The High Representative and EU Special Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, today appointed Clifford Bond, former US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as his Envoy to the Srebrenica Region.
As the High Representative’s Envoy, Ambassador Bond will serve as the international community’s contact point for the local authorities – State-level, Republika Srpska and Federation – on issues related to the Srebrenica area, including Bratunac.
Ambassador Bond will provide on-the-ground supervision of the international community’s activities in and around Srebrenica and follow through on relevant decisions of the High Representative regarding the region.
As agreed between the High Representative and the Prime Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation and Republika Srpska on 27 April, the High Representative’s Envoy will also ensure that the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina establish and maintain effective coordination arrangements for implementation of the recommendations of the international community’s Assessment Group for Srebrenica. These include the 2007 proposals of the State, the Federation and Republika Srpska for the Srebrenica region.
At the same time, Ambassador Bond will liaise with the international community to encourage increased assistance and investment in the Srebrenica region. And he will assist activities in support of Srebrenica returnees and persons still displaced from the Srebrenica area.
Ambassador Bond will also monitor the overall political situation in the Srebrenica area and report to the High Representative on activities and developments within the area of his responsibility, in particular political developments in Srebrenica and Bratunac.
Ambassador Bond was US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina between October 2001 and August 2004. During that period, he was a member of the Executive Board of the Foundation of the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial and Cemetery.
Since leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Bond has served as Senior Advisor to the Congressional Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and as an Associate Professor with the USNational Defense University.
Ambassador Bond began his diplomatic career at the US Mission to the then European Communities and subsequently worked at US embassies in Belgrade, Stockholm, Prague and Moscow. In 1990, Ambassador Bond was coordinating US assistance to Eastern Europe from Washington and became the Director of the Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs before being appointed Ambassador to BiH.
Ambassador Bond received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a graduate degree from the London School of Economics. He also attended the National War College and Osgoode Hall Law School in Ontario. Ambassador Bond speaks Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, as well as French and Russian andis married with four children.