Royal Institute for International Affairs

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The Royal Institute for International Affairs (also known as Chatham House) is a British think tank. It was founded in 1920 and is part of the British establishment.

At the centre of the British Establishment, Chatham House holds meetings at which members, discuss the ongoings of world affairs. Over the years many famous statesmen have spoken to distinguished audiences at Chatham House. Recent notable speakers include Jack Straw (British Foreign Secretary) and the Palestinian Prime Minister.

Its famous Chatham House Rule, when invoked, ensures confidentiality of all meeting participants and attributing comments to them.

The current chairman of the council of Chatham House is Dr. DeAnne Julius and the current Director is Victor Bulmer-Thomas, though he will step down at the end of 2006.

Attacking Government Advisors As Being 25 Years Out of Date

In March 2005, the UK Government advisors, the Sustainable Development Commission, (SDC) published its report into nuclear energy as part of the Government's energy review. The report was seen as a significant step-back for the nuclear industry as the SDC concluded that "nuclear power is not the answer to tackling climate change or security of supply". According to the SDC its report "draws together the most comprehensive evidence base available, to find that there is no justification for bringing forward a new nuclear power programme at present".[1]

Along with Rebecca Willis, a Vice-Chair of the SDC, Malcolm Grimstone from the RIIA was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours Programme on the day the report was released. Grimstone said the SDC's report was like "moving back 25 years in time. There has been no recognition of how far nuclear technology has come in that time". He also said that the "only unsubsidised source of energy at the moment is nuclear power". [2]


Role

Chatham House conducts original research into a variety of regional and global issues, and describes itself as follows.

... a melting pot that brings together people and organisations with an interest in international affairs. We provide an independent forum in which academia, business, diplomats, the media, NGOs, politicians, policy makers and researchers can interact in an open and impartial environment.
The widespread recognition of the Chatham House Rule as a byword for free and frank debate is a reflection of our unique and non-aligned perspective.

Chatham House is routinely used as a source of information for media organisations seeking background or experts upon matters involving major international issues.

Chatham House reflects a pro-establishment view of the world (due to donations from large corporations, governments and other organisations), but is nevertheless membership-based and anyone may join. The relatively high annual membership fee (approx £200) tends to put access to Chatham House out of reach of many ordinary people.

Chatham House Rule

Chatham House is the origin of the confidentiality rule known as the Chatham House Rule, which provides that members attending a seminar may discuss the results of the seminar in the outside world, but may not discuss who attended or what they 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. However, most Chatham House meetings are held 'on the record', and not under the Chatham House Rule.

The rule currently reads as follows:

"When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed". [3]

History

The Royal Institute of International Affairs was founded in 1920 as the Institute of International Affairs following a meeting at the previous year's Paris Peace Conference. The first chairman was Robert Cecil, while Lionel Curtis served as honorary secretary. Arnold J. Toynbee later became director. The Council on Foreign Relations, its American sister institute, was established the following year. Chatham House, The RIIA's well-known headquarters at 10 St. James's Square, London, was gifted to the institute in 1923, having previously been the home of three British Prime Ministers: Pitt the Elder, Edward Stanley and William Gladstone.

The name of the building grew to be so synonymous with the Institute that it was officially rebranded as "Chatham House" in September 2004. However, "Royal Institute of International Affairs" continues to be used interchangeably with "Chatham House".

The Chatham House building is located just a few metres from the former Libyan embassy building, and many long term staff members witnessed the 1984 Libyan Embassy Siege.

On July 18, 2005, Chatham House released a paper on "Security, Terrorism and the UK" affirming that "[a] key problem for the UK in preventing terrorism in Britain is the government’s position as ‘pillion passenger’ to the United States' war on terror." [4]

List of Other Staff

It has an American wing the Chatham House Foundation.

External Links

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