Paula Dobriansky
Encyclopedia
Paula Jon Dobriansky is an American foreign policy expert who has served in key roles as a diplomat and policy maker in the administrations of five U.S. presidents, both Democrat and Republican. She is a specialist in the areas of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union as well as political-military affairs. She served as Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs from 2001-2009, making her the longest-serving undersecretary in the State Department’s history. Currently, Dr. Dobriansky is a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/experts/1979/paula_j_dobriansky.html
She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
.
, was a Ukrainian-American
economist
and prominent anti-communist activist who initiated the Captive Nations Week
during the Eisenhower Administration. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/feb/05/anti-communist-lev-dobriansky-dead-at-89
John F. Kennedy School of Government
’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
. Dobriansky is also a co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center
's commission on stabilizing fragile states.
As of January 2010, Ambassador Dobriansky served as the Class of 1960 Distinguished Visiting Professor in National Security at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Career Highlights
During her most recent term at the State Department, for which she was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Dr. Dobriansky presided over an expanded portfolio of responsibilities as Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs where she led efforts across a range of activities from democracy and human rights and labor to refugee and human trafficking issues to oceans and science, health, climate change.
In 2007 in Bali, she was an architect of the ‘Bali Roadmap’ that established a pragmatic, consensus-driven approach to moving forward towards a new climate treaty. http://unfcccbali.org/unfccc/news-unfccc/news-unfccc/agreement-reached-on-the-bali-roadmap.html During this period, she vigorously encouraged public-private partnerships including, notably, the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Alliance and a voluntary government-industry initiative deriving from the Global Internet Freedom Task Force (GIFT). Also during this period she served as the Administration’s Special Coordinator for Tibet and Presidential Envoy to the Northern Ireland Peace Process for which she received the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Medal, the State Department’s highest honor http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122912902022703341.html.
In previous administrations, Dr. Dobriansky served as Director of European and Soviet Affairs at the National Security Council, Deputy Head of the U.S. Delegation to the 1990 Copenhagen Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and Associate Director for Policy and Programs at the United States Information Agency. Former President Bill Clinton appointed her to serve on the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. She also served as a Senior Vice-President and Washington Office Director for the Council on Foreign Relations, where she was the George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Dobriansky has received high-level recognitions and orders of merit from the governments of Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Ukraine and Romania. She is the recipient of four honorary doctoral degrees.
On Climate Change, Dobriansky Urges Creative Thinking Beyond Copenhagen
In an article published in the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Survival journal, Dr. Dobriansky joined forces with a leading scientist at the American Association for the Advancement of Science to urge creative thinking about the “Many Paths Forward” beyond the recently-concluded Copenhagen Conference of Parties on climate change. She and Vaughn Turekian point out that "give the important role that deforestration plays in producing the greenhouse effect, government and NGO-led programs that reduce forest loss are key to a global climate change strategy." http://www.iiss.org/publications/survival/survival-2009/year-2009-issue-6/climate-change-and-copenhagen-many-paths-forward
She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Berlin. Founded in 1999 by Mark Donfried, its activities focus on promoting and developing the field of cultural diplomacy by conducting research, initiatives and programs, holding...
.
Background
Dobriansky graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University in political-military affairs. She is a Fulbright-Hays scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her late father, Lev DobrianskyLev Dobriansky
Lev E. Dobriansky, Ph.D. was a professor of economics at Georgetown University, U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and anti-communist advocate...
, was a Ukrainian-American
Ukrainian-American
Ukrainian Americans are citizens and permanent residents of the United States who have recently emigrated to the United States and are of Ukrainian ancestry. According to U.S. census estimates, in 2006 there were 961,113 Americans of Ukrainian descent representing 0.33% of the American population...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and prominent anti-communist activist who initiated the Captive Nations Week
Captive Nations Week
Captive Nations Week, a week aimed at raising public awareness of the oppression of nations under the control of Communist and other non-democratic governments, began in 1953 and was declared by a Congressional resolution and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1959. President...
during the Eisenhower Administration. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/feb/05/anti-communist-lev-dobriansky-dead-at-89
Current role
Since 4 March 2009, Dr. Dobriansky serves as a Senior Fellow at the Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is a permanent research center located within the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The center's current director is political scientist Graham T. Allison....
. Dobriansky is also a co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center
Bipartisan Policy Center
The is a non-profit organization that "drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue." Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell, "BPC combines politically-balanced policymaking...
's commission on stabilizing fragile states.
As of January 2010, Ambassador Dobriansky served as the Class of 1960 Distinguished Visiting Professor in National Security at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Career Highlights
During her most recent term at the State Department, for which she was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Dr. Dobriansky presided over an expanded portfolio of responsibilities as Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs where she led efforts across a range of activities from democracy and human rights and labor to refugee and human trafficking issues to oceans and science, health, climate change.
In 2007 in Bali, she was an architect of the ‘Bali Roadmap’ that established a pragmatic, consensus-driven approach to moving forward towards a new climate treaty. http://unfcccbali.org/unfccc/news-unfccc/news-unfccc/agreement-reached-on-the-bali-roadmap.html During this period, she vigorously encouraged public-private partnerships including, notably, the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Alliance and a voluntary government-industry initiative deriving from the Global Internet Freedom Task Force (GIFT). Also during this period she served as the Administration’s Special Coordinator for Tibet and Presidential Envoy to the Northern Ireland Peace Process for which she received the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Medal, the State Department’s highest honor http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122912902022703341.html.
In previous administrations, Dr. Dobriansky served as Director of European and Soviet Affairs at the National Security Council, Deputy Head of the U.S. Delegation to the 1990 Copenhagen Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and Associate Director for Policy and Programs at the United States Information Agency. Former President Bill Clinton appointed her to serve on the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. She also served as a Senior Vice-President and Washington Office Director for the Council on Foreign Relations, where she was the George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Dobriansky has received high-level recognitions and orders of merit from the governments of Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Ukraine and Romania. She is the recipient of four honorary doctoral degrees.
On Climate Change, Dobriansky Urges Creative Thinking Beyond Copenhagen
In an article published in the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Survival journal, Dr. Dobriansky joined forces with a leading scientist at the American Association for the Advancement of Science to urge creative thinking about the “Many Paths Forward” beyond the recently-concluded Copenhagen Conference of Parties on climate change. She and Vaughn Turekian point out that "give the important role that deforestration plays in producing the greenhouse effect, government and NGO-led programs that reduce forest loss are key to a global climate change strategy." http://www.iiss.org/publications/survival/survival-2009/year-2009-issue-6/climate-change-and-copenhagen-many-paths-forward