Klaus Scharioth

Ambassador Dr. Klaus Scharioth "presented his credentials to President George W. Bush on March 13, 2006. He was born in 1946 in Essen, North Rhine Westfalia, Germany. In 1966 Klaus Scharioth obtained the higher education entrance qualification “Abitur” in Essen and thereafter completed 18 months of national military service. In 1967/1968 he studied political science, sociology and psychology at the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho. From 1968 to 1973 he studied law in Bonn, Geneva and Freiburg and obtained his law degree in 1973. From 1973 to 1975 Klaus Scharioth studied international relations, international law as well as international finance and economics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Harvard Law School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government and received M.A., M.A.L.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Fletcher School in 1974, 1975 and 1978 respectively.

"In 1976 he joined the German Foreign Service. From 1977 to 1979 he served at the Asia desk, in the Press Division and in the State Secretary’s Office. He was also an intern with the German weekly “Die Zeit”. From 1979 to 1982 Dr. Scharioth was posted to the German Embassy in Quito, Ecuador. From 1982 to 1986 he was a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the German Foreign Office. From 1986 to 1990 he was posted to the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in New York as delegate to the Sixth Committee and the Security Council (87-88), serving also as Vice Chairman of the UN Legal and Charter Committees. From 1990 to 1993 Dr. Scharioth worked in the International Law Division of the German Federal Foreign Office.

"In 1993 he was appointed Chef de Cabinet (director of the private office) to the NATO Secretary-General in Brussels, working there until 1996 with Secretaries General Wörner, Claes and Solana. His responsibilities included the preparation of the ’94 Brussels Summit, the implementation of its results and in general the enlargement process as well as the establishment of the Permanent Joint Council with Russia and NATO crisis management on the Balkans.From 1996 to 1997 he was the Foreign Office’s Head of the Defense and Security Policy Division, helping to prepare for the Madrid NATO-summit. In 1997 and 1998 he served in the office of the German Foreign Minister, as of April 1998 as Head of the Minister’s staff. In 1998/1999 Dr. Scharioth headed the International Security and North America Directorate, from 1999 to 2002 he was Political Director and Head of the Political Directorate-General. In these years he participated in the negotiations to launch the European Security and Defense Policy and the Berlin Plus agreements, the NATO-Russia Council and the Stability Pact for South East Europe.

"From 2002 until March 2006 Dr. Scharioth served as State Secretary, the highest civil service post in the German Foreign Office. His responsibilities included Security and Defense Policy, Transatlantic Relations, European Policy (also the European Constitution and the Financial Perspective), crisis management, arms control and disarmament, the negotiations with Iran, Russia, G 8, budget and personnel; after June 2005 also United Nations, human rights and bilateral relations between Germany and all other countries. Together with his Russian counterpart he co-chaired the High Level Working Group on Security Issues. Klaus Scharioth is married and has three children."


 * Director, Humanity In Action
 * Board of Overseers, Fletcher School