Pierre-Richard Prosper was nominated by President Bush on May 16, 2001 to be the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues. After being confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he was sworn in on July 13, 2001. In this position, he advises the Secretary of State directly and formulates U.S. policy responses to atrocities committed in areas of conflict and elsewhere throughout the world. As the President’s envoy, he travels worldwide engaging heads of state and international organizations to build bilateral and international support for U.S. policies. As part of this, Ambassador Prosper visits affected countries and uses a range of diplomatic, legal, economic, military, and intelligence tools to help secure peace and stability and build the rule of law. Since September 11, 2001, Ambassador Prosper has played a key role in the war on terror and has been the Secretary of State’s lead diplomat in engaging nations regarding their nationals captured in the field of combat. He also has primary responsibility for policy on Iraqi war crimes.

Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Prosper was a career prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice where he served as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division in 1999. From 1999 to 2001, Ambassador Prosper was detailed to the State Department where he served as the Special Counsel and Policy Adviser to the previous Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues.

During 1996 to late 1998, Ambassador Prosper served as a war crimes prosecutor for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Appointed lead trial attorney, Ambassador Prosper successfully prosecuted the matter of the Prosecutor against Jean-Paul Akayesu, the first-ever case of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention. In this 14-month courtroom battle, he won additional life-sentence convictions for crimes against humanity and broke new ground in international law by convincing the Tribunal to recognize rape committed in time of conflict as an act of genocide and a crime against humanity.

Between 1994 and 1996, Ambassador Prosper was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California in Los Angeles. He was assigned to the Narcotics Section, Drug Enforcement Task Force, where he investigated and prosecuted major international drug cartels.

Prior to becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ambassador Prosper was a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, California between the years 1989 and 1994. His last two years were spent in the Hardcore Gang Division of the Bureau of Special Operations where he prosecuted gang-related murders.

Born in Denver, Colorado in 1963, the son of two physicians who emigrated from Haiti, Ambassador Prosper was raised in New York State. He graduated from Boston College, where he was a member of the Varsity Lacrosse team, and Pepperdine University School of Law. He has been recognized for his achievements by his alma maters, a variety of associations and cities. Ambassador Prosper is a member of the California Bar. He is fluent in French and has a working knowledge of Italian and Spanish.
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