Royal Institute for International Affairs
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 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". [1]
Attacking Government Advisors As Being 25 Years Out of Date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 Governmnet'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".[2]
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". [3]
List of Other Staff
- Director: Professor Victor Bulmer-Thomas
- Head of External Communications: Keith Burnet
- Co-ordinator: Alis Martin
- Head, International Economics Programme: Dr. Brigitte Granville
- Research Fellow: Dr. Sushanta Mallick
- Head, Sustainable Development Programme: Duncan Brack
- Senior Research Fellow: Malaika Culverwell
- Senior Research Fellow: Valerie Marcel
- Research Fellow: Jacqueline Karas
- Programme Manager: Kate Vrolijk
- Head, European Programme: Dr. Julie Smith
- Head, Security Issues Programme: Chris Wright
- Associate Fellow: Olivia Bosch
- Head, Asia Programme: Dr. Stephen Green
- Programme Manager: Alis Martin
- Elizabeth Wilmshurst; Head of International Law
- Head, Middle East Programme: Dr. Rosemary Hollis
- Associate Fellow: Dr. Mai Yamani
- Senior Research Fellow: Yoshiji Nogami
- Programme Co-ordinator: Robert Lowe
- Head, Latin American Projects: Michael Mecham
- Head, Russia & Eurasia Programme: Dr. Roy Allison
- Research Fellow: Clelia Rontoyanni
- Programme Co-ordinator: James Nixey
- Head Africa Programme and British Angola Forum: Alex Vines
- Programme Co-ordinator: Tom Cargill
- Research Assistant: Manuel Paulo[4]
It has an American wing the Chatham House Foundation.
External Links
- ^ Sustainable Development Commission, Nuclear Power Won't Fix It, Press Release, March 6, 2006.
- ^ BBC, You and Yours, March 6, 2006.
