Embassy of the Future

CSIS published the report of the Embassy of the Future Commission earlier this month. The Commission co-chaired by former Ambassadors Felix Rohatyn, Marc Grossman and George Argyros, has assessed the state of the U.S. diplomatic presence abroad and submitted recommendations for how to make the diplomatic pursuit of U.S. interests abroad even more effective than it is today. The report includes comments on IRCs, American Corners, American Centers, and other public diplomacy tools.

U.S. Embassy goes Green

ABC News reports that the U.S.embassy in Sofia is the first embassy to be designated a "green" building by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The story suggests that the Sofia chancery may be a model for future embassy buildings..."New guidelines for embassy construction meant to address security concerns have resulted in the building of embassies far from large population centers, behind tall walls and layers of security, adding to the perception that the embassies are cold, distant diplomatic fortresses. The U.S. State Department is hoping that one of its newest embassies can buck that trend."