The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) was established in 1985 by the U.S. Department of State to foster the exchange of security related information between the U.S. Government and American private sector operating abroad. Administered by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, OSAC has developed into an enormously successful joint venture for effective security cooperation. Through OSAC, the American private sector, including colleges and universities, is provided timely information on which to make informed corporate decisions on how best to protect their investment, facilities, personnel and intellectual property abroad. Want to know how to become an OSAC constituent? OSAC constituency and services are available to any American enterprise with overseas interests incorporated in the U.S. more    OSAC hosts 2004 Athens Olympic Security Briefing, Washington DC February 12, 2004 The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) has scheduled its third Athens 2004 Olympic Games security briefing for Thursday, February 12 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in Washington, D.C. The program is free and open to all OSAC constituents. Mr. Peter Ryan, senior security consultant to the International Olympic Committee and the Greek Olympic Organizing Committee will be the featured speaker. Mr. Ed Moreno, Diplomatic Security's Olympics Security Coordinator will also speak. Topics to be covered will include accreditation, logistics, and security. A question and answer session will follow. All constituents interested in attending must register. Please contact OSAC on (571) 345-2223 or Contact Us for details. I hope you can join us. Click here for Registration Form. Adobe Acrobat (157 Kb) OSAC/ISMA Regional Security Conference, Mexico City. 28-30 March, 2004 The annual OSAC/ISMA Conference will take place in Mexico City, Mexico, March 28-30, 2004. The program will include presentations from government and business security experts, followed by extensive question and answer sessions. The sessions will conclude each day with an "Open Forum," designed to facilitate opportunities to learn from the experiences of all present. These sessions will be coupled with social mixing, to provide an unprecedented opportunity for extensive networking between professionals who share regional challenges. Click here to find out more. MS Word (66 Kb) Highlights from OSAC's 18th Annual Briefing The Overseas Security Advisory Council's 18th Annual Briefing was held on the 13th of November, 2003. Praised as a success, this year's Annual Briefing was attended by more than 600 private sector personnel. OSAC is proud to include some highlights here for your review. Remarks from Secretary Of State Colin L. Powell Chairman & CEO - DuPont OSAC Hot Topics An exclusive service to our constituents. Get the most up to date OSAC perspectives on global security trends and issues. If you are having problems opening the document, try right-clicking on the link and download the document to your desktop.      Increase in violence toward missionaries (22 January 2004) Since the beginning of the holiday season OSAC has been monitoring an increase in violence directed toward representatives of religious organizations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa. Click here to find out. Adobe Acrobat (105 Kb)      OSAC Activity Report: November & December 2003 (22 January 2004) The Research and Information Support Center (RISC) reported 193 consultations for the month of November and 226 consultations for December. This total (419) is the second-highest two-month period of activity for RISC, and only the third time RISC has reported over 400 consultations in one two-month span. Click here to find out. Adobe Acrobat (149 Kb)      Summary of OSAC Constituent Concerns/Consultations (August - October, 2003) As the second anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York approached, the State Department reissued the worldwide travel warning.... Click here to find out more. Adobe Acrobat (179 Kb)      Snapshot of Business and Legal Challenges in Russia. (29 August 2003) American companies have come to face obstacles when entering into business in Russia, especially where legalities are concerned. The following provides a synopsis of the current situation and some general tips. Click here to find out. Adobe Acrobat (124 Kb) Current Announcements OSAC Support for Global Events In 2003-2004, multiple events will take place around the world that may impact the operations of OSAC constituents, and may affect the security of Americans traveling in the region. As a service to its constituents, OSAC will provide regular security assessments and updates for all of these events. Below is a chronological listing of events and a summary of security concerns and actions OSAC is taking. more  World Economic Forum Davos, Switzerland 21-25 January 2004 The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) will commence on 21 January 2004 in Davos, Switzerland. The theme of this year's meeting is "Partnering for Prosperity and Security." In years past, the Swiss government has instituted a variety of security measures to protect mountain roads, venue sites, and delegates attending the WEF. This year will be no exception. For more information on this year's event, please contact OSAC's Western European ananlyst. For Your Information The Overseas Security Advisory Council would like to highlight the links below in an effort to keep our constituency information on related programs within the U.S. Department of State. Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Department of State The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) is a unique organization which plays an essential role within the United States Department of State. The Bureau's personnel, who include special agents, engineers, diplomatic couriers, Civil Service specialists, and contractors, work together as a team to ensure that the State Department can carry out its foreign policy missions safely and securely. (http://www.state.gov/m/ds/) more  Rewards For Justice Program The Rewards for Justice Program is one of the most valuable U.S. Government assets in the fight against international terrorism. Under this program, the Secretary of State may offer rewards of up to $5 million for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or property worldwide. (http://www.rewardsforjustice.net) more  Calendar Events Want to know of potential significant events that could affect your travel or safety abroad? Look here for all the information you need to make the best decision. February 16, 2004. NORTH KOREA. Kim Jong-il's Birthday The Dear Leader's birthday is celebrated in North Korea with many state-sponsored festivities.   February 27, 2004. LIBYA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. African Union (AU) Summit An Extra-Ordinary Summit on Agriculture and Water will be held on 27 and 28 February in Sirte, Libya. Hosted by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddhafi, this heads-of-state meeting was mandated by the AU Maputo meetings in July 2003.   March 21, 2004. EL SALVADOR. Presidential Elections Presidential elections. The frontrunner is ex-Marxist guerrilla leader Shafik Handal, 72, of the FMLN [Farabundo Marti National Liberation] party.   March 28, 2004. GEORGIA. Georiga Parliamentary Elections Georgia will hold its Parliamentary elections on March 28, 2004.   March 28, 2004. GUINEA-BISSAU. Presidential Elections The transitional government says it will hand over power to the victor of these Presidential Elections. The five-time postponement of elections were the main reason behind the 2003 coup d'etat, so conventional wisdom would dictate that these elections should be held on time. Transitional President Henrique Rosa has said he will not seek to remain in office permanently.   April 3, 2004. SLOVAKIA. Slovakia Presidential Elections Slovakia will hold its Presidential elections on April 3, 2004.   April 5, 2004. INDONESIA. Legislative Elections Legislative elections will be held in Indonesia.   April 8, 2004. ALGERIA. Presidential Elections Presidential Elections To Be Held.   April 14, 2004. RUSSIA. Russian Presidential Elections President Vladimir Putin is expected to run and win by a large margin. The main pro-Putin party, United Russia, and its allies swept the elections for the lower house of parliament, winning a large majority of seats and squeezing the opposition Communists.   April 19, 2004. NIGERIA. 4th Annual Nigeria Oil & Gas Conferece The 4th Annual Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference will be held from 19-21 April 2004 at the Nicon Hilton in Abuja. According to the organizing CWC Group, the confrerence will feature officials from the Government of Nigeria, NNPC, Department of Petroleum Resources, Bureau of Public Enterprises, and NAPIMS, as well as many of the prominent international and indigenous companies currently active in Nigeria. Want to see more? View our full list of key calendar events. Think we missed an event? Submit your event to us. We will review it and determine whether to list it for the constituency. more		Mail This Page to a Friend   Site Map   Send Us Comments!  Consular Affairs  Information Public Announcements. 20 January 2004. Tajikistan. 16 January 2004. Djibouti. Travel Warnings. 4 February 2004. Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). 4 February 2004. Afghanistan. View more information from Consular Affairs on their website located at http://travel.state.gov.  Latest News Congo (Democratic Republic) DR Congo Peacekeepers 'Can Leave' more  Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Rebel Chief Killed in Ivory Coast more  Sudan Sudan's Western Rebels 'Crushed' more  This box reflects information last updated on 10 February 2004.  Deliverable Content Interested in newsletters? OSAC has made our newsletter delivery available for public consumption. more  Want a news ticker? Interested in learning how you can place our custom news ticker on your website? more