Overseas Security Advisory Council Anniversary

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The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Today, May 3, 2011, I would like to take this time to commend the Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council, or OSAC, on its 26th anniversary. Since 1985, OSAC, a public-private partnership, has provided accurate, timely, actionable information on global security concerns. Its constituents number over

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4,000, and include businesses, schools, faith-based organizations, and nongovernmental organizations. OSAC serves as the U.S. Government's primary platform for assisting the U.S. private sector to confront and mitigate security threats overseas. Information is shared via OSAC's Web site and through individual consultations between OSAC analysts and its constituency. OSAC's original reports are posted on their Web site, sent to embassies around the world, and have been requested by numerous U.S. and foreign government agencies.

Through its Country Council program, OSAC provides a mechanism for the U.S. private sector to gather information and share best practices among the world's leading security experts. Country Councils are present in over 140 cities and serve as a forum for the discussion of time-sensitive and country-specific security concerns. Around the world, the London Country Council is gearing up for the immense undertaking of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games; members of the Lagos Country Council are discussing operating challenges in the Niger Delta; the various Country Councils in Mexico are creating strategies for operating amid the violence caused by the drug trafficking organizations; the Hong Kong Country Council is focusing on deterring cybercrime; the Erbil Country Council is facilitating discussions between the U.S. private sector and Kurdistan government officials.

Over the past 26 years, OSAC has developed into the premier model for public-private partnership. It is the only government-sponsored organization specifically designed to address the private sector's global security concerns. Founded by Secretary of State George Shultz and a handful of CEOs in 1985, OSAC has expanded to include over 4,000 constituents and looks forward to a robust partnership with the U.S. private sector and ensuring the safety of American entities abroad. Congratulations to the OSAC cochairs, Diplomatic Security Service Director Jeff Culver and John McClurg from the Dell Corporation, and the Executive Working Group: Jim Snyder from Conoco Phillips; Brad Brekke from Target Corporation; and Jim Hutton from Procter & Gamble. I also want to thank OSAC's executive director, Peter Ford, and from OSAC, Jackee Schools and Marsha Thurman.

(House of Representatives - May 3, 2011)