Chatham House
From SR
History
Chatham House has been the home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs for over eight decades. Their mission is to be a world-leading source of independent analysis, informed debate and influential ideas on how to build a prosperous and secure world for all.
Founded in 1920 and based in St James's Square in London, Chatham House celebrated the 80th anniversary of the granting of its Royal Charter in 2006.
Roles
Chatham House pursues its mission by:
- drawing on its membership to promote open as well as confidential debates about significant developments in international affairs and about the context and content of policy responses
- producing independent and rigorous analysis of critical global, regional and country-specific challenges
- offering new ideas to decision-makers and -shapers on how these could best be tackled from the near to long term
The Chatham House Rule, famous worldwide for facilitating free speech and confidentiality at meetings, originated there
Outputs
Research is core to all Chatham House activities. They undertake independent and rigorous analysis with the aim of setting the agenda and shaping policy by encouraging new ideas and forward thinking in international affairs.
Research is structured around three areas:
- Energy, Environment and Resource Governance, incorporating work on energy, environment and development policy and food supply
- International Economics
- Regional and Security Studies, which includes work on Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, International Law, International Security, the Middle East and Russia and Eurasia.
More than 40 reports, briefing papers and books are published each year on these wide-ranging areas. Chatham House is also home to the internationally renowned journal International Affairs, published six times a year, and the monthly magazine The World Today.
