Ambassador Curtis A. Ward, B.A., J.D., LL.M.
Ambassador Curtis A. Ward is a former Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations with Special Responsibility for Security Council Affairs (1999-2002); served on the UN Security Council 01/2000 – 12/2001. He is an Attorney-at-Law (District of Columbia Bar) and International Consultant with extensive knowledge and experience in national and international legal and policy frameworks for effective implementation of United Nations (UN) and other international anti-terrorism mandates; the legal and administrative requirements to effectively implement and enforce anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); extensive knowledge of the legal and regulatory requirements for effective implementation and enforcement of United Nations multilateral and U.S.-imposed unilateral sanctions; and the imperatives for rule of law and governance.
Ambassador Ward travelled to over 30 countries representing the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) for meetings and discussions with government leaders and high-level officials, and NGOs on counter-terrorism (CT) capacity building and related issues; and has provided advisory services to the UN, regional organizations, governments, and NGOs. He has participated in numerous CT conferences, workshops and seminars as keynote speaker; and lectured globally on security, terrorism/CT, AML/CFT, international sanctions, human rights, rule of law, and governance.
Ambassador Ward holds an LL.M. (Int’l Law) from Georgetown University Law Center (‘81); a J.D.– Howard University (HU) School of Law (‘75); and B.A. (Economics and Political Science) from HU (‘72).
Ambassador Ward’s professional experiences span a broad spectrum of disciplines:
Ambassador Ward engaged practiced law in Washington DC (1981-1999); and was a Foreign Service Officer in the Government of Jamaica (Embassy of Jamaica, Washington DC, 09/1975 – 02/1981).
Ambassador Ward is a Civic Leader serving the Jamaican/Caribbean diaspora communities for over 40 years in a number of leadership capacities. He is CEO of Curtis A. Ward & Associates; Founder, Editorial Director, and Writer of The Ward Post (the wardpost.com); Chairman of Caribbean Research & Policy Center (a think-tank); Legal Adviser to National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations; Board Member and Legal Adviser to Partners of Good Shepherd Jamaica; and former Chair & Commissioner of the Governor’s Commission on Caribbean Affairs (State of MD). He is the recipient of several citations, honors and awards in recognition of his service.
Ambassador Ward is Adjunct Professor, Homeland Security Graduate Program at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC (since 2012); is former Adjunct Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University – Elliott School of International Affairs (2010-14); has Guest-lectured at the National Defense University, Washington, DC; the NATO School (SHAPE), Oberammergau, Germany; the Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Centre, Accra, Ghana; Columbia University; and New York University Law School.
Ambassador Ward has a number of professional writings to his credit – international journal articles and book chapters – on counterterrorism, international sanctions, the role of the United Nations Security Council, and Caribbean security.
Ambassador Curtis A. Ward is a former Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations with Special Responsibility for Security Council Affairs (1999-2002); served on the UN Security Council 01/2000 – 12/2001. He is an Attorney-at-Law (District of Columbia Bar) and International Consultant with extensive knowledge and experience in national and international legal and policy frameworks for effective implementation of United Nations (UN) and other international anti-terrorism mandates; the legal and administrative requirements to effectively implement and enforce anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); extensive knowledge of the legal and regulatory requirements for effective implementation and enforcement of United Nations multilateral and U.S.-imposed unilateral sanctions; and the imperatives for rule of law and governance.
Ambassador Ward travelled to over 30 countries representing the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) for meetings and discussions with government leaders and high-level officials, and NGOs on counter-terrorism (CT) capacity building and related issues; and has provided advisory services to the UN, regional organizations, governments, and NGOs. He has participated in numerous CT conferences, workshops and seminars as keynote speaker; and lectured globally on security, terrorism/CT, AML/CFT, international sanctions, human rights, rule of law, and governance.
Ambassador Ward holds an LL.M. (Int’l Law) from Georgetown University Law Center (‘81); a J.D.– Howard University (HU) School of Law (‘75); and B.A. (Economics and Political Science) from HU (‘72).
Ambassador Ward’s professional experiences span a broad spectrum of disciplines:
- Special assignments on the UN Security Council – Chairman of Special Committees on UN Peace Operations and UN Peacekeeping Operations; member of Security Council Mission to the Great Lakes Region of Africa – meetings with the presidents of the DRC, Namibia, Angola, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (in Kinshasa, Luanda, Lusaka, and Pretoria); with facilitators of Burundi and Rwanda peace processes – former presidents Sir Ketumile Masere and Nelson Mandela (in Johannesburg, South Africa), to advance regional peace processes.
- As CTC Expert Adviser and Liaison with Regional and International Organizations (05/2002-03/2005), developed, directed, and promoted globally the CTC counter-terrorism capacity-building technical assistance facilitation program; provided guidance to governments on CT capacity-building technical assistance; liaised with donor countries, international and regional organizations, and UN agencies and bodies to develop CT capacity-building technical assistance programs; reviewed and assessed UN Member States’ compliance with UN Security Council CT mandates.
- As Senior Research Consultant (Security Council Report (2005-2008), monitored and analyzed the work of UN Security Council sanctions and counter-terrorism subsidiary bodies.
- As Legal Consultant to Caribbean-Central American Action (C-CAA) (2007) on a USAID-funded project, conducted a comprehensive review of Haiti’s port security laws and compliance with international maritime security conventions, and advised Haiti’s Attorney General.
- As UN Security Council Resource Facilitator at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) – Annual Geneva Games, Geneva, Switzerland (March of each year, 2007–2012), directed table-top exercises on the role of the UN Security Council in response to scenario-based crisis situations.
- As Head of Mission and Chairman of Joint UN–Economic Community of West African States Fact-Finding Mission, Abuja, Nigeria (Aug 2008–Apr 2009), led fact-finding team/investigators to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and/or disappearances of over 50 West Africans in The Gambia during 2005; travelled to Ghana and The Gambia for meetings with high-level government and security officials; conducted investigative hearings in Accra and Banjul, and prepared report for the UN and ECOWAS on the Mission’s findings and recommendations.
- As Expert Consultant to the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (2010-2011), reviewed, evaluated, assessed and prepared report – Africa and International Counter-Terrorism Imperatives – on the progress of, and the institutional framework required for legal and operational anti-terrorism implementation and capacity-building in Africa; consulted with top officials at the African Center for Research and Study of Terrorism in Algiers, Algeria, and at the AU Peace and Security Division, AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- As Lead Presenter for the Global Center on Cooperative Security (GCCS) in an AML/CFT training workshop in Addis Abba for the Ethiopian government’s Financial Investigation Division and other government personnel. (April 2004).
- As Consultant to the Government of Nigeria (Embassy of Nigeria, Washington DC), prepared special report – Peace and Security: Africa-United States Imperatives – for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit between President Barack Obama and Heads of African Governments, August 2014.
- Served as Chairman, Working Group 2, Stockholm Process on Implementation of Targeted Sanctions sponsored by the Government of Sweden/Uppsala University, (chaired four WG meetings in Stockholm and one in NY) Feb – Nov 2002.
Ambassador Ward engaged practiced law in Washington DC (1981-1999); and was a Foreign Service Officer in the Government of Jamaica (Embassy of Jamaica, Washington DC, 09/1975 – 02/1981).
Ambassador Ward is a Civic Leader serving the Jamaican/Caribbean diaspora communities for over 40 years in a number of leadership capacities. He is CEO of Curtis A. Ward & Associates; Founder, Editorial Director, and Writer of The Ward Post (the wardpost.com); Chairman of Caribbean Research & Policy Center (a think-tank); Legal Adviser to National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations; Board Member and Legal Adviser to Partners of Good Shepherd Jamaica; and former Chair & Commissioner of the Governor’s Commission on Caribbean Affairs (State of MD). He is the recipient of several citations, honors and awards in recognition of his service.
Ambassador Ward is Adjunct Professor, Homeland Security Graduate Program at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC (since 2012); is former Adjunct Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University – Elliott School of International Affairs (2010-14); has Guest-lectured at the National Defense University, Washington, DC; the NATO School (SHAPE), Oberammergau, Germany; the Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Centre, Accra, Ghana; Columbia University; and New York University Law School.
Ambassador Ward has a number of professional writings to his credit – international journal articles and book chapters – on counterterrorism, international sanctions, the role of the United Nations Security Council, and Caribbean security.