Subscribe via RSS

Atlantic Council Board Member Named UN Ambassador

December 01, 2008
Susan E. Rice

Susan E. Rice, a member of the Atlantic Council Board of Directors, was appointed President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations on December 1.

 Rice was a senior foreign policy advisor to Obama during his campaign and is currently on the board of the Obama-Biden Transition Project.  She served under President Bill Clinton on the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001.  Rice is also a senior foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Obama stated that he would restore the UN Ambassador role to a Cabinet position and noted that Rice is an outspoken advocate of genocide prevention.  The International Herald Tribune said:

"President-elect Barack Obama has chosen his foreign policy adviser, Susan Rice, to be ambassador to the United Nations, picking an advocate of "dramatic action" against genocide as he rounds out his national security team, Democrats close to the transition said.

[...]

The choice of Rice to represent the United States before the United Nations will make her one of the most visible faces of the Obama administration to the outside world aside from Clinton. It will also send to the world organization a prominent and forceful advocate of stronger action, including military force if necessary, to stop mass killings like those in the Darfur region of Sudan in recent years.

To reinforce his intention to work more closely with the United Nations after the tensions of President George W. Bush's tenure, Obama plans to restore the ambassador's post to cabinet rank, as it was under President Bill Clinton, according to Democrats close to the transition."

FEATURED EVENTS

15th Anniversary of PDD-63: History of Cyber Critical Infrastructure Protection

On May 22, the Atlantic Council's Cyber Statecraft Initiative will hold a discussion on the history of cyber critical infrastructure protection in recognition of the 15th anniversary of Presidential Decision Directive 63 (PDD-63).

The Kaleidoscope Turns Again in a Crisis-Challenged Iran

On May 30, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center will release a new issue brief, The Kaleidoscope Turns Again in a Crisis-Challenged Iran, a discussion of Iran’s upcoming presidential elections.

2013 Wroclaw Global Forum

From June 13-14, the 2013 Wrocław Global Forum will bring together over 350 top policy-makers and business leaders to explore the region’s impact as an actor in Europe, as well as its crucial role in the transatlantic partnership and on the global stage.

MORE EVENTS

Featured Videos