Mission and objectives

Founded in 1920, Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute based in London. Its mission is to help build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world.

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; by producing independent and rigorous analysis of critical global, regional and country-specific challenges; by offering new ideas to decision-makers and -shapers on how these could best be tackled from the near to long term.

Chatham House engages governments, the private sector, civil society and its members in debates on international affairs. Each year, the institute runs more than 300 private and public events – conferences, workshops and roundtables – in London and internationally with partners. Its convening power attracts world leaders and the best analysts in their respective fields from across the globe.

The institute’s reports, papers, books and other research outputs are a vital resource for leaders and policy-makers in government, the private sector and civil society. International Affairs, Britain’s leading journal of international relations, was founded by and is edited at the institute.

The Middle East and North Africa programme undertakes high profile research and projects on political, economic and security issues affecting the region.