The IISS was founded in the UK in 1958 with a focus on nuclear deterrence and arms control. Today, it is also renowned for its annual Military Balance assessment of countries' armed forces and for its high-powered security summits, including the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Promoting sound policies
A registered charity headquartered in London, the IISS also has offices in Washington, Singapore and Manama, Bahrain. The IISS is a non-partisan organisation, independent of government and other bodies. Its mission is to promote the adoption of sound policies to further global peace and security and maintain civilised international relations.
Research and consultancy
Research is central to IISS activities. The institute's programmes are divided by global region and according to policy themes (from non-proliferation, transnational threats and geo-economics to climate change and security). IISS experts deliver impartial, rigorous analysis. They are drawn from all over the world, and include established world-class strategists as well as the brightest young analysts. The institute's corporate advisory arm offers strategic advice and political-risk analysis to commercial and government clients, via membership packages and bespoke arrangements.
Publications
Besides The Military Balance, the definitive reference source on the world's armed forces, IISS publications include:
Summits and other events
Heads of state, foreign and defence ministers, high-level diplomats and officials attend IISS security summits for the opportunity to discuss policy in private as well as in public, assisting in greater international understanding and conflict avoidance. Since its launch in Singapore in 2002, the Shangri-La Dialogue has gained a reputation as the 'military Davos'. The younger Manama Dialogue is becomingly similarly influential in the Middle East.
As well as these prestigious summits, and its annual members’ conference, the Global Strategic Review, the IISS hosts regular speeches, workshops, meetings, and other events. Seminars in the Geo-economics and Strategy programme analyse the impact of economic and financial trends on strategic relationships.