Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquartered in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Its stated mission is to provide commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges. It is the originator of the
Chatham House Rule
Under the Chatham House Rule, anyone who comes to a meeting is free to use information from the discussion, but is not allowed to reveal who made any particular comment. It is designed to increase openness of discussion. The rule is a system for h ...
.
Overview
Canadian
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
s Colonel
Reuben Wells Leonard and Kate Rowlands Leonard purchased the property in 1923, donating the building as a headquarters for the fledgling organisation that then became known as Chatham House. The building is a
Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
18th-century house in
St James's Square
St James's Square is the only square in the St James's district of the City of Westminster and is a garden square. It has predominantly Georgian and Neo-Georgian architecture. For its first two hundred or so years it was one of the three or fou ...
, designed in part by
Henry Flitcroft
Henry Flitcroft (30 August 1697 – 25 February 1769) was a major English architect in the second generation of Palladianism. He came from a simple background: his father was a labourer in the gardens at Hampton Court and he began as a joiner by t ...
and occupied by three British Prime Ministers, including
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him Chatham or William Pitt the Elder to distinguish ...
.
![Chatham House over the Jubilee weekend (7345325368)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Chatham_House_over_the_Jubilee_weekend_%287345325368%29.jpg)
Chatham House accepts individual members as well as members from
corporations
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...
,
academic institutions
Academic institution is an educational institution dedicated to education and research, which grants academic degrees. See also academy and university.
Types
* Primary schools – (from French ''école primaire'') institutions where children r ...
and
NGOs
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
.
Chatham House Rule
Chatham House is the origin of the non-attribution rule known as the
Chatham House Rule
Under the Chatham House Rule, anyone who comes to a meeting is free to use information from the discussion, but is not allowed to reveal who made any particular comment. It is designed to increase openness of discussion. The rule is a system for h ...
, which provides that attendees of meetings may discuss the content of the meeting in the outside world, but may not discuss who attended or identify what a specific individual said. The Chatham House Rule evolved to facilitate frank and honest discussion on controversial or unpopular issues by speakers who may not have otherwise had the appropriate forum to speak freely. Despite this, most meetings at Chatham House are held
on the record, and not under the Chatham House Rule.
Research and publications
Chatham House research is structured around five thematic programmes, comprising: environment and society; global economy and finance; global health security; international law; and international security; as well as six regional programmes, covering Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Russia and Eurasia, and the US and Americas.
Chatham House also contains the Sustainability Accelerator (formerly Hoffmann Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy), which focuses on the political economy of resource production and consumption.
Speakers
Chatham House regularly hosts speakers from the UK and international policy and business communities.
Periodical publications
Chatham House also produces the policy journals ''
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
'' and Journal of Cyber Policy as well as a bi-monthly magazine, ''
The World Today''.
Chatham House Prize
The Chatham House Prize is an annual award presented to "the person, persons or organization deemed by members of Chatham House to have made the most significant contribution to the improvement of international relations in the previous year".
List of winners
History
Origins
The Royal Institute of International Affairs finds its origins in a meeting, convened by
Lionel Curtis
Lionel George Curtis CH (1872–1955) was a British official and author. He advocated British Empire Federalism and, late in life, a world state. His ideas concerning dyarchy were important in the development of the Government of India Ac ...
, of the American and British delegates to the
Paris Peace Conference on 30 May 1919. Curtis had long been an advocate for the scientific study of international affairs and, following the beneficial exchange of information after the peace conference, argued that the method of expert analysis and debate should be continued when the delegates returned home in the form of international institute.
![Lionel Curtis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Lionel_Curtis.jpg)
Ultimately, the British and American delegates formed separate institutes, with the Americans developing the
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...
in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
The British Institute of International Affairs, as it was then known, held its inaugural meeting, chaired by
Robert Cecil, on 5 July 1920. In this, former Foreign Secretary
Edward Grey moved the resolution calling the institute into existence:
''"That an Institute be constituted for the study of International Questions, to be called the British Institute of International Affairs."''
These two, along with
Arthur J. Balfour and
John R. Clynes, became the first Presidents of the institute, with Lionel Curtis and
G. M. Gathorne–Hardy appointed joint Honorary Secretaries.
By 1922, as the institute's membership grew, there was a need for a larger and more practical space and the Institute acquired, through the gift of Canadian
Colonel R. W. Leonard, Chatham House, Number 10
St. James's Square, where the institute is still housed.
Inter-war years
Following its inception, the Institute quickly focused upon Edward Grey's resolution, with the 1920s proving an active decade at Chatham House. The journal ''
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
'' was launched in January 1922, allowing for the international circulation of the various reports and discussions which took place within the institute.
After being appointed as Director of Studies, Professor
Arnold Toynbee became the leading figure producing the institute's annual Survey of International Affairs, a role he held until his retirement in 1955. While providing a detailed annual overview of international relations, the survey's primary role was ‘to record current international history’. The survey continued until 1963 and was well received throughout the Institution, coming to be known as ‘the characteristic external expression of Chatham House research: a pioneer in method and a model for scholarship.’
In 1926, 14 members of Chatham House represented the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
at the first conference of the
Institute of Pacific Relations
The Institute of Pacific Relations (IPR) was an international NGO established in 1925 to provide a forum for discussion of problems and relations between nations of the Pacific Rim. The International Secretariat, the center of most IPR activity ov ...
, a forum dedicated to the discussion of problems and relations between Pacific nations. The IPR served as a platform for the institute to develop an advanced political and commercial awareness of the region, with special focus being placed upon China's economic development and international relations.
In the same year the Institute received its
royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
, thereupon being known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs. The Charter set out the aims and objectives of the institute, reaffirming its wish to "advance the sciences of international politics...promote the study and investigation of international questions by means of lectures and discussion…promote the exchange of information, knowledge and thought on international affairs."
Further expansion
1929 marked the next stage in the institute's development, with the appointment of a full-time chief executive or director.
Ivison Macadam
Sir Ivison Stevenson Macadam (18 July 1894 – 22 December 1974) was the first Director-General of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and the founding President of the National Union of Students.
He was also the Edi ...
was appointed to the position (Secretary and then Director-General), in which he oversaw the institute's rapid expansion with its growing research, organisational and financial needs, a role he occupied until 1955.
Macadam was able to secure funding to expand the physical plant of the Institute by acquiring the freeholds of 6 Duke of York Street, then called York Street, (largely through the generosity of
Waldorf Astor
Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, DL (19 May 1879 – 30 September 1952) was an American-born English politician and newspaper proprietor. He was a member of the Astor family. He was active in minor political roles. He was devoted to charitab ...
,
John Power and others) and later 9 St James's Square, then
the Portland Club, in 1943 (through a donation to cover its purchase by
Henry Price), and connect these adjoining properties to the original freehold property of Chatham House at 10, St James Square (with the cost of these connections covered by Astor's sons, William, David and John). Power also donated his leasehold property in Chesham Place to the Institute in 1938. These additional properties provided much needed additional space for the institute's activities.
1929 also saw the inception of the institute's special study group on the international gold problem. The group, which included leading economists such as
John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes, ( ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. Originally trained in ...
, conducted a three-year study into the developing economic issues which the post-war international monetary settlement created. The group's research anticipated Britain's decision to abandon the
gold standard
A gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is based on a fixed quantity of gold. The gold standard was the basis for the international monetary system from the 1870s to the early 1920s, and from the la ...
two years later.
Around this time Chatham House became known as the place for leading statesmen and actors in world affairs to visit when in London; notably,
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
visited the institute on 20 October 1931, in which he delivered a talk on ‘The Future of India’. The talk was attended by 750 members, making it the institute's largest meeting up to that point.
![Committee of Reconstruction, 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Committee_of_Reconstruction%2C_1943..jpg)
In 1933
Norman Angell
Sir Ralph Norman Angell (26 December 1872 – 7 October 1967) was an English Nobel Peace Prize winner. He was a lecturer, journalist, author and Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.
Angell was one of the principal founders of the Union o ...
, whilst working within the institute's Council, was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
for his book ''
The Great Illusion
''The Great Illusion'' is a book by Norman Angell, first published in the United Kingdom in 1909 under the title ''Europe's Optical Illusion'' and republished in 1910 and subsequently in various enlarged and revised editions under the title ''The ...
'', making him the first and only Laureate to be awarded the prize for publishing a book.
Chatham House held the first Commonwealth Relations Conference in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 1933. Held roughly every five years, the conference provided a forum for leading politicians, lawyers, academics and others to discuss the implications of recent Imperial Conferences. With various dominion nations seeking to follow individual foreign policy aims, Major-General Sir
Neill Malcolm
Major-General Sir Neill Malcolm, KCB, DSO (8 October 1869 – 21 December 1953) was a British Army officer who served as Chief of Staff to Fifth Army in the First World War and later commanded the Troops in the Straits Settlements.
Military ...
, the chairman of the Council of the institute, emphasised the need for "essential agreement in matters of foreign policy between the various Governments," with the Commonwealth Relations Conference being the vehicle upon which this cooperation would be achieved and maintained.
War years, 1939–1945
At the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the institute, under the Chairmanship of
Waldorf Astor
Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, DL (19 May 1879 – 30 September 1952) was an American-born English politician and newspaper proprietor. He was a member of the Astor family. He was active in minor political roles. He was devoted to charitab ...
, was decentralised for security reasons, with many of the staff moving to
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
. There, the Foreign Press and Research Service of the Institute worked closely with the
Foreign Office
Foreign may refer to:
Government
* Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries
** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government
** Foreign office and foreign minister
* Unit ...
who requested various reports on foreign press, historical and political background of the enemy and various other topics supervised by
Arnold Toynbee, dedicating their research to the war effort.
The institute also provided many additional services to scholars and the armed forces at its St. James's Square home. Research facilities were opened to refugee and allied academics, whilst arrangements were made for both the
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), established in 1938, is Britain's oldest independent economic research institute. The institute is a London-based independent UK registered charity that carries out academic researc ...
and the Polish Research Centre to relocate to the Institute following the bombing of their premises. In addition, allied officers undertook courses in international affairs at the Institute in an attempt to develop their international and political awareness as well as post war reconstruction planning.
The post-war years
Chatham House had been researching potential post-war issues as early as 1939 through the Committee on Reconstruction.
Whilst a number of staff returned to the Institute at the end of the war, a proportion of members found themselves joining a range of international organisations, including the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
and the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
. Combining this with the institute's early support of the League of Nations and impact of the gold study on the
Bretton Woods system
The Bretton Woods system of monetary management established the rules for commercial and financial relations among the United States, Canada, Western European countries, Australia, and Japan after the 1944 Bretton Woods Agreement. The Bretto ...
, Chatham House found itself to be a leading actor in international political and economic redevelopment.
![Margaret Thatcher at the door of Chatham House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Margaret_Thatcher_at_the_door_of_Chatham_House..jpg)
In reaction to the changing post-war world, Chatham House embarked on a number of studies relating to Britain and the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
's new political stature, in light of growing calls for
decolonisation
Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...
and the development of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. A board of studies in race relations was created in 1953, allowing for the close examination of changing attitudes and calls for racial equality throughout the world. The group broke off into an independent charity in 1958, forming the
Institute of Race Relations
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) is a think tank based in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1958 in order to publish research on race relations worldwide, and in 1972 was transformed into an "anti-racist think tank".
Proposed by ''Sund ...
.
Following the
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
and
Brazilian coup d'état, the institute developed a growing focus on the Latin American region.
Che Guevara
Ernesto Che Guevara (; 14 June 1928The date of birth recorded on /upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Ernesto_Guevara_Acta_de_Nacimiento.jpg his birth certificatewas 14 June 1928, although one tertiary source, (Julia Constenla, quoted ...
, then
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
's Minister of Industry, wrote an analysis of ‘The Cuban Economy: Its Past and Present Importance’ in 1964 for ''
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
''.
Chatham House played a more direct role in the international affairs of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
through the October 1975 Anglo-Soviet round-table, the first in a series of meetings between Chatham House and the
in Moscow. As an early example of
two-track diplomacy, the meeting sought to develop closer communication and improved relations between Britain and the Soviet Union.
Soon after the first Anglo-Soviet round-table, the Institute began an intensive research project into ‘British Foreign Policy to 1985’. Its primary aim was to analyse the foreign policy issues which Britain would encounter in the near and far future. Research began in 1976 and the findings were published in ''
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
'' between 1977 and 1979.
At the start of the 1980s, the Council moved to expand the institute's research capabilities in two key emerging areas. The first modern programmes to be created under this initiative were the Energy and Research Programme and the International Economics Programme, formed in 1980 - 1981.
In addition to reshaping its research practices, the institute also sought to strengthen its international network, notably amongst economically prosperous nations. For example, Chatham House's Far East programme, created with the intention of improving Anglo-Japanese relations in the long and short term, was bolstered by the support of the Japan 2000 group in 1984.
Recent history
The Institute celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1995, an event marked by the visit of Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
and
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...
. During her visit, the Queen was briefed by the institute's experts on
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in preparation for her impending visit to the country, following the end of
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
.
In 1998, the Angola Forum was created. Its oil reserves, combined with growing international ambition, facilitated
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
's quick ascent as an influential African nation, resulting in Chatham House launching the Forum to create an international platform for "forward looking, policy focused and influential debate and research". The institute's wider Africa Programme was created in 2002, beginning the modern structure of area studies programmes.
In 2005, ''Security, Terrorism and the UK'' was published.
The Chatham House Prize was launched in 2005, recognising
heads of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and le ...
and organisations that made a significant contribution to international relations during the previous year.
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
presented the debut award to Ukrainian President
Victor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( uk, Віктор Андрійович Ющенко, ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010.
As an informal leader of th ...
.
In January 2013, the Institute announced its Academy for Leadership in International Affairs, offering potential and established world leaders a 12-month fellowship at the institution with the aim of providing "a unique programme of activities and training to develop a new generation of leaders in international affairs." In November 2014, The Queen formally launched the academy under the title of the "Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs."
The Institute celebrated its centenary in 2020 with a series of special events and new initiatives such as the SNF CoLab, the Common Futures Conversations project, and the introduction of a panel of young advisers, plus three special Chatham House Centenary Awards for
Sir David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histor ...
,
Melina Abdullah
Melina Abdullah (born Melina Rachel Reimann on September 18, 1972) is an American academic and civic leader. She is the former chair of the department of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and a co-founder of the Los ...
and
Greta Thunberg
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.
Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...
.
In April 2022, Russia designated Chatham House as an "
undesirable organisation".
Recent reports
In 2015, several reports were published by Chatham House, including ''Nigeria’s Booming Borders: The Drivers and Consequences of Unrecorded Trade'', which urges formalising trade and driving more sustainable and less volatile growth; ''Changing Climate, Changing Diets: Pathways to Lower Meat Consumption'' examines a reduction in global meat consumption as critical to keeping global warming below the "danger level" of two degrees Celsius; ''Heat, Light and Power for Refugees: Saving Lives, Reducing Costs'' examines the reasons why energy provision to displaced people undermines the fundamental humanitarian aims of assistance; and ''Towards a New Global Business Model for Antibiotics: Delinking Revenues from Sales'' argued for revenues for pharmaceutical companies to be de-linked from sales of antibiotics to avoid their over-use and avert a public health crisis.
In 2016, Chatham House published ''Elite Perceptions of the United States in Latin America and the Post-Soviet States'', examining how elites in Latin America and the former Soviet Union view the United States, and providing recommendations on how the US could adjust its policies based on these perceptions.
2017 reports included ''The Struggle for Ukraine'', an exploration of how, four years after its
Euromaidan
Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...
revolution, of
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
's fight for survival as an independent and viable state; and ''Chokepoints and Vulnerabilities in Global Food Trade'' advocates for policymakers to take immediate action to mitigate the risk of severe disruption at certain ports, maritime straits, and inland transport routes, which could have devastating knock-on effects for global food security; ''Collective Action on Corruption in Nigeria: A Social Norms Approach to Connecting Society and Institutions'' examines how anti-corruption efforts could be made significantly more effective through new ways of understanding why people engage in the practice; and ''America’s International Role Under Donald Trump'' explores the impact of President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
’s personality and style—brash, unpredictable, contradictory and thin-skinned—on his engagement in foreign affairs.
Major reports in 2018 included ''Transatlantic Relations: Converging or Diverging?'' which argues that the longer-term fundamentals of the transatlantic relationship remain strong.
as well as ''Making Concrete Change: Innovation in Low-carbon Cement and Concrete'' exploring why significant changes in how cement and concrete are produced and used are urgently needed to achieve deep cuts in emissions in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, and ''Artificial Intelligence and International Affairs'' arguing the rise of AI must be better managed in the near term in order to mitigate longer term risks and to ensure that AI does not reinforce existing inequalities.
2019 saw three major reports produced. ''The UK and Japan'' makes the case that a stronger relationship could advance each country's ability to address shared global concerns. ''Conflict Economies in the Middle East and North Africa'' examines the common economic factors that continue to drive conflict in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
,
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
. And ''Kazakhstan: Tested by Transition'' examines if the country can pursue modernisation and reform, and break from its authoritarian past.
In 2020 and 2021, there were reports on ''The Business Case for Investment in Nutrition'' claiming to be the first of its kind to reveal the hidden costs of malnutrition for business, and the extent to which these costs are recognised and addressed by multinational companies and ''Myths and misconceptions in the debate on Russia'' which aims to deconstruct sixteen of the most prevalent myths and misconceptions that shape contemporary Western thinking on
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
.
Distinctions
In November 2016, Chatham House was named ''
Prospect'' magazine's Think-Tank of the Year, as well as the winner in the UK categories for International Affairs and Energy and Environment.
In the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
's rankings for 2017, Chatham House was ranked the
think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...
of the year, and the second-most influential in the world after the
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in ec ...
, and the world's most influential non-U.S. think tank.
Officers
The current chairman of the Council of Chatham House is Sir Nigel Sheinwald GCMG and its director is Bronwen Maddox who took over in 2022 from
Sir Robin Niblett. Research directors are Tim Benton,
Patricia Lewis, Creon Butler, and Alex Vines.
Chatham House has three presidents:
Lord Darling of Roulanish, former
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...
,
Baroness Manningham-Buller, a
crossbench peer
A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...
and former
Director General of MI5 __NOTOC__
The Director General of the Security Service is the head of the Security Service (commonly known as MI5), the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency. The Director General is assisted by a Deputy Director Gener ...
, and
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
, former
prime minister of New Zealand
The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017.
The prime minister (inform ...
.
Funding
During the 2020/2021 year, Chatham's largest donors were the
MAVA Foundation MAVA may refer to:
* MAVA-Renault
MAVA Company was the Greek importer of Renault automobiles. In 1979, it decided to enter the car-production business introducing a passenger-utility car, a type then very popular in Greece for tax cetagorizati ...
which provided over ₤5,000,000 and the UK
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign ...
, which provided over ₤1,000,000. The charitable organisation
Robert Bosch Stiftung
The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH () is a German foundation that owns a majority shareholding in Robert Bosch GmbH, from which it derives its funding. The foundation was established in accordance with the wishes of Robert Bosch, who died in 1942, an ...
and the
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The is an executive department of the Government of Japan, and is responsible for the country's foreign policy and international relations.
The ministry was established by the second term of the third article of the National Government Organi ...
provided between ₤500,000 and ₤1,000,000 each.
In November 2022, the funding transparency website
Who Funds You?
Who Funds You? is a project that rates and promotes transparency of funding sources of think tanks. The project scored think tanks according to four criteria, namely whether the organisation discloses its income, whether it publishes financial de ...
gave the Chatham a C grade (rating goes from A to E).
See also
*
Australian Institute of International Affairs
The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) is an Australian research institute and think tank which focuses on International relations. It publishes the ''Australian Journal of International Affairs''. It is one of the oldest act ...
*
Canadian International Council
The Canadian International Council (CIC; french: Conseil international du Canada, link=no) is a Canadian think tank on foreign relations. It is an independent, member-based council established to strengthen Canada's role in international affairs. ...
*
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...
*
German Council on Foreign Relations
The German Council on Foreign Relations (german: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik e. V. (DGAP)) is Germany's national foreign policy network and policy research institute. As an independent, private, non-partisan and non-profit org ...
* ''
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
''
*
List of think tanks in the United Kingdom
This is a list of think tanks in the United Kingdom.
A–I
* Adam Smith Institute
* Africa Research Institute
* Bow Group
* Boyd Group
* Brand EU
* Bright Blue
* British American Security Information Council
* British Future
* Bruges Group
* ...
*
Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael
The Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael ( nl, Nederlands Instituut voor Internationale Betrekkingen Clingendael) or Clingendael Institute (''Instituut Clingendael'') is a Dutch think tank and academy on international relat ...
*
Pakistan Institute of International Affairs
*
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) is a Singaporean research institute and think tank which focuses on international relations, especially in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific (APAC). The Institute conducts research, hosts events, an ...
* ''
The World Today''
References
Bibliography
* Bosco, A., and C. Navari, eds. ''Chatham House and British Foreign Policy, 1919-1945: The Royal Institute of International Affairs During the Interwar Period'' (London, 1994).
*
* Morgan, R. "'To Advance the Sciences of International Politics...': Chatham House’s Early Research", ''International Affairs'', 55:2 (1979), 240–251.
* Parmar, I. "Anglo-American Elites in the Interwar Years: Idealism and Power in Chatham House and the Council on Foreign Relations", ''International Relations'' 16:53 (2002), 53–75.
* Perry, Jamie Kenneth John. "Chatham House, The United Nations Association and the politics of foreign policy, c. 1945-1975" (PhD Diss. University of Birmingham, 2015
online
* Thorne, Christopher. "Chatham House, Whitehall, and Far Eastern Issues: 1941-1945", ''International Affairs'', 54:1 (1978), 1-29.
* Williams, Paul. "A Commonwealth of knowledge: Empire, intellectuals and the Chatham House Project, 1919–1939." ''International Relations'' 17.1 (2003): 35–58.
External links
*
*
Architectural history and description- from the ''
Survey of London
The Survey of London is a research project to produce a comprehensive architectural survey of central London and its suburbs, or the area formerly administered by the London County Council. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Robert Ashbee, an Ar ...
''
* Conference papers, research memoranda and miscellaneous papers relating to the work of the Far East Department of the Royal Institute of International Affairs are held b
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