage on legal intimidation and SLAPPs — with the Lib Dems currently the only UK party with a formal anti-SLAPP commitment in their manifesto.
🔗 antislapp.uk/about/

📸 Take a look at FPC’s time in Bournemouth ⬇️

Susan spoke on two panels:

🔹 Fighting Corruption & Oligarchs in the Era of Trump (UK Anti-Corruption Coalition) – on the UK’s role in enabling global financial crime & SLAPPs.

🔹 Power, Purpose, Perception (Bond) – spotlighting insights from our new soft power report:
📘 fpc.org.uk/wp-content/u...

🟡 FPC at Lib Dem Party Conference

From 20–23 Sept, Susan Coughtrie (FPC Exec Director) and Stevie Wolfe (APPG Anti-Corruption) joined the Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth.

Our 2020 article by journalists Peter Sabo & Pavla Holcová remains highly relevant — tracing how UK-linked entities & offshore jurisdictions enable corruption & block justice.

📖 Read it here: fpc.org.uk/tracking-cor...

🔎 Strengthening Financial Transparency

This week, UK Anti-Corruption Champion Baroness Hodge visited the BVI to assess progress on beneficial ownership registers — vital tools to expose illicit finance & corporate secrecy.

💡 A topic the Foreign Policy Centre has long explored ⬇️

Playing to our strengths: The future of the UK’s soft power in foreign policy - The Foreign Policy Centre

If you missed it — or want to revisit — read FPC’s report on the future of UK soft power:

📘 Playing to our strengths: The future of the UK’s soft power in foreign policy

🔗 fpc.org.uk/publications...

Timely reflection from @fabianhamilton.bsky.social highlighting the strategic value of UK soft power.

🗨️ “The FPC’s latest Soft Power Report could not have been more timely...if we invest in our strengths, we’ll help shape the solutions."”

🔽 Read the article: www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

LABOUR: UKACC x @thefabians.bsky.social : Brave New World? Fighting Corruption in the New Trump Era.

Featuring @margarethodge.bsky.social, @philbrickellmp.bsky.social, @liambyrnemp.bsky.social, and @suehawley.bsky.social.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Brave New World: Fighting Corruption and Oligarchs in an era of Trump.

Featuring @dominicmartin.bsky.social, Mike Martin MP, @richardfoordld.bsky.social, @edwardlucas.bsky.social, and @skcoughtrie.bsky.social.

Tackling Transnational Repression - The Foreign Policy Centre

FPC welcomes this, but key concerns remain:
⚠️ No clear data on how many are affected
⚠️ No effective mechanism to report incidents
⚠️ Review findings remain unpublished

As part of the Tackling TNR in the UK Working Group, we call for stronger action.
fpc.org.uk/programmes/t...

💡Great to see @philbrickellmp.bsky.social raise a written Q on the UK Gov’s assessment of TNR over the past 5 years.

Dan Jarvis MP replied, citing the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s review, saying the UK won’t tolerate foreign intimidation.
📄 www.parallelparliament.co.uk/question/746...

Carter-Ruck and OneCoin: libel firm’s SDT cover-up collapses Carter-Ruck acted for the $4bn OneCoin fraud and threatened critics. The SRA is prosecuting them at the SDT. Read all filings and history here.

📢 The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruled: the hearings will be public and filings disclosed.

Public scrutiny of these processes, which are connected to matters of public interest, are important and the British public should not be kept in the dark.

🔗 taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/09/18/c...

🔔 New from Tax Policy Associates: Carter-Ruck used legal threats to defend OneCoin and later sought anonymity in an attempt to keep the professional conduct hearings of one of its partners behind closed doors

FPC joined fellow NGOs pushing back to ensure open justice.

Democracy and Elections Archives - The Foreign Policy Centre

🌍🗳️ Today is the International Day of Democracy.

At FPC, democratic values shape our work - from engaging with civil society and governance institutions, to examining authoritarian trends and transnational repression.

🔗 Explore: fpc.org.uk/issues/democ...

📬 The letters call for:
🔹 Reaffirming illicit finance as a strategic priority
🔹 Hosting the planned intl. summit
🔹 Embedding accountability into UK foreign policy

At FPC we see anti-corruption as key to defending democracy, rule of law & UK global credibility.

🗞️💷 Sustaining UK leadership on countering #IllicitFinance:

FPC Director Susan Coughtrie joined leading voices urging Deputy PM David Lammy & Foreign Sec Yvette Cooper to ensure the UK remains a global leader in the fight against dirty money.

📄 Read the two open letters:

💡 Key themes discussed:
– Gaps between legal commitments & practice
– Power concentration & weak judicial independence
– Ongoing detentions, GBV & impunity
– Assad-era legacies & foreign influence

🎙️ Thanks to our brilliant speakers & partners IBAHRI + @sepad.bsky.social

🇸🇾 🎉Thank you to all who joined us in Parliament for our roundtable on Syria’s transition nine months on.

Our expert panel reflected on interim governance, legal reform & the prospects for meaningful accountability.

📝 A takeaway report will be out soon: fpc.org.uk/join/

Op ed: US Retreat from Multilateralism: Open Doors for Chinese Repression - The Foreign Policy Centre The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), opening on Tuesday 9 September 2025 in New York, might mark the end of the UN’s human rights pillar as we know it.   The United Nations ...

#UNGA80 opens as China fills the void left by the US
Rewriting norms, choking civil society, escaping accountability 🚨

The UN is being reshaped from within — the UK and Europe must respond.

✍️ My piece for @fpcthinktank.bsky.social
🔗 fpc.org.uk/op-ed-us-ret...

🗣️ “A UN that cannot speak freely, include independent voices, or address grave violations is no longer a forum for international law...”

🔵 The UK must step up to:
– Defend civil society space
– Challenge authoritarian narratives
– Lead on rights-based diplomacy

#Multilateralism #UKForeignPolicy

Op ed: US Retreat from Multilateralism: Open Doors for Chinese Repression - The Foreign Policy Centre The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), opening on Tuesday 9 September 2025 in New York, might mark the end of the UN’s human rights pillar as we know it.   The United Nations ...

🌐📰 New op-ed by Florian Irminger ( @florianirminger.ch ): As #UNGA80 opens, he warns the US retreat from multilateralism is enabling China to reshape the UN – eroding human rights, silencing civil society & avoiding accountability.

📖 Read: fpc.org.uk/op-ed-us-ret...

Playing to our strengths: The future of the UK’s soft power in foreign policy - The Foreign Policy Centre

🙏 We extend our thanks to our speakers, partners, and all attendees for contributing to such an engaging and thoughtful event.

📖Read and download the report: fpc.org.uk/publications...

✨ Yesterday we launched 'Playing to our strengths: The future of the UK’s soft power in foreign policy' with a parliamentary reception.

Speakers included Fabian Hamilton MP, Sir John Whittingdale MP, Catriona Laing, Jonathan Munro & Poppy Ogier.

Photo by: Andriy Shevchuk
#SoftPower #ForeignPolicy