About the Council

The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community’s central role in meeting global challenges. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing and galvanizing its uniquely influential network of global leaders. Through the papers we write, the ideas we generate, and the communities we build, the Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous world.

NATO 20/2020

Twenty bold ideas to reimagine the Alliance after the 2020 US election

More than two decades after NATO’s inspired decision to invite former adversaries to join its ranks, the Alliance is in need of equally captivating ideas. The essays in this volume are intended to push the Alliance to think boldly and creatively in the service of recapturing the public’s imagination.

Read our provocative essays on the future of NATO

Explore the podcast series

Making a difference

Learn more about the Atlantic Council’s insights & impact through these stories of how our regional and thematic programs are making a difference not only in shaping how we view global issues but also in shaping their outcome.

Latest commentary and analysis

Latest in-depth research and reports

Report

Aug 11, 2026

Mapeo de la inversión estadounidense en América Latina y el Caribe

By Jose Antonio Gonzalez Anaya, Martin Cassinelli

Las inversiones de China en América Latina y el Caribe acaparan los titulares pero, aunque Estados Unidos ha sido durante mucho tiempo el mayor inversionista de la región, se sabe menos sobre hacia dónde van sus inversiones. Nuevos datos muestran qué países y sectores reciben la mayor inversión estadounidense, y cómo esa inversión afecta a las economías locales.

Economy & Business Latin America

Issue Brief

Aug 3, 2026

ASEAN-5 in an era of geoeconomic realignment: Opportunities and risks in a fragmenting global economy

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

ASEAN-5 is poised to become an increasingly important engine of global growth, supported by young populations, improving human capital, abundant resources, and deep integration into global supply chains. Yet fragmentation, trade tensions, climate risks, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory constraints could limit this potential, making coordinated reforms essential to securing resilient and sustained regional economic progress.

East Asia Economy & Business

Issue Brief

Jul 31, 2026

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is a heavy blow to the deteriorating maritime order

By Elisabeth Braw

Iran’s use of a maritime chokepoint as a geopolitical tool—implemented in response to a war that violates the United Nations Charter—and the United States’ inconsistent response dramatically undermine the global maritime order and open the door for further such closures.

Economy & Business Geopolitics & Energy Security

Content

In the News

Nov 14, 2025

Lichfield interviewed by Bloomberg Television to discuss US and EU efforts to reduce dependency on China’s rare earth supply chains

Watch the full interview here

In the News

Nov 14, 2025

Donovan, Nikoladze and de Kruijf cited in a report by the CFHK Foundation on Canada’s economic statecraft

Read the full report here

In the News

Nov 14, 2025

Bayoumi in Foreign Policy on NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s foreign policy

On November 5, Imran Bayoumi, associate director of the GeoStrategy Initiative, published an article in Foreign Policy titled “A Victorious Mamdani Will Be Forced Onto the International Stage.” In the article, Bayoumi argues that as Mayor, Mamdani will have to take a stand on certain foreign policy issues, and provides insight into how the Mayor-elect […]

Elections

In the News

Nov 14, 2025

Kroenig in Foreign Policy on ousting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

On November 7, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig published an article in Foreign Policy titled “Trump Should Oust Maduro.” In the article, Kroenig lays out how President Trump could remove President Maduro from power without using military force.

Political Reform Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Nov 14, 2025

Hammes discusses Force Design in National Defense magazine

On November 10,  Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Thomas X. Hammes was featured in a compendium article in the National Defense magazine titled “The Navy and Marine Corps at 250: A Look to the Future as the Sea Services Celebrate Their Quarter Millennial Anniversary.” Hammes’s contribution, “Modernization Going in Right Direction,” argues that the Marine […]

Defense Policy United States and Canada

In the News

Nov 14, 2025

Cole discusses the future of the Navy in National Defense magazine

On November 10,  Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow August Cole was featured in a compendium article in the National Defense magazine titled “The Navy and Marine Corps at 250: A Look to the Future as the Sea Services Celebrate Their Quarter Millennial Anniversary.” Cole’s contribution, “A Navy Driven by Both Software and Steel,” discusses how […]

Defense Technologies United States and Canada

In the News

Nov 12, 2025

CBDC tracker cited in CryptoRank on coverage of the first successful digital dirham transaction

Read the full article here

In the News

Nov 12, 2025

CBDC tracker cited in BitGet on coverage of the first successful digital dirham transaction

Read the full article here

In the News

Nov 12, 2025

CBDC tracker cited in TradingView for coverage of the first successful digital dirham transaction

Read the full article here

In the News

Nov 12, 2025

Hammes publishes issue brief on containerized weapons with Stimson Center

On November 6, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Thomas X. Hammes published an issue brief with the Stimson Center titled “We Can’t Buy Our Way Out: It’s Time to Think Differently.” Hammes urges the Pentagon to focus on a new generation of containerized weapons that can be mass produced in order to field capabilities to […]

Defense Industry Defense Policy