Marcie Ries

on creating a 21st century U.S. Foreign Service

Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute Leadership and Management School; former U.S. Ambassador to Albania and Bulgaria Senior Fellow

Twenty years into the 21st century, America faces a different set of challenges from the years after 9/11 when the focus was on military and intelligence capabilities. Ending America’s presence in Afghanistan, building international cooperation to combat climate change and pandemics, and managing refugee flows over borders are all challenges that require diplomatic solutions. To meet them, the United States needs a Foreign Service that is at the top of its game. This means a diplomatic cadre that has a strong mandate to be the lead executioner of American foreign policy, is nonpartisan and fully representative of the American people, is flexible in its approach to management to accommodate diversity and modern families, has the resources for career long, in-depth professional education and training, and has the capability via a professional reserve to meet sudden critical needs. It means choosing Ambassadors with deep experience and skills, mainly professional diplomats. We can have such a Foreign Service, but to meet 21st century challenges will require an ambitious, major reform program led by the Administration with bi-partisan Congressional support, the resources to carry it through, and support for modernization from the Foreign Service itself.

What advice do you have for the next generation of diplomatic practitioners?

The essence of diplomacy will always be developing relationships with people that enable us to advance our nation’s interests. What is different today is that our diplomats and especially our ambassadors must prioritize communicating effectively, not just directly with leaders and opinion makers but, via contemporary modes of communication with interest groups of all sorts, non-governmental organizations, multiple generations, and sometimes even nations as a whole.

Madame Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France, gives a speech on the importance of the U.S.-France relationship during an event moderated by Nicholas Burns and Ash Carter on January 28, 2020.