The quest for a global order rooted in international liberal arrangements has inspired many Americans over the past century. It was partially realized in the United Nations and the post-WWII international economic system. It has driven the effort of American governments over recent decades to promote human rights and democracy globally. However, some have objected that a better quest is for a stable world order rooted in balances of power and a recognition of the appropriateness of alternative government forms in many instances. The difficulties encountered by contemporary democratization efforts shine a spotlight on Mr. Piccone’s discussion and the grand question of world order and the appropriate American role in it.

We are indeed fortunate to be joined by one of the nation’s most thoughtful and informed scholars who believes in the fundamental importance of an international liberal order.

Mr. Piccone holds a B.A. degree magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Columbia University where he was editor-in-chief of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. He served for eight years as a senior foreign policy adviser in the Clinton Administration, including on the National Security Council staff, at the State Department Office of Policy Planning and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. From 2001 to 2008, he was executive director and co-founder of the Democratic Coalition Project working to promote international cooperation for democracy and human rights globally. He has, and continues to work with the Club of Madrid to strengthen democracy around the world. At present he is a Senior Fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution.

Ted Piccone has edited multiple volumes and articles on foreign policy and human rights including Catalysts for Change: How the UN’s Independent Experts Promote Human Rights and the upcoming book, Five Rising Democracies and the Fate of the International Liberal Order.

It is a great pleasure to welcome Mr. Ted Piccone to the Council.