Sorin Ducaru

Special Advisor

Ambassador Sorin Dumitru Ducaru is a Romanian career diplomat with a longstanding experience in trans-Atlantic and International Relations and a particular expertise in the field of emerging security challenges and the impact of new technologies upon security. Ambassador Ducaru’s professional background reflects a quite rare blend of technical and political studies. Holding degrees both in computer-studies and political science, he has been intensely engaged intellectually and professionally in translating “digital language” into the language of policy and strategy. He has recently joined the Hudson Institute in Washington DC, as a Senior Fellow, devoting a special focus on cybersecurity and defence, being also engaged in academic and scientific work in Brussels, Rome, Bucharest and Berlin.

Ambassador Ducaru held the post of NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges from September 2013 to November 2017. In this capacity he was the head of the Emerging Security Challenges Division at NATO-HQ, Chair of the Cyber Defence Committee and also coordinator and manager NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme. He has been leading the work on NATO cyber policy development and implementation in a period of most dynamic developments for the Alliance in this field. He has provided expert input and chaired Allied negotiations on NATO’s Enhanced Policy on Cyber Defence (adopted at the Wales Summit in 2014), on NATO’s Cyber Defence Pledge and the Alliance’s Recognition of Cyberspace as Operational Domain (both adopted at the Warsaw Summit in 2016). As Chair of NATO’s Cyber Defence Management Board, he has been in charge of supervision NATO Cyber Action Plan implementation. Ambassador Ducaru has championed the cyber multi-stakeholder approach and the development of NATO’s cyber partnerships with partner countries, international organizations, industry and academia, displaying at the same time a strong support for the development of international norms of responsible behavior and confidence building measures in cyberspace as important instruments to strengthen stability in cyberspace.

Prior to his appointment as ASG, Ambassador Ducaru served as Romania’s Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council, from September 2006 to September 2013. From November 2011, Ambassador Ducaru was the Dean of the North Atlantic Council.

Ambassador Ducaru was born on 22 June 1964, in Baia-Mare, Romania. He graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest in 1988 with a BA Degree in Applied Electronics and Computer-Studies and from the Romanian National School of Political Studies and Public Administration in 1992, with a Post-Graduate Degree in Political Studies. He holds a MPhil Degree in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam (1993) and a PhD degree in International Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest (2005).

He joined the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993, assuming various posts such as member of the Policy Planning team, counsellor to the Minister, spokesman of the MFA, Director of the Minister’s Office and Director for NATO and Strategic Issues. From 2001 to 2006, he served as Romania’s Ambassador to the United States of America. In 2000–2001, Ambassador Ducaru served as Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations, in New York.

In the year 2008 Ambassador Ducaru was awarded the rank of Knight of the National Order “The Star of Romania”. He received the title of “Ambassador of the Year” in 2003 and 2012, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania.

He is married to Carmen Ducaru, Director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Brussels and has two children. Ambassador Ducaru speaks German, English and French, and enjoys playing the guitar, key-board, skiing, tennis and photography.