Council on Foreign Relations

CFR in Washington

The Council on Foreign Relations' Washington Office is a growing and multifaceted presence in the nation’s capital. Our goal is to use CFR’s convening power and intellectual resources to inform not only our members, but also Congress, the administration, the media, and the business community.

The Washington Meetings Program

The Washington Meetings Program provides a nonpartisan forum for informed foreign policy debate in the nation’s capital by bringing CFR members together with policymakers, world leaders, academic experts, and prominent thinkers to discuss a wide range of international issues. Recent meetings have featured Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Senator Chuck Hagel, journalist Ted Koppel, and Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi.

The Congress and U.S. Foreign Policy Program

The Congress and U.S. Foreign Policy Program engages policymakers on Capitol Hill with a series of initiatives that include:

• Briefings for new members of Congress;
• A monthly briefing on foreign policy issues for chiefs of staff;
• Friday roundtable discussions with senior foreign policy staff.

The Diplomatic Program

The Diplomatic Program fosters exchange between foreign representatives and CFR members. The Diplomatic Program incorporates:

• An embassy lunch series;
• Roundtable briefings for ambassadors and deputy chiefs of mission.

The Think Tank

The CFR think tank is also well-represented in Washington, home to over twenty research fellows and a number of special programs, including:

• The Center for Preventive Action
• The Center on Universal Education
• Independent Task Forces

The Corporate Program

The CFR Corporate Program serves an international membership from its bases in New York and Washington. The Washington office welcomes corporate member participation through:

• Roundtables focusing on economic and foreign policy issues from a business perspective;
• Council study groups and meetings with Members of Congress and foreign policy officials from around the world.

The CFR mission is rooted in the belief that more frequent and intelligent discussion about foreign relations will lead to better policies. CFR’s nonpartisan position allows us to serve as a resource for not only our members, but Washington policymakers and business leaders as well. We welcome your ideas and your involvement.