This Wednesday 29 November, the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) will celebrate its 50th anniversary.  Caabu is one of the most active cross-party organisations working on the Middle East in the UK Parliament. It was set up in 1967 just after the Six-Day-War to improve understanding of the Arab World and its peoples in Britain.
 
The anniversary event will be held in central London hosted by Caabu chair and former Cabinet Minister, Rr Hon David Jones MP.  The keynote speakers will be Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office responsible for the Middle East; Layla Moran MP, the first British MP of Palestinian origin, and Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP, the shadow Foreign Secretary of State. 
 
Caabu aims to create a more coherent UK foreign policy towards the region.  We ensure parliamentarians are updated on the latest developments in the Middle East and advocate on key issues including Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, refugees and extremism.  Our highly successful series of delegations allows MPs and Peers to experience the region at first hand.   Between 1997 and 2017, we have taken 60 parliamentary delegations to the Middle East.
 
From its very early years, Caabu has also taken on a strong educational and media role. In 1967 a public opinion poll showed that 98% of the British people knew little or nothing about the Arab world and negative stereotypes about the region and Arabs were commonplace in the media.  In 2017, a You Gov poll commissioned by Caabu and Arab News showed that this was still as high as 81%. Challenging anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia, has remained at the heart of Caabu’s work not least with the rise of hate crimes, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment.  
 
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, former Foreign Office Minister and Caabu Patron said: “It is important that our parliamentarians are fully informed and Caabu plays an essential role in making sure that, on those issues that we may not be fully briefed, we are briefed—because Caabu have access to honest, up to date, accurate information.”
 
Caabu Chair, David Jones emphasised that Caabu’s mission is far from complete:  “Five decades on, Palestine remains an important focus of our work; Caabu delegations regularly visit the West Bank, enabling parliamentarians to gain a valuable insight into the sensitive issues that continue to prevail.
 
“And as the Arab world advances, so Caabu’s work evolves.  The UK’s departure from the EU presents new opportunities for developing relations with a region in which British interest has always been strong; and Caabu is well-placed and keen to help.
 
None of this could be done without the hard work of our small but dedicated staff and the generous support of donors who understand the importance of strong Arab-British links.”