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Interview with Her Excellency

Christina Rocca,

Ambassadorof the United States at the

Conference on Disarmament

Q: Mrs. Ambassador As for how I got here,
what is your back- when I was young I
ground? simply pursued the
academic and professio-
Throughout my career I nal interests that were
have been very fortunate challenging and interes-
to have had both very ting to me. My family and
challenging and interes- friends have always been
ting jobs. I am especially supportive, and the career
privileged now to repre- paths
I
have
sent the United States at chosen always presented
the Conference on challenges and opportuni-
Disarmament. ties. I do not think any
career choice can or
President Bush nomina- should be defined by gen-
ted me for this post in der.
May 2006 and the Senate
confirmed me on August Q: Your country, the
3. I immediately came to United States, has
Geneva with the clear one Ambassador to
goal of encouraging the this Conference and
on
conference this really gives an
Disarmament to get back indication of how
to work and of using the important the issue is
influence of the United for your country.
States to make the world a South Asia, Central Asia, ted in this field and find it What are the main
safer place. This has been the Caucasus, and the challenging and rewarding. concerns for US in this
challenging, but my Middle East. From 1982 to Arms control, international field?
inherent optimism and 1997 I worked at the Central security and disarmament
conviction that the United Intelligence Agency; that bear directly on the safety You are absolutely correct.
States has been and was also a fascinating job and lives of everyone in this President Bush has always
continues to be a leader in and I am proud to say I wor- world, and if I can be a part made international security
the fight for peace and secu- ked with some of the best of that, if I can represent my one of his top priorities, and
rity have made my job people around. country while making this arms control and non-
easier. world a safer and better proliferation are fundamen-
I am a native of Washington, place, then I am proud to do tal to that effort. I feel privi-
Before coming to Geneva, I D.C., and earned my B.A. that. leged to represent that
degree in History from
served United States at the world's
as
Assistant
Secretary of State for South Kings College, London. As I wouldn't characterize this single forum that negotiates
Asian Affairs from 2001 to for my family, I am married field as either masculine or multilateral arms controls
2006, an especially challen- with two children at univer- feminine. I know many treaties. The United States
ging and interesting job. sity. good men and women firmly believes that the
Prior to joining the working in this field, star- Conference on Disarma-
Department of State, I ser- Q: You are Ambassador ting from Secretary of State ment is important because it
ved as Foreign Affairs of a quite masculine Condoleezza Rice who star- is the sole international
Advisor to Senator Sam field - the arms and ted her career with conside- body for the negotiation of
Brownback, an outstanding arms control- what are rable study of US-Soviet multilateral arms control
representative from the so interesting about arms control issues. The treaties, it operates by
State of Kansas, where I this field? important thing is to work consensus, and it has a vital
to
play
in
focused on issues relating to hard and be prepared. role
I have always been interes-
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