10.2 Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) & Public-Private Partnerships

10.2 Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) & Public-Private Partnerships

In an increasingly interconnected global economy, American security overseas cannot be evaluated solely through the lens of government personnel and diplomatic facilities. Millions of American citizens work, study, conduct business, and deliver humanitarian assistance abroad under the auspices of U.S. private sector organizations. These non-governmental entities—ranging from Fortune 500 multinational corporations and academic institutions to faith-based relief groups and international news organizations—face the exact same volatile security threats abroad as U.S. diplomats: terrorism, civil unrest, violent crime, political coups, kidnappings, and cyber threats.

Recognizing that national security and economic prosperity are inextricably linked, the Department of State established the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) to bridge the information divide between federal law enforcement and the private sector. Today, OSAC stands as one of the federal government's most successful public-private partnerships, functioning under the administrative oversight of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS).

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Statutory Origin & Mandate: The 1985 FACA Establishment

OSAC was formally established in 1985 by Secretary of State George P. Shultz pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App.). The creation of OSAC was a direct response to recommendations issued by the 1985 Inman Panel (the Advisory Panel on Overseas Security), which emphasized that U.S. diplomatic posts and American private sector entities operate in the same international threat environments and must coordinate risk assessments to protect American lives and economic interests.

Under its FACA charter, OSAC's core statutory mandate encompasses five strategic goals:

1. Promote Security Cooperation: Establish continuous, structured communication between the U.S. Department of State and U.S. private sector organizations operating internationally.
2. Exchange Threat Information: Provide timely, unclassified intelligence regarding overseas security threats, civil disturbance, terrorism, regional instability, and crime.
3. Recommend Security Standards: Develop best practices, risk-mitigation strategies, and emergency operational guidelines tailored to foreign environments.
4. Formulate Joint Crisis Strategies: Facilitate cooperative planning between diplomatic posts and private enterprises during international emergencies, natural disasters, and evacuations.
5. Advise State Department Leadership: Provide private sector security perspectives to the Secretary of State and the Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security.

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Executive Governance & Organizational Structure

OSAC operates under a dual public-private governance model designed to guarantee equal partnership, transparency, and strategic alignment between government authority and corporate/NGO security leadership.

The Joint Executive Council

The governing body of OSAC is the OSAC Executive Council, comprising 34 senior security leaders representing both federal agencies and private sector organizations. Governance is anchored by a co-chair model:

• Public Sector Co-Chair: The Director of the Diplomatic Security Service (who also serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for High Threat Programs or International Programs).
• Private Sector Co-Chair: A senior executive or Chief Security Officer (CSO) elected from an OSAC member organization (e.g., a corporate security vice president from a major aerospace, energy, or technology firm).

The Executive Council meets quarterly to establish strategic priorities, review emerging global threat trends, approve charter updates, and oversee OSAC's specialized sector committees.

The OSAC Program Office (DS/TIA/OSAC)

Day-to-day administrative and analytical operations are managed by the OSAC Program Office, located within the DS Threat Intelligence and Analysis Directorate at Department of State headquarters in Washington, D.C. Staffed by active-duty DSS Special Agents, research analysts, and regional intelligence specialists, the Program Office maintains the OSAC web platform, coordinates global Country Councils, authors regional threat reports, and operates a 24/7 duty officer desk to respond to urgent private sector security inquiries.

Membership in OSAC is free of charge and open to any U.S.-based or U.S.-incorporated enterprise, non-profit organization, higher education institution, faith-based charity, or media organization maintaining overseas operations, facilities, or traveling personnel.

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Global Reach: The Country Council Network

The primary operational mechanism through which OSAC delivers localized security support is its global network of Country Councils. Operating in over 150 foreign locations across more than 140 countries, Country Councils bring together U.S. embassy security officials and local American private sector representatives on a regular basis.

Country Council Leadership & Dynamics

Each Country Council mirrors the executive co-chair structure at the local embassy level:

• Embassy Co-Chair: The U.S. Embassy's Regional Security Officer (RSO)—a sworn DSS Special Agent responsible for all security programs within that host nation.
• Private Sector Co-Chair: An elected corporate security director, regional risk manager, or NGO security lead based in that specific foreign city.

Operational Functions of Country Councils

Country Councils meet monthly or quarterly within host nations to execute vital security missions:

• Localized Threat Briefings: RSOs provide unclassified intelligence updates on criminal trends, terrorist threats, anti-American demonstrations, political instability, and host-nation security forces.
• Crisis Response & Contingency Planning: During political crises, military coups, or natural disasters, Country Councils serve as communications nodes. Private sector members share ground-truth operational updates with the embassy, while RSOs communicate warden messages and evacuation guidance.
• Best-Practice Sharing: Private security managers exchange practical information regarding local vendor vetting, secure transportation providers, physical facility hardening, and emergency medical evacuation resources.

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Intelligence Products & Specialized Sector Committees

OSAC provides a comprehensive suite of analytical products and specialized working groups tailored to the distinct security challenges facing different sectors of the U.S. economy.

Threat Intelligence & Analytical Services

• OSAC Portal & Mobile Access: Member organizations gain access to a secure, unclassified portal delivering real-time security alerts, daily incident maps, and regional threat matrix assessments.
• Consolidated Security Reports: OSAC synthesizes reporting on international travel advisories, election violence forecasts, kidnapping risks, and cyber threats targeting international travelers.
• 24/7 Duty Desk Support: OSAC maintains continuous duty officer coverage, allowing corporate security operations centers (CSOCs) to contact DSS analysts during developing overseas emergencies.

Specialized Sector Committees

Recognizing that a multinational oil company faces vastly different security risks than a university study-abroad program or a humanitarian relief agency, OSAC sponsors targeted Sector Committees:

1. Academic Sector Committee: Focuses on student traveler safety, university campus security abroad, study-abroad crisis protocols, and regulatory compliance (e.g., Clery Act reporting in overseas environments).
2. International Development / NGO Sector Committee: Addresses humanitarian field security in active conflict zones, aid worker safety, kidnapping negotiation protocols, and operating in non-permissive environments without armed guards.
3. Faith-Based Sector Committee: Focuses on missionary travel safety, security for religious non-profits operating in authoritarian or hostile nations, and risk mitigation for faith-based medical missions.
4. Energy & Critical Infrastructure Sector Committee: Examines physical security for offshore rigs, pipeline infrastructure protection, host-nation military liaison issues, and cyber threats against energy grids.
5. Aviation, Mass Transit & Logistics Committees: Focuses on international airport security, supply chain vulnerability, air crew safety, and maritime piracy threats.

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Operational Boundaries & FACA Compliance

To maintain transparency and adhere to statutory constraints, OSAC operates under clear operational boundaries:

• Non-Operational Mandate: OSAC is an analytical, advisory, and networking exchange. It does not deploy DSS Special Agents as private bodyguards, conduct tactical armed extractions for private citizens, or fund private security contracts.
• Unclassified Information Sharing: OSAC operates exclusively in the unclassified realm. While DSS Special Agents utilize classified intelligence sources to inform their security awareness, all OSAC bulletins, briefings, and reports are scrubbed to ensure unclassified distribution.
• FACA Compliance & Transparency: As a chartered FACA advisory committee, OSAC maintains administrative transparency, files annual charter renewals with Congress, open public record meetings, and enforces strict non-proprietary information sharing protocols to prevent commercial conflicts of interest.

Through this robust public-private framework, OSAC empowers U.S. organizations to operate safely worldwide, serving as a critical force multiplier for national security and international economic resilience.