NATO Public Diplomacy chief
visits the United States
Jean-François Bureau addressing participants of the European Institute roundtable convened by Jacqueline Grapin (right)
NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Jean-François Bureau, delivered the keynote address at the Model NATO conference hosted by Ohio’s Kent State University and Howard University in Washington, D.C., on 21 February 2008, and also introduced a roundtable discussion hosted by the European Institute in Georgetown on 19 February.
The historic university in the heart of the nation’s capital convened 200 students from across North America for the 23rd Model NATO conference that includes a crisis simulation. Mr. Bureau talked about NATO’s mission in Afghanistan to help protect and rebuild that country and how strategic communications can be developed to support the public’s understanding of NATO’s missions and goals.
Speaking at the European Institute, Mr. Bureau focused on the huge changes shaping NATO as it transforms from a defensive Alliance into a security organization. He emphasized NATO’s commitment to Afghanistan and the need to communicate clearly with the public about the nature and necessity of NATO’s security operations there, the Balkans and elsewhere. He also gave a preview of NATO’s Summit agenda that will take place next April in Bucharest.
Mr. Bureau also met with U.S. officials and policy-makers working on public diplomacy at the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation. The discussions focused on best practices and how NATO can better integrate its communications capabilities with its member nations.
