Gary Matthews
CSP Counselor for Diplomacy
Ambassador Gary Matthews has worked closely with CSP since January 2006 and has been its Counselor for Diplomacy from January 2007 to present. Matthews oversaw the establishment of CSP’s Afghhanistan Study Group, co-chaired by General James L. Jones and Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering. Matthews was one of the principal members involved in its January 2008 report on Afghanistan, entitled Revitalizing our Efforts , Rethinking Our Strategies. He has also worked closely on the project on national security reform, a broad effort to improve the overall U.S. approach to managing national security issues, where he set up the human capital/human resources working group that CSP leads as part of the broader project.
Matthews has held senior positions in government, international organizations, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. His extensive experience includes a number of ambassadorial and policy making posts-to the Republic of Malta, in the Balkans, and in senior Washington appointments. Matthews has held significant international positions in peacekeeping and post-conflict operations, with direct responsibility for governance and public administration, democratization programs, human rights, anti-corruption, rule of law, local and international policing, and judicial and penal systems. Among his positions was that of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, serving as the Principal Deputy Chief of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, responsible for the functioning of the interim government and developing institutions and democratic structures for the forthcoming final status of Kosovo. He also exercised similar responsibilities during his positions in Bosnia-as Supervisor of Brcko District and Deputy High Representative, where his mission encompassed all areas of governance, and as director of the Regional Center in Mostar of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
In his 30-year career with the U.S. government, Matthews served in the Foreign Service and the U.S. Army. In addition to his ambassadorial positions, he was special coordinator for the Soviet Union and East Europe, principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, and executive assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State. Matthews' foreign assignments, spanning four decades, were in Malta, Germany, Poland, Russia, Vietnam, and the Balkans.
During 2004-2007, Matthews was with the U.S. Institute of Peace as Director of the Task Force on the United Nations and Director of Special Projects. In 2005, he worked closely with Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senator George Mitchell, co-chairs of the bipartisan Task Force on the United Nations, whose members were a diverse and experienced group of distinguished Americans. The clear focus of the assessment was on U.S. interests and how the United Nations could be reformed to better fulfill those interests. The consensus report of the Task Force was presented to the Congress in 2005. The recommendations spanned a wide range of issues, including peacekeeping operations, human rights and the prevention of genocide, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, development and humanitarian assistance, and the need for a far-ranging overhaul of the UN's structures and policies in order to provide sound management and accountability.
During 2006, Matthews worked with Secretary James A. Baker, III and Congressman Lee Hamilton, the co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group, on a major assessment of the U.S. involvement in Iraq. Their report, entitled The Way Forward-a New Approach, was issued on December 6, 2006. Matthews was the coordinator/secretariat for the working group on economic and reconstruction issues.
Matthews has received the Superior Honor and Wilbur Carr awards from the Department of State and the Cross of Gallantry from the Republic of South Vietnam. He has also worked in the private sector as editorial manager of the Kiplinger Letters and a member of the Board of the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. He was also director of International Programs for the National Academy of Public Administration.
Contact Ambassador Matthews via e-mail.
