Job Description of the US Ambassador to the United Nations
The United Nations has its headquarters in New York City. While many prominent figures in U.S. history have held the post of ambassador to the United Nations, not everyone is aware of what this important diplomatic position entails. The United States is one of 192 member nations of the international organization. Among other duties, the U.S. ambassador votes on behalf of the country at the General Assembly on important issues, while also symbolically heading the United States’ U.N. delegation.
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Function
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The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations is responsible for leading the country’s delegation at the United Nations. The primary deliberative body of the United Nations is the General Assembly; here, the ambassador represents the United States in all its deliberations. In addition, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is a member of the U.N. Security Council, which makes important decisions on issues relating to world peace and international security. Finally, the ambassador oversees a staff of approximately 100 people. They represent the sum total of the U.S. delegation.
Responsibilities
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The U.S. ambassador must also report back on important United Nations activities to the United States government and the public. This is usually done through the State Department. In doing so, the ambassador will make recommendations as to what course of action he believes the United States should take on a particular issue.
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Significance
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Each country has its own means for selecting its ambassador to the United Nations. In the United States, the individual is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Occasionally, the president might elevate the ambassador to a Cabinet-level post, as Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton both have done.
Famous Ties
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The vast majority of past ambassadors were career diplomats and politicians who also had distinguished careers in other roles. Famous U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations include former President George H.W. Bush, former New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Massachusetts Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., and Jeane Kirkpatrick, who was a foreign policy adviser to former President Ronald Reagan.
Misconceptions
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When the U.N. General Assembly is in session, the U.S. ambassador does not perform his official function if a more senior U.S. official, such as the secretary of state or president, is also there. At those moments, the individual with the higher authority performs the role.
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References
- Photo Credit united nations plaza, manhattan, nyc image by Albo from Fotolia.com
