http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/rss/2 This feed contains all new content added to the Chatham House website - news, events and publications. http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/1003/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/1003/ 00:00, 13th November 2008 - Global Futures: The Chatham House Annual Conference 2008 Global Futures: The Chatham House Annual Conference will focus on issues of global importance each year. Drawing on Chatham House's extensive range of contacts and its adventurous thinking on international political, economic and geopolitical issues, this annual event offers you the opportunity to hear from, and engage in debate with, leaders from governments, business and international organizations as well as expert commentators. Chatham House has traditionally held an annual members' conference. This annual event, primarily for Chatham House members and Chatham House Foundation Fellows, will take a forward look at future trends in international affairs. Taking advantage of our independent stance and unparalleled convening power, it will provide new insights and high level debate on the most crucial issues facing the world today. Is Globalization in Crisis? Global Futures: The Chatham House Annual Conference 2008 will ask whether the most recent wave of globalization - the growing interdependence of societies and economies through the opening of markets and borders - has reached a turning point, marked by the crisis in financial markets and an increase in protectionist rhetoric. The arrival of a new US administration in Washington, new questions about globalization in the EU, the continuing rise of China and India, combined with financial instability in the West, and increased competition for resources globally, make this a significant moment to review the likely future course of this third wave of globalization of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Most of the speeches were held under the Chatham House Rule. Transcripts which are available are attached below. Previous Chatham House Annual Conferences >> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:03:55 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/141/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/141/ 00:00, 2nd February 2009 - Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:24:53 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/1001/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/1001/ 13:30, 24th November 2008 - The forthcoming presidency of Barack Obama heralds a new chapter in US foreign relations. The speaker will focus on the likely impact of these changes on anti-Americanism in the UK, Europe and across the globe. The event will also provide the opportunity to engage the speaker in a wide-ranging discussion about the presidential campaign; efforts to deal with the faltering global economy; and the potential changes in policy and personalities in the Obama administration. The speaker has been based in Washington for the BBC since 2001. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:38:55 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1845/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1845/ While scholars, journalists and policy-makers in Europe and America invariably describe Al Qaeda as a foreign, exotic threat that is difficult to understand, militants who identify with it routinely view their enemies in the most familiar of terms. Whether or not they really understand the west, these men's professions of intimacy with it hint at a more complex relationship. How does the radical Muslim's closeness to his enemy help us understand the character of globalised militancy today? And is it possible to find a global project to replace the murderous mayhem? Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:25:21 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1844/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1844/ How is a country rated in the democracy stakes? Freely-cast votes are one crucial sign, in the case of Iraq official language may be another. Iraqis have voted several times since the end of Saddam Hussein's regime and provincial elections are on course for January 31. But have the ingrained habits of dictatorship really been erased? Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:22:56 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1843/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1843/ After eight years of misguided Middle East policy from President George Bush's administration, an enlightened strategy to tackle the region's plight is overdue. This must include an approach that will bring change to an area consumed by conflict and division and filled with disdain toward the United States. Although the massive economic crisis facing America is and should be President-elect Barack Obama's first priority, he must not hesitate to confront the simmering conflicts in the Middle East that cannot be relegated to the back burner without severely undermining the strategic interest and security of the US. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:20:32 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1842/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1842/ A new climate is likely at the United Nations climate change conference in Poland early this month and not just because of the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. The international financial crisis has highlighted the cost of poor policies and the scale of banking bailouts has made dealing with climate change seem less formidable. Besides, such schemes could create new jobs and give an edge to the competitive economies of tomorrow. gsb Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:18:35 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1841/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1841/ The White House will soon echo with the sounds of a younger generation. But the new president and many other world leaders will be forced to wrestle with the issue of ageing populations once immediate financial issues are dealt with. Out of work city traders will not be the only ones worrying about funding a long retirement in these difficult times. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:16:26 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1840/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1840/ Only one African country - South Africa - was invited to the Washington summit in response to the global economic crisis. The continent fears being left out, just as it is growing economically and adjusting its position in world trade. What impact will the crisis have on Africa? Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:12:54 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1839/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1839/ Is the world ready for a new Bretton Woods agreement? As the economic crisis deepened in recent months, a rising chorus of voices began to call for the replacement of the financial architecture put in place in 1944 at a small resort village in New Hampshire. In response, twenty governments hastily gathered in Washington in mid-November hoping to try to replicate the success of the original conference. Should we be surprised that little was achieved beyond the affirmation of a gaggle of lofty principles? Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:11:02 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1838/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1838/ There are only rare opportunities to reform international financial arrangements, the Washington meeting was the first inclusive one for half a century. After this preparatory skirmish, the difficulties are very clear and now the objectives need to be more clearly defined. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:03:11 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1837/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1837/ The race is on to ensure that relations between the United States and its European allies are set on the right track from the outset of Barack Obama's presidency. Although they may not like it, the main responsibility for ensuring that the transatlantic relationship does not stumble into a series of disappointed expectations in its first critical year lies more in European capitals than in Washington. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:59:49 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/1000/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/1000/ 17:30, 17th December 2008 - This event will mark the launch of a report which seeks to determine the various dynamics of Iran's current international relations with a view to providing firm policy recommendations for the success of future engagement. Richard Dalton will briefly introduce the key findings of the report before allowing the opportunity for a wide-ranging discussion involving specialist contributors to the project. This will include the nature of Iranian domestic politics and foreign policy, key regional relationships, energy politics and pre-emptive military action and international law. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:55:27 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/999/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/999/ 17:30, 15th December 2008 - The editors and authors of a new Chatham House book The Gulf Region: A New Hub of Global Financial Power will form a panel to discuss and debate the extraordinary emergence of the Gulf states, and the outlook for the world economy in 2009. How will these states deploy their financial might over the coming year and what implications could this have for the slowing developed world? It has been a year of shifting fortunes for the global economy and financial markets; what new patterns and paradigms are forming in the year ahead? Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:43:52 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/998/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/998/ 17:30, 8th December 2008 - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in December 1948. At this event to mark its 60th anniversary, Francesca Klug will ask why we are celebrating this milestone. What was the significance of the UDHR in 1948 and what is its relevance today? The speaker will discuss how the UDHR represents a turning point in human rights thinking and started the 'second wave' of human rights development. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:38:22 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/997/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/997/ 12:30, 27th November 2008 - The Afghan Opium Survey 2008 released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that opium has become less important to the Afghan economy due to a decrease in cultivation, production, and prices. Nevertheless, opium remains the basis of the Taliban war economy and is a major source of revenue for criminal groups and terrorists. Mr Antonio Maria Costa was appointed Executive Director of the United Nations Office UNODC in May 2002. An economist by training, Mr Costa served as Secretary-General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development before joining UNODC. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:21:42 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/996/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/996/ 13:30, 3rd December 2008 - THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED. FURTHER DETAILS WILL FOLLOW The speaker will examine the key political, economic and social issues currently facing Pakistan. In particular he will discuss options for tackling the economic crisis; the process of judicial reform and on-going unrest in the North-West Frontier Province. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:10:14 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/995/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/995/ 17:30, 2nd December 2008 - The start of Dmitri Medvedev's presidency was greeted with hopes for liberalization at home and a thaw in relations abroad. His presidency, like Vladimir Putin's, has begun with a 'short and victorious' war in the Caucasus, and relations with the West are at their lowest poinst since the end of the Cold War. Rumours now abound that Putin may return to the Presidency well before Medvedev's first term is due to end. The speaker will examine Medvedev's approach to foreign policy and the Kremlin's strategic vision of Russia's place in the international system. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:07:10 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/994/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/994/ 13:30, 2nd December 2008 - The speaker will consider a changing political landscape in the Middle East under President-elect Barack Obama's administration and in the context of the current global economic crisis. In particular, he will focus on Obama's plans regarding Iraq and Afghanistan and the future of the Arab-Israeli peace process. The speaker will argue that as Western economies turn increasingly to the wealthy Arab states to 'bail them out', the pro-Israeli lobby in Washington will have significantly less influence on US policy. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:01:38 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/993/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/993/ 18:30, 11th December 2008 - Please save the date for the U35s Forum Christmas Party, hosted by Clifford Chance. More details will follow shortly, but in the meantime, please feel free to register to book your place. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:29:45 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/992/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/992/ 18:30, 27th November 2008 - The speaker will discuss the challenges of human rights advocacy in a multi-polar world and will reflect on the lessons of working as London Director of Human Rights Watch. He will consider the future of human rights advocacy in the face of dramatic shifts in the global balance of power, economic recession, and the threats of terrorism and climate change. There will be a reception beforehand from 18.30-19.00 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:19:23 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/991/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/991/ 09:30, 25th November 2008 - Since it was first conceived the Nabucco gas pipeline project has been the subject of controversy. Questions over the route, potential suppliers, and economic viability remain. Russia's increasingly forthright courtship of both supplier and consumer states along the proposed course further complicates the picture, whilst simultaneously heightening demands for diversification of transit routes. Ambassador Mihály Bayer will address these issues at a roundtable on the prospects for the Nabucco pipeline. Mihály Bayer is Hungary's Ambassador-at-large for the Nabucco gas pipeline project. He joined the Hungarian Foreign Office in 1980 and has served as Ambassador to China and Moldova, as well as Head of the Department of CIS countries, and advisor to the Political Director. This meeting is by invitation only. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:25:11 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/990/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/990/ 11:00, 21st November 2008 - The democratic opposition in Russia remains weak, divided and lacking in leadership. Recent events have done little to improve the situation. The current financial crisis may increase demand for liberal economic reform in Russia, but it has also made big business interests more dependent on the Kremlin and less likely to sponsor opposition forces. Dr Ryabov will discuss the future of the liberal opposition and democracy in Russia, taking into account the impact of recent events such as the war in Georgia. Dr Andrey Ryabov is Deputy Director of the Centre for Political Science Programmes at the Gorbachev Foundation, and scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center. He has written widely on Russian politics, including Originality Instead of Modernisation: Paradoxes of Russian Politics in the Post-Stabilization Era, published by Carnegie, and most recently co-authored Between Dictatorship and Democracy: Russian Post-Communist Political Reform. This meeting is by invitation only. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:21:19 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/989/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/989/ 14:00, 1st December 2008 - As Britain recognised Chinese sovereignty over Tibet through a largely unpublicised ministerial statement in October 2008, China still faces an uphill task convincing international public opinion about its position on Tibet. The talk will analyse whether the recent British policy-shift is a break from its imperial history or a mere continuation of it. The speaker will examine the different ways in which history, sovereignty, development, nationalism, and paternalism are marshalled by China to represent Tibet as a legitimate part of a multiethnic China. Dr Anand is a Reader (Associate Professor) in International Relations at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster. He is the author of 'Geopolitical Exotica: Tibet in Western Imagination, Tibet: A Victim of Geopolitics', and 'Hindu Nationalism in India and Politics of Fear'. This meeting will be held on the record. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:37:50 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/988/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/988/ 17:00, 4th December 2008 - The speaker will discuss the recent cases in the Iraqi Higher Tribunal, including the Anfal genocide case. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:16:51 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/987/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/987/ 08:30, 18th November 2008 - This meeting will provide the opportunity to discuss the major foreign policy issues confronting the incoming President from the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the competitive pursuit of resources. Please note these Briefings are for MPs and peers only. For more information about this Briefing please contact Nick Parrott. Chatham House Parliamentary Briefings >> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:32:39 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/677/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/677/ Yemen presents a potent combination of problems for policy-makers confronting the prospect of state failure in this strategically important Red Sea country. It is the poorest state in the Arab world, with high levels of unemployment, rapid population growth and dwindling water resources. President Saleh faces an intermittent civil war in the north, a southern separatist movement and resurgent terrorist groups. Yemen's jihadi networks appear to be growing as operating conditions in Iraq and Saudi Arabia become more difficult. The underlying drivers for future instability are economic. The state budget is heavily dependent on revenue from dwindling oil supplies. Yemen's window of opportunity to shape its own future and create a post-oil economy is narrowing. Western governments need to work towards an effective regional approach with the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in particular Saudi Arabia. Future instability in Yemen could expand a lawless zone stretching from northern Kenya, through Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, to Saudi Arabia. Piracy, organized crime and violent jihad would escalate, with implications for the security of shipping routes, the transit of oil through the Suez Canal and the internal security of Yemen's neighbours. Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:37:11 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/474/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/474/ Yemen presents a 'perfect storm' of problems for Western governments confronting the prospect of state failure in this strategically important Red Sea country, according to a new Chatham House paper. Yemen is the poorest state in the Arab world, where jihadi networks appear to be growing as operating conditions in Iraq and Saudi Arabia become more difficult. Yemen's economy is heavily dependent on revenue from oil sales but oil production is declining. Based on original research conducted over 16 months in Yemen, this paper by journalist and film-maker Ginny Hill says future instability in this weak and incomplete state has the potential to expand a lawless zone stretching from northern Kenya, through Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, to Saudi Arabia. Piracy, smuggling and violent jihad would flourish, with implications for the security of shipping routes, the transit of oil through the Suez Canal and the internal security of Yemen's neighbours. 'Yemen: Fear of Failure' concludes that Yemen's window of opportunity to shape its own future and create a post-oil economy is narrowing. This fragile state faces several complex and intertwined challenges: the strain on political instability posed by the impending transition of power, multiple internal threats to security, rapid population growth and dwindling water resources. The scale of the problem and the speed of action required pose a challenge both to the international community and to advocates of reform within Yemen. Western governments need to work towards an effective regional approach that includes the tacit approval of Saudi Arabia. The prospect of state collapse in Yemen would reduce any chance of progress towards peace in Somalia and further endanger the security of countries throughout the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. NOTES TO EDITORS Read paper: Yemen: Fear of Failure Ginny Hill is a freelance journalist and TV producer. She has reported from Yemen and the Horn of Africa for the BBC, the Economist, the Christian Science Monitor and Jane's Islamic Affairs Analysis. Her film on Somali refugees in Yemen was broadcast by Channel 4 News, CNN, al-Jazeera English and France 3. Ginny Hill is available for interview on +44 (0) 7779 790 356 For all other media enquiries, please contact Nicola Norton +44 (0)20 7957 5739 pressoffice@chathamhouse.org.uk Ends Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:31:35 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/986/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/986/ 12:00, 20th November 2008 - To mark the launch of her new Chatham House briefing paper, the Middle East Programme is pleased to welcome Ginny Hill for a roundtable meeting. Yemen: Fear of Failure examines the problems for policy-makers confronting the prospect of state failure in this strategically important Red Sea state. The paper is based on original research carried out over 16 months in Yemen. Ginny Hill is a freelance journalist and TV producer. She has reported from Yemen and the Horn of Africa for the BBC, the Economist, the Christian Science Monitor and Jane's Islamic Affairs Analysis. Her film on Somali refugees in Yemen was broadcast by Channel 4 News, CNN, al-Jazeera English and France 3. This meeting is by invitation only. Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:06:23 +0000 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/985/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/985/ 16:00, 15th July 2008 - Present: Dr DeAnne Julius (Chairman) Dr Robin Niblett (Director) Paul Curtin (Finance Director) 67 members 11 members of staff Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:57:48 +0000