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
editAccording 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
editThe 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
editAsia
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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
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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
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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
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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]
