• About us
  • What's New?
  • Chatham House Rule
  • Chatham House History
  • Chatham House Foundation
  • Chatham House Newsletter
  • Patron, Presidents, Council and Directors
  • Staff
  • Directory of Expertise
  • Staff Vacancies
  • Internships
  • Room Hire
  • Annual Report & Accounts
  • Support us

Research

• Africa
• Americas
• Asia
• Energy, Environment and Development
• Europe
• International Economics
• International Law
• International Security
• Middle East
• Russia and Eurasia
• Global Trends - Food Supply

About Chatham House

Chatham House has been the home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs for over eight decades. Our 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.

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.

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. The Chatham House Rule, famous worldwide for facilitating free speech and confidentiality at meetings, originated here.

Research, Publications and Events

Research is core to all Chatham House activities. We 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; and
• 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.

Chatham House regularly hosts high-profile speakers from around the world in a packed programme of events and conferences as well as organizing and participating in a number of events and conferences elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

Membership

For today's members, Chatham House remains a market-place for ideas where members, supporters and speakers represent a cross-section of the most influential internationally orientated individuals in business and public life.

From involvement in crucial negotiations, to creating front-page news, and with a research team that is core to all its activities, Chatham House is vital to anyone with an interest in international affairs. More about membership.

Communications

Disseminating our research findings and promoting independent analysis is core to Chatham House's mission. In addition to our publications and events our researchers regularly provide commentary in the media and evidence to Parliamentary Committees.

We send a monthly e-newsletter which provides information about Chatham House activity and a fortnightly media diary for members of the press. RSS feeds are available to keep informed of all the latest website updates.

Chatham House - The Royal Institute of International Affairs

'Chatham House' is both the name of the building and the name by which the Royal Institute of International Affairs is widely known.

In recognition of this, Council in 2004 decided to adopt 'Chatham House' as the primary identity for the Royal Institute of International Affairs, which remains the formal name for legal and financial purposes.