About Wilton Park

Wilton Park conferences provide an excellent environment for leading opinion formers to discuss the best ways to deal with key challenges.

Conferences cover the key political, security and economic issues confronting the world. Global concerns such as the environment and terrorism are also addressed, as well as issues such as social reforms and the impact of the information revolution.

Conferences are held over several days to allow plenty of time for informed discussion and for networking. Informality is the keynote. Discussions are off-the-record to encourage frankness. For more information about Wilton Park style click here.

The venue, a modernised sixteenth century English country house in beautiful surroundings in the middle of the English countryside, is an ideal place to break down barriers.

Conferences are kept deliberately small, with 50-70 people present for round-the-table discussions in which everyone is encouraged to join in. Participants come from a wide range of nationalities and professions. Most are in a position to make a direct impact on policy; on average over half are from government. The others are mostly from NGOs, business, universities, Parliaments and the media. About 75% come from outside the UK.

Wilton Park gets high ratings from participants for the quality of its events.

Reports covering the main themes and agreed action points are produced on each event and are widely circulated. All the conference reports and programmes are available on this site.

Wilton Park's long tradition of academic independence is guaranteed by an Advisory Council, and an International Council of Ambassadors and High Commissioners from OECD countries in London.

As an academically independent and non-profit-making Executive Agency of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Wilton Park is underwritten financially by the FCO, which also provides advice and contacts. A copy of the Wilton Park Audit Committee Terms of Reference may be found here (PDF - 44k approx.).

Wilton Park is largely self-financing. In 2004/2005 97.5% of running costs came from conference charges, sponsorship of individual events by the FCO and by a wide range of private and public sector institutions from around the world, and the hire of the facilities by other organisations.

Co-sponsorship of conferences is an important way for Wilton Park to help fund attendance of participants who are unable to pay the contribution to costs. In 2004/2005 almost £1,680,000 of such support was received from private and public institutions around the world.

Conferences are open to all those who have expertise to share. As Wilton Park is largely self financing, participants make a contribution to costs. The contribution for attendance at a 3 day conference, including all food, accommodation and conference services is £1250 in 2005, it is less for weekend and shorter events.

A reduced rate may be negotiable for participants from NGOs, universities, non-OECD countries, and from Central and South Eastern Europe. Please contact the conference administration manager given on each agenda, or fill in the application form.

When conferences are not in session, the facilities of Wilton Park can be hired by institutions and companies for their own events.