For Immediate Release, December 9, 2013
Contact: David Early, (202) 429-7817

The United States Institute of Peace joins the global diplomatic community in mourning the sudden passing of Ambassador Richard S. Williamson -- a public servant, scholar, and  friend of the Institute.

As a foreign affairs expert, former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, Williamson served as an important voice for the oppressed around the world, and consistently emphasized the importance of effective peacekeeping and mass atrocity prevention.

Williamson was a thoughtful, engaged supporter of the “responsibility to protect” principle.  His passion was driven by his experience as special envoy to Sudan, where he witnessed – and worked to resolve – the crisis in Darfur.

As a friend of USIP, Williamson played a leading role in multiple USIP activities.  As recently as July, Williamson was at the Institute to mark the release of the final report of the Working Group on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a joint project of USIP, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Brookings Institution.  Williamson co-chaired the working group with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.  We were privileged to work with him in this effort, which was intended to translate the promise of R2P into the reality of a safer, more secure world.

He was an excellent diplomat and a relentless advocate for peace.