Ambassador-at-large explained

An ambassador-at-large is a diplomat, a secretary, or a minister of the highest rank who is accredited to represent a country and its people internationally.

Unlike an ambassador-in-residence, who is usually limited to a country or embassy, the ambassador-at-large is entrusted to operate in several usually neighboring countries, a region or sometimes hold a seat in an international organization like the United Nations and the other international organizations. In some cases, an ambassador-at-large may even be specifically assigned a role to advise and assist the state or a government in particular issues. Historically, presidents or prime ministers have designated special diplomatic envoys for specific assignments, primarily overseas but sometimes also within the country as an ambassador-at-large.

Honorific title

According to international protocol, ambassadors and ambassadors-at-large are officially styled and addressed as His/Her Excellency, or Mister/Madam Ambassador. The title may be abbreviated in official correspondence as H.E.^[1]

United States ambassadors-at-large

The US president appointed the first official who specifically bore the title of ambassador-at-large on 12 March 1949 under the authority vested in Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution to deal with specific foreign policy issues, which have been frequently spelled out in their commissions.

Ambassador-at-large positions in the diplomatic corps of the US State Department include:

• Coordinator for Counterterrorism
• United States Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs
• United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice
• United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues
• United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
• United States Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
• United States Global AIDS Coordinator

Notable ambassadors-at-large

Asia

• Princess Masna Bolkiah, Brunei's Ambassador-at-Large and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Mehdi Samii, Iranian ambassador-at-large for Economic affairs and Advisor to the Prime Minister for International Financing (1971–1973)^[2]
• Lon Non, Ambassador-at-Large for the Khmer Republic
• Mohammad Ziauddin, Ambassador-at-large of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
• Javed Malik, Pakistan's Ambassador-at-Large to the Persian gulf Region
• Carlos P. Romulo, President of the United Nations General Assembly (1949–1950), Secretary/Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador-at-Large under three Philippine Presidents: Elpidio Quirino (1950–1952), Diosdado Macapagal (1963–1964) and Ferdinand Marcos (1968–1984)
• León María Guerrero III, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs under Ramon Magsaysay (1953–1954) and Ambassador-at-Large under four Philippine Presidents: Ramon Magsaysay (1954–1957), Carlos P. Garcia (1957–1961), Diosdado Macapagal (1961–1965) and Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965–1980)
• Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large representing Singapore and former ambassador to the United States from 1996 to 2012^[3]
• Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large of Singapore
• Ong Keng Yong, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Affairs, Singapore and former Secretary-General of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• Gopinath Pillai, former Ambassador-at-Large of Singapore^[4]
• Gene Loh, Ambassador-at-Large of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 1997 to 2001^[5]
• Ahmet Davutoğlu, Formerly Ambassador-at-Large of Turkey; he subsequently served as Foreign Minister and Prime Minister

Europe

• Charles Aznavour, Franco-Armenian singer, Armenian Ambassador-at-Large to Switzerland, then to the United Nations Organization
• Petri Salo, Finland's Roving Ambassador for the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia)^[6]
• Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador-at-Large of Hellenic Republic, Vice President of the European Parliament and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece
• Georg von Habsburg, Ambassador-at-Large of Hungary^[7]
• Dame Nuala O'Loan, of Ireland. Roving Ambassador for Conflict Resolution and Special Envoy to Timor-Leste^[8]
• Jaroslaw Pijarowski, Ambassador-at-Large of International Human Rights Organization for Poland^[9]

Africa

• Nicolas Kazadi, Ambassador-at-Large for the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Amina Mohammed, Ambassador-at-large representing Kenya
• Lineo Ntoane, Kingdom of Lesotho Ambassador-at-large
• Princess Esther Kamatari, Ambassador-at-large representing Burundi

Americas

• Chavano "Buddy" Hield, Ambassador-at-Large for The Bahamas^[10]
• Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Ambassador-at-Large for Barbados^{[11] [12]}
• Attallah Shabazz, Ambassador-at-Large for Belize
• Oscar de la Renta, Ambassador-at-Large of the Dominican Republic^[13]
• Wyclef Jean, Ambassador-at-Large for Haiti
• Barbara Carrera, former Ambassador-at-large for Nicaragua, appointed by then-president Arnoldo Alemán
• Suzan Johnson Cook, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
• Henry A. Crumpton, Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State^[14]
• Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator (Ambassador-at-Large for HIV and AIDS)^[15]
• John Hanford, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
• Philip Jessup, former United States Ambassador-at-large under President Harry S. Truman
• Strobe Talbott, US Ambassador-at-Large and Special Advisor to the Secretary on the New Independent States^[16]

See also

• Dual accreditation

Notes and References

1. The Guide of the Modern Diplomatic Protocol
2. Book: Milani . Abbas . Eminent Persians: The Men and Women who Made Modern Iran, 1941-1979 . 2008 . Syracuse University Press . 978-0815609070 . 1 . Syracuse, N.Y. . 766–767.
3. Web site: 9 October 2015 . CHAN Heng Chee .
4. Web site: 21 November 2013 . Live Mint . December 12, 2014 . Live Mint.
5. News: Chu . Monique . 18 April 2002 . Veteran diplomat tells it like it was . Taipei Times . 27 October 2012.
6. Web site: 18 October 2012 . Roving Ambassador for South Caucasus – . 8 January 2013 . Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland . 23 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130523034203/http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=16661&contentlan=2&culture=en-US . dead .
7. News: 20 February 2010 . The Habsburgs' new empire: The princess and the bear . The Economist . 8 January 2013.
8. Web site: 10 March 2008 . New Roving Ambassador Nuala O' Loan to Travel to Timor . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120216014840/http://www.irishembassy.nl/home/index.aspx?id=43535 . 16 February 2012 . 8 January 2013 . Irish embassy . dmy-all.
9. Web site: 18 November 2020 . International Human Rights Organization . live . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/ABfOmxZXNFE . 2021-12-13 . November 18, 2020 . yt.com.
10. Web site: 2024-02-16 . Chavano “Buddy” Hield Appointed Ambassador At-Large For Sports And Cultural Development . mofa.gov.bs.
11. Web site: 2021-11-30 . Rihanna's officially titled 'right excellent,' named Barbados national hero . 2023-08-10 . PBS NewsHour . en-us.
12. News: Press Association . 2018-09-22 . Rihanna appointed ambassador for her native Barbados . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-08-10 . 0261-3077.
13. Book: Mower, Sarah . Oscar: The Style, Inspiration and Life of Oscar De La Renta . Assouline . 2002 . New York . 12.
14. Web site: Biography: Henry A. Crumpton . US Department of State Archives . 3 March 2019 . 3 August 2005.
15. Web site: Goosby, Eric. https://web.archive.org/web/20090715063155/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/125483.htm. dead. 15 July 2009. State. 23 June 2009. 8 January 2013.
16. Web site: Strobe Talbott: Richard von Weizsäcker Distinguished Visitor Class of Spring 2009. American Academy in Berlin. 20 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154850/http://www.americanacademy.de/home/person/strobe-talbott. 2 April 2015. dead.