National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien to meet media in teleconference
MANILA – US National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien who arrived in Manila today will speak in a telephonic press conference tomorrow afternoon at 3:15 Manila time in an event hosted by the Asia-Pacific Media Hub.
It will be recalled Secretary O’Brien visited Viet Nam last Friday, November 20 on a mission to “reaffirm the strength of U. S. bilateral relationships” with both Viet Nam and the Philippines and discuss regional security cooperation.
Mr. O’Brien served as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and held the personal rank of Ambassador.
Together with U. S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, O’Brien led the U.S. Government’s diplomatic efforts on overseas hostage-related matters. He was credited for coordinating with the interagency Hostage Recover Fusion Cell on the development and implementation of U. S. hostage recovery policy and strategy.
He also served as Co-Chairman of the U. S. Department of State Public – Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan under both Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton. The PPJRA promoted the rule of law by training Afghan judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers and provided scholarships for young Afghan lawyers to study in the United States.
He was appointed by the president to become member of the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee, which advises the federal government on issues relating to the trafficking of antiquities and other cultural items.
He was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2005 and was confirmed by the U.S, Senate to serve as a U.S. Representative to the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Mr. O’Brien also served as Senior Legal Officer for the UN Security Council commission that decided claims against Iraq from the first Gulf War. He was a Major in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the U. S. Army Reserve.
Before joining the Administration, O’Brien co-founded the Larson O’Brien LLP in Los Angeles, a nationally recognized litigation firm. His law practice was on complex litigation and international arbitration. In addition to his client work, O’Brien served as an arbitrator in over 20 international and domestic proceedings and he was appointed by the federal courts to serve as a special master in numerous complex cases.
A graduate of U. C. Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), he received his B. A. degree in political science, cum laude, from UCLA. (Melo M. Acuña)
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Robert C. O'Brien (Asia Pacific Media Hub/US Department of State photo)
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