MERI has been ranked by Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program of University of Pennsylvania as Iraq's leading policy research organisation for the past three years in a run and No.

[2] MERI's mission is to contribute to the process of nation-building, state-building and democratisation in the Middle East and its objectives are to promote and develop human rights, democracy, good governance and economic prosperity [1].

The institute has conducted numerous research projects and published quality reports on ISIL, internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and minority rights,[4] post-war reconciliation, governance system reforms, promoting human rights (protecting minority's rights, prevention of violence against women) and institutional reform (Judiciary system, public prosecution, interior ministry and Ministry of Peshmarga) MERI collaborates widely with universities and peace organisations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

MERI's one-off seed capital ($3.5 million) was awarded in December 2013 by the Kurdistan Region's Oil and Gas Council (Capacity Building Funds).

In 2015, only one year after its establishment, MERI was named among the top think tanks in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) Region, and the highest ranking in Iraq.