Barcelona Centre for International Affairs
Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, known as CIDOB, is an independent Barcelona-based think tank focused on international relations, global governance, cooperation, security, migration and other issues connecting global politics with local realities.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, commonly known as CIDOB, is a Spanish independent think tank headquartered in Barcelona. It conducts research, produces analysis and organizes policy debates on international relations and global issues that affect governance at international, national, regional and local levels. Its work combines academic research with policy-oriented outputs intended for governments, public institutions, international organizations, civil society and the broader public. CIDOB began in 1973 as a nonprofit socio-cultural association created from the experience of Josep Ribera i Pinyol, a promoter of the Catalan inter-diocesan cooperation movement Agermanament. The original organization concentrated on solidarity and cooperation with countries in Africa and Latin America and was often identified as CIDOB Tercer Mundo, or CIDOB-TM. Its first name, Centre d'Informació i Documentació Internacionals a Barcelona, supplied the acronym CIDOB. As the institution expanded beyond documentation and Third World cooperation, it adopted several working names connected with international relations, development and international studies. Since 2013, its official name has been Barcelona Centre for International Affairs. In 1979, amid Spain's democratic and institutional transformation, CIDOB was reorganized as a private foundation. Its governing board brought together public institutions, universities and other representatives of Catalonia's and Spain's political and cultural life. This foundation model remains central to the organization's identity. CIDOB describes itself as independent, while its institutional trustees provide structural support and participate in its governance. The trustees have included the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, the Barcelona metropolitan administration, Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, and the Inter-university Council of Catalonia. Over subsequent decades, CIDOB developed from a documentation and cooperation center into a broad international-affairs research institution. Its themes have included human development, migration, European and Mediterranean affairs, international security, conflict, global governance, political change and relations between regions. From the 1990s onward, it strengthened links with European cooperation, foreign-policy and security networks and expanded its academic and policy activities. The center also became known for convening public discussions and collaborating in multinational research projects, especially projects supported by European institutions. CIDOB has maintained a strong connection to education. It started postgraduate training activity with the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 1989. In 2004, its teaching activities were transferred to the newly established Barcelona Institute for International Studies, known by its acronym IBEI, allowing CIDOB to concentrate more fully on research, analysis, documentation and public engagement while preserving an institutional relationship with international-studies education. A recurring public program is the annual War and Peace in the 21st Century seminar, organized jointly with Barcelona City Council since 2002. The event brings scholars, public officials and policy specialists into discussion about conflict, cooperation and international order. In 2021, pandemic conditions led the organizers to adapt the event into the documentary Bouncing Back: World Politics After the Pandemic. CIDOB operates as a research and convening organization rather than as a consumer-facing product brand. Its principal offerings are research programs, policy papers, publications, events, expert networks, data and documentation resources, and collaborative projects. It has also participated in European and international networks involving organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the European Union, the Union for the Mediterranean, the EU-LAC Foundation and philanthropic foundations. The organization's 2019–2021 master plan presented CIDOB as a global thought center organized around thematic and geographic research lines. The institution is based in Barcelona's Raval district. Its historic premises have included Casa de la Misericòrdia on Carrer dels Elisabets, which houses offices, archives, a library and the Sala Maragall events space. CIDOB's standing has been reflected in international think-tank rankings. The University of Pennsylvania's Global Go To Think Tank Index placed CIDOB among leading non-US and Western European think tanks in several editions, including rankings published in 2010, 2015 and 2020. These rankings are external assessments rather than formal accreditation, but they illustrate CIDOB's visibility in the international-relations research community. CIDOB is therefore best understood as a nonprofit institutional brand and policy-research platform. Its positioning rests on independence, Barcelona and Catalan institutional roots, European and Mediterranean connectivity, interdisciplinary international-affairs expertise, and an effort to translate research into practical public debate and policy discussion.
History
CIDOB was established in 1973 by Josep Ribera i Pinyol, whose involvement in the Catalan inter-diocesan cooperation movement Agermanament shaped the organization's early emphasis on solidarity, development and cooperation with Africa and Latin America. It initially operated as a nonprofit socio-cultural association under the name Centre d'Informació i Documentació Internacionals a Barcelona. The acronym CIDOB became the enduring identifier, while the early organization was also known as CIDOB Tercer Mundo or CIDOB-TM. Spain's political transition and the reorganization of Catalonia's public institutions created the context for a major legal and organizational change. In 1979, CIDOB became a private foundation governed by a board of trustees representing important public, academic and cultural institutions. This structure allowed the organization to evolve from a documentation and cooperation center into a more comprehensive research institution while retaining a nonprofit and institutionally plural character. During the 1980s and 1990s, CIDOB broadened its agenda to cover international relations, development, human security, migration, regional politics and other global issues. It also developed a library, archives, publications and research networks. From the 1990s onward, European cooperation, foreign policy and security became increasingly important areas of activity, alongside work on the Mediterranean, Latin America, Africa and global governance. Ribera directed CIDOB for 35 years before stepping down in December 2008. He was succeeded by Jordi Vaquer i Fanés, who later left the directorship in 2012 to lead the Open Society Initiative for Europe. In 2013, the trustees appointed economics professor Jordi Bacaria i Colom as director. That same year, the organization adopted Barcelona Centre for International Affairs as its official English-form name without translation, reflecting its broader international profile. CIDOB's educational role developed alongside its research work. In 1989, it began postgraduate training in cooperation with the Autonomous University of Barcelona. In 2004, those teaching activities were transferred to the newly created Barcelona Institute for International Studies, or IBEI. CIDOB consequently concentrated more strongly on think-tank research, policy communication, institutional partnerships and public events. The organization has repeatedly used collaborative formats to connect scholarship and policy. Since 2002, it has organized the War and Peace in the 21st Century seminar with Barcelona City Council. The annual event has brought together researchers, senior public officials and international-policy specialists. The 2021 edition was converted into the documentary Bouncing Back: World Politics After the Pandemic in response to the constraints created by COVID-19. CIDOB's research has been organized through thematic and geographic programs. Its 2019–2021 master plan described the center as a global thought center and emphasized work on the international system, governance, conflict and security, migration, development and regional dynamics. The organization has also taken part in European Commission-funded and other multinational projects, working with think tanks, universities, international organizations and foundations. Its institutional base remains Barcelona. CIDOB has occupied historic premises in the Raval district, including Casa de la Misericòrdia on Carrer dels Elisabets, where its offices, archives, library and Sala Maragall events space have been located. The foundation's board has included the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, the Barcelona metropolitan administration, Spain's foreign ministry and the Inter-university Council of Catalonia. These relationships provide governance and structural support, while project grants and external partnerships support a substantial part of the research portfolio. CIDOB's public standing has been recognized in the Global Go To Think Tank Index published by the University of Pennsylvania's international-relations program. It appeared in several editions among leading non-US, worldwide and Western European think tanks, and was also listed in categories covering independent institutions, foreign policy, defense and security, networks and quality-assurance practices. CIDOB remains an active nonprofit research and policy institution whose brand is associated with Barcelona, European and Mediterranean expertise, international cooperation and applied analysis of global affairs.
- 2021
Pandemic-era seminar adaptation
[1]The War and Peace program is presented as the documentary Bouncing Back: World Politics After the Pandemic.
- 2018
Pol Morillas becomes director
[1]Pol Morillas, formerly the center's deputy director of research, takes over the directorship.
- 2017
New foundation president
[1]Antoni Segura i Mas becomes president of CIDOB's foundation.
- 2013
Official English name adopted
[1]The institution begins using Barcelona Centre for International Affairs as its official name in English and other contexts.
- 2010
Honorary chairmanship created
[1]Former European Union foreign-policy chief Javier Solana is appointed CIDOB's honorary chairman, a position outside the formal executive structure.
- 2008
Founder leaves the directorship
[1]After 35 years leading CIDOB, Josep Ribera i Pinyol steps down and Jordi Vaquer i Fanés succeeds him.
- 2004
Teaching activities move to IBEI
[1]CIDOB transfers its educational activities to the newly created Barcelona Institute for International Studies.
- 2002
War and Peace seminar launches
[1]CIDOB and Barcelona City Council begin their annual War and Peace in the 21st Century international seminar.
- 1989
Postgraduate teaching begins
[1]CIDOB starts postgraduate training programs in cooperation with the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
- 1979
Conversion into a private foundation
[1]CIDOB adopts a foundation structure with a board of trustees representing public and institutional stakeholders in Catalonia and Spain.
Products and positioning
An independent, Barcelona-rooted and internationally connected think tank that links rigorous research on global affairs with policy debate, institutional cooperation and public engagement.
Think-tank research · 1973
Research programs
CIDOB's core activity is structured research on international relations and global affairs. Programs address issues such as global governance, conflict and security, migration, development, international cooperation, European affairs, Mediterranean politics and regional dynamics. Researchers work with associate analysts, visiting experts, project staff and external collaborators to produce policy-relevant analysis.
Research publications · 1973
Publications and policy analysis
The center disseminates its research through reports, policy papers, books, briefings, commentary and other written outputs. These materials are designed for policymakers, academics, journalists, civil-society organizations and interested members of the public, translating specialist research into accessible analysis of international developments.
International seminar · 2002
War and Peace in the 21st Century
An annual international seminar organized with Barcelona City Council since 2002. It brings together scholars, public officials and policy specialists to debate conflict, peace, cooperation and changes in the international system. The format was adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2021 edition.
Information services · 1973
Library, archives and documentation
CIDOB maintains documentary and knowledge resources connected with international affairs, including archives, a library and information services. These resources support its own researchers and contribute to the wider academic and policy community.
Research networks · 1990
International research collaborations
CIDOB participates in collaborative projects with think tanks, universities, public bodies and international organizations. Many projects are linked to European research and cooperation programs and extend the center's geographic and thematic reach beyond Spain.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Bouncing Back: World Politics After the Pandemic
International
The War and Peace seminar was reformulated as a documentary examining how the COVID-19 pandemic could affect conflict, cooperation and the international system.
Outcome. The project allowed CIDOB and Barcelona City Council to maintain the program's public debate role despite pandemic restrictions.
- 2002War and Peace in the 21st Century
Spain · Europe · International policy community
CIDOB and Barcelona City Council launched a recurring international seminar bringing together specialists and senior public figures to examine conflict, peace, international cooperation and world politics.
Outcome. The seminar became a recurring platform for international-policy debate and continued through later editions, including a pandemic-adapted format in 2021.
Brand decisions
2021
Pandemic adaptation of the annual seminarOtherBackground
COVID-19 restrictions affected the organization of conventional international meetings and public events.
Action taken
CIDOB and Barcelona City Council presented the 2021 War and Peace project as a documentary titled Bouncing Back: World Politics After the Pandemic.
Aftermath
The annual program continued in an audiovisual format focused on post-pandemic conflict and cooperation scenarios.
2004
Transfer of teaching activities to IBEIStrategyBackground
CIDOB had offered postgraduate training since 1989, but a dedicated institution for international-studies education was created.
Action taken
CIDOB transferred its teaching activities to the newly founded Barcelona Institute for International Studies.
Aftermath
CIDOB was able to focus more closely on research, publications, documentation, networks and policy engagement while IBEI developed the educational function.
1979
Establishment as a private foundationStrategyBackground
Political and institutional changes in Catalonia and Spain created an opportunity to formalize CIDOB's governance and broaden its institutional base.
Action taken
CIDOB was legally constituted as a private foundation governed by a board of trustees representing public and institutional stakeholders.
Aftermath
The foundation structure supported CIDOB's subsequent development into a research and policy institution focused on international affairs.
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