The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) was created in 1985 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to promote security cooperation between American private sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State.

The OSAC "Council" is comprised of 34 private and public sector member organizations that represent specific industries or agencies operating abroad.  The member organizations designate representatives to serve on the Overseas Security Advisory Council to provide direction and guidance to develop programs that most benefit the U.S. private sector overseas.  The Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) implemented the following recommendations from OSAC: to create the OSAC website, to create a Country Council Program, and to develop a Research and Information Support Center (RISC).  A primary goal of OSAC is to develop an effective security communication network, consequently, OSAC invited all U.S. businesses, academia, faith-based groups, and non-governmental organizations to become constituents. There is no cost involved with OSAC constituency.

Authority
The Council is established under authority of the Secretary of State pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 2656 and in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App., and its regulations, 41 C.F.R. Part 102-3. The approval of OSAC’s Charter by the Under Secretary for Management constitutes a determination by the Secretary of State that the activities of the Council are determined to be in the public interest and are directly related to overseas security functions of the Department of State.

History
The increase in terrorism over the last 30 years and the continuing threat against U.S. interests overseas has forced many American companies to seek advice and assistance from the U.S. Government, particularly the State Department.  In 1985, a handful of chief executive officers from prominent American companies met with then Secretary of State George P. Shultz to promote cooperation between the American private sector worldwide and the U.S. Government on security issues.  The subsequent establishment of the Overseas Security Advisory Council has developed into an enormously successful joint venture.  Today, over 3,500 U.S. companies, educational institutions, faith-based institutions, and non-governmental organizations with 16,000 users are OSAC constituents.  OSAC provides a forum for sharing best practices and provides the tools needed to cope with today’s ever-changing challenges and security-related issues abroad.

OSAC: A Public/Private Sector Partnership
Private sector member organizations are selected from OSAC’s constituency and normally serve for two to six-year terms.  Representatives of the member organizations meet quarterly and participate in sub-committees tasked with specific projects, such as the protection of business information and mitigating the effects from transnational crime.  Under OSAC leadership, annual goals and objectives are initiated, discussed, evaluated, and assigned. The original five-year strategic plan is now reviewed annually to keep the goals and objectives of the OSAC up-to-date with the needs of the constituency.   The OSAC is chaired by the Director of the Diplomatic Security Service and co-chaired by a selected representative of the private sector.  Any organization interested in serving on the OSAC should complete the attached questionnaire and return to the OSAC office (open attachment).

The following sub-committees were created to support new objectives for the OSAC. The strategic plan outlines a purpose to protect American interests overseas by promoting public-private security partnerships through leadership, information sharing, and innovation.

Executive Working Group (EWG)
The Executive Working Group (EWG) provides the leadership and strategic direction of the ‘OSAC’ Council and committee initiatives. The EWG reviews and assists with the successful completion and implementation of all committee objectives to secure U.S. interests abroad.

Committee for Fostering Innovation and Operational Excellence (FI)
The Committee for Fostering Innovation and Operational Excellence will foster comprehensive information-sharing strategies; to leverage emerging technologies; and to deliver relevant and timely security information to the OSAC constituency to secure U.S. interests abroad.

Committee for Outreach and Engagement (OE)
The Committee for Outreach and Engagement will promote and enhance diversity, engagement and retention of OSAC constituents leveraging councils, working groups and strategic partnerships to secure U.S. interest abroad.

Committee on Risk and Information Sharing (RI)
The Committee for Risk and Information Sharing will promote the timely collection and dissemination of relevant information between the public and private sector on threats and other issues that will enable constituents to reach informed decisions on their respective global activities to secure U.S. interests abroad.

Senior Advisory Committee
The Senior Advisory Committee provides advice and counsel to the OSAC EWG and sub-committees and serves as a resource to contribute to the OSAC mission to secure U.S. interests abroad.

Information is shared with the private sector through four principal means: OSAC the “Council,” the Research and Information Support Staff (RISC), the Country Council and Common Interest Councils, and the OSAC website.

The OSAC "Council" leads the organization and sets its strategic direction, goals and objectives. This structure ensures the goals are set by the private sector with public sector support.

The Research and Information Support Center (RISC) is staffed with analysts, program officers, and coordinators dedicated solely to the needs of the U.S. private sector. RISC analysts gauge threats to U.S. business investment, personnel, facilities, and intellectual property abroad. With access to a broad range of classified and unclassified reporting from American embassies abroad, as well as open source information, the RISC staff track social, political, and economic issues that impact the security of the U.S. private sector operating overseas. RISC is comprised of three distinct units: Outreach Programs, Research and Analysis, and Global Security.

Country Councils replicate the OSAC public/private partnership at 143 overseas locations bringing together the American embassy or consulate with the private sector regional manager to share information about security issues of mutual concern in the region. These councils encourage managers of U.S. organizations to organize themselves to cope with security-related problems by pooling their resources. Key representatives of these councils and embassy security officers, as well as other post officials, develop working relationships to create an exchange of information through which pertinent security information is shared in a timely fashion. For more information on the Country Councils, click on the Country Council section for a list of Councils operating around the world and their specific websites located on the home page.

OSAC's Common Interest Councils allow representatives with operations in one of four specific regions as well as from specific sectors such as from academia, aviation, energy, media and entertainment, faith-based organizations, maritime, and NGO sector to participate in smaller, like-minded groups to ensure more targeted and actionable information-sharing. For more information on the OSAC Common Interest Councils, click on the Common Interest Councils section from the home page for a current list.

The OSAC Website is the focal point for the exchange of unclassified information on security related incidents and threats overseas between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. private sector. Information on the OSAC website that constituents can access includes the following as well as embassy and consulate warden messages linked through the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.

•    "OSAC Analysis" reports with the latest on major security incidents around the world
•    Security-specific coverage of major events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, the economic summit meetings of the G8, and the World Economic Forum, with continual freshening of information on threats
•    Security-focused reporting searchable by region and/or topic
•    A resource library packed with expertise on contingency planning, plus model presentations that constituents can adapt for briefing their own personnel

Along with the thirty-four member Council, OSAC uses technical advisors from the U.S. Government and subject-matter experts from the private sector to assist the sub-committees with special projects. The current OSAC technical advisors are listed below.

OSAC Executive Office
The Executive Office is comprised of a staff of thirty-one, including two senior Special Agents from the Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) who act as the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director, OSAC Program Specialist, two Executive Assistants, and the Research and Information Support Center (RISC).

OSAC's Commitment
The Overseas Security Advisory Council is committed to providing the American private sector with customer service of the highest standard. Since OSAC is a joint venture with the private sector, we strive to maintain standards equal to or surpassing those provided by private industry. OSAC activities directly correspond to requests from the private sector.

OSAC has received exceptional support for its initiatives from the chief executive officers and corporate security directors of many of the largest international organizations in the United States. The State Department and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security recognize the need in OSAC’s goal to support the U.S. private sector by continuing to develop an effective and cost-efficient security information and communication network that will provide the private sector with the tools needed to cope with security-related issues in the foreign environment. OSAC’s unique charter and continued success serve as an example of the benefits of mutual cooperation.

Mission
The U.S. State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (Council) is established to promote security cooperation between American private sector interests worldwide (Private Sector) and the U.S. Department of State.

The objectives of the Council as outlined in its Charter are:
A. To establish continuing liaison and to provide for operational security cooperation between State Department security functions and the Private Sector.

B. To provide for regular and timely interchange of information between the Private Sector and the State Department concerning developments in the overseas security environment.

C. To recommend methods and provide material for coordinating security, innovation, planning and implementation of security programs.

D. To identify methods to mitigate risks to American private sector interests worldwide.

For more information on the Federal Advisory Committees (FACA) go to the General Services Administration website at http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21242.