International Policy Network

The International Policy Network (IPN) was a think tank based in the City of London, founded 1971, and closed in September 2011.[1] It was a non-partisan, non-profit organization, but critics said it was a "corporate-funded campaigning group".[2] IPN ran campaigns on issues such as trade, development, healthcare and the environment. IPN’s campaigns were pro-free market.

This article is about the libertarian think tank International Policy Network. For the international progressive think tank, see Policy Network.
International Policy Network
AbbreviationIPN
Formation1971
FounderSir Antony Fisher
Dissolved2011
TypeNon-partisan, non-profit think tank (UK charity)
Legal statusDefunct
Location
  • London
SubsidiariesThe Freedom to Trade Campaign
Formerly called
The International Institute for Economic Research
The Atlas Economic Research Foundation (UK)

Vision

According to its website, "IPN aims to empower individuals and promote respect for people and property in order to eliminate poverty, improve human health and protect the environment. IPN promotes public awareness of the importance of this vision for all people, both rich and poor.

"IPN seeks to achieve its vision by promoting the role of market institutions in certain key international policy debates: sustainable development, health, and globalisation and trade. IPN works with academics, think tanks, journalists and policymakers on every continent."

History

IPN was founded as a UK charity by Sir Antony Fisher in 1971. The mission of this body is to "Promote the advancement of learning by research into economic and political science and the publication of such research". The charity’s original name was The International Institute for Economic Research, and now is The Atlas Economic Research Foundation (UK), but operates under the name International Policy Network.

IPN’s sister organization, International Policy Network US Inc., is a non-profit started in 2001.

Funding

IPN is funded entirely by voluntary, charitable gifts from foundations, individuals and businesses. IPN does not receive any funding from governments or political parties, and it does no contract work. IPN develops and implements a research and advocacy agenda that encompasses not one or a few, but many public policy issues.

IPN has received grants totaling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the multinational energy company ExxonMobil,[3] although it has not received money from the energy sector for some years.

Programs

IPN undertakes ongoing work on public policy in the areas of health, environment, economic development, trade, creativity and innovation.

The Freedom to Trade Campaign[4] is run in collaboration with the Atlas Global Initiative. The campaign joins 73 think tanks in 48 countries to support free trade and oppose protectionism.

IPN’s Bastiat Prize for Journalism[5] was founded in 2002. The prize recognises and rewards journalists and commentators who support the free society. This year, IPN will award the first Bastiat Prize for Online Journalism.

IPN was founded by Antony Fisher in the UK as the International Institute for Economic Research (IIER) in 1971. Fisher went on to found the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in the USA in 1981, and from this point the IIER traded as Atlas Foundation UK. The organisation underwent a further rebranding in 2001, when it changed its name to IPN. In the USA, the Atlas Foundation also provides training and funding to start libertarian think tanks. Fisher founded the influential Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a classical liberal think tank based in London. The founding director of IPN, Julian Morris, was previously director of the IEA's Environment and Technology Programme.

People

Past notable trustees/directors

Past notable staff

Some of IPN's partners

References
  1. "Climate change sceptic think tank shuts down". The Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  2. Monbiot, George (27 September 2006). "Smoke in our eyes". The Guardian. London.
  3. Owen, Jonathan; Paul Bignell (7 February 2010). "Think-Tanks Take Oil Money and Use it to Fund Climate Deniers". The Independent.
    - Monbiot, George (September 27, 2006). "How corporations have hijacked the climate change debate". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2009-06-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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