Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore has received an appointment as a U.S. Ambassador, according to an announcement [1] Thursday from the White House.
Gilmore, the Henrico County boy who served as governor from 1998-2002 and chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2001, will be the U.S. representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [2] (OSCE) with the rank of Ambassador.
Based out of Vienna, Austria, it is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization with cooperation from 57 countries. The mission of OSCE, in a nutshell, includes freedom of the press, human rights, fair elections, and arms control. It has been involved in the
From the OSCE website [3]:
The United States Mission to the OSCE consists of a multi-agency team with more than thirty staff members from the Department of State and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the joint Congressional/Executive Branch Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (“Helsinki Commission”).
The Mission coordinates with the rotating OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office and the OSCE’s Secretariat, negotiates with the other national delegations in Vienna, and works closely with U.S. embassies and the OSCE field presences situated throughout the Balkans and the former Soviet Union.
Within the OSCE, the Mission represents the United States in the Permanent Council, the Organization’s principal policy-making body, as well as in the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC). The Mission also monitors implementation of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty in the Joint Consultative Group (JCG), and represents the U.S. in the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC).
The United States supports the work of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). ODIHR’s election observation methodology remains the standard for election monitoring around the world. The U.S. also supports ODIHR’s programs that increase transparency in the democratic process, encourage the rule of law, and develop a democratic culture by facilitating participation in the policy-making process.
Read more about OSCE’s history here [4].
Gilmore, who currently serves as President and CEO of American Opportunity Foundation, chaired the Gilmore Commission (Congressional Advisory Panel to assess Domestic Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction) from 1999-2003.
Gilmore served as Virginia Attorney General from 1993-2001. A University of Virginia Law School graduate, he is a military veteran who has received the Air Force Exceptional Service Award and the Joint Service Commendation Medal for Service to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Congratulations, Governor!