Louis O'Neill

Louis O'Neill, Ambassador to Moldova for the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

Louis O'Neill is currently the Ambassador to Moldova for the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE). He heads a 60-person, three-office diplomatic mission and is responsible for implementing the Mission's Mandate, a set of instructions that have been approved by all 56 participating States of the OSCE.

O'Neill holds degrees from Stanford and Harvard and has worked for The Moscow Times newspaper, Harvard University and the U.S. Department of State. Louis O'Neill is intimately familiar with the conflicts of values and culture that can arise as Eastern European countries are slowly integrated into the institutions of the west.

Moldova continues in fits and starts along its rocky path to European integration. Since its liberation from the Soviet Union, Moldova was the first former Soviet state to join the Council of Europe. Moldova's current Communist government was democratically elected, but there have been observations of problems in the realms of freedom of the press, rule of law, judicial independence and trafficking in human beings.

Since arriving at his post in Moldova in 2006, Louis O'Neill has made progress on multiple fronts toward establishing and maintaining the human security which the OSCE seeks to bring to all its participating States. O'Neill has demonstrated his ability to handle delicate situations with diplomacy and persuasion, sometimes in the face of physical confrontation and escalation.

Steps toward security are often small and not immediately visible. An important seminar in October 2007 on Confidence and Security Building Measures brought the Moldovan and Transnistrian sides together in a non-confrontational environment to discuss ways to improve contact, communication and trust between them.

"Louis O'Neill" was also vocal about defending freedom of expression on Moldovan airwaves when an alternative radio news station was suddenly shut down because of "technical problems" while airing a debate on controversial subject matter.

As well, under O'Neill's administration, Moldova has hosted both a peace-themed music festival and a photography contest designed to bring people on both sides of the Nistru river together. "This event gives photographers from Moldova a unique opportunity to share their views and talents, and will raise the visibility of documentary photography in Moldova," Louis O'Neill said when speaking of the contest. "This event combines our tradition of holding monthly arts exhibitions with our day-to-day work in the media field."

Press Releases

CHISINAU, 24 November 2006

Ribnitsa authorities must return confiscated school building, says OSCE Mission Head, Ambassador Louis O'Neill.

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