Hume is a member of the
United States Foreign Service, rank of Career Minister. His earlier assignments included
Italy,
Tunisia,
Syria,
Lebanon, the
United Nations, and the
Holy See. More recently he has served as Ambassador to
Algeria and to
South Africa, and as
Chargé d'Affaires to
Sudan. While Ambassador to
Indonesia, he focused on oceans, climate change, and education as elements of "soft power" diplomacy. He has published three books (
The United Nations, Iran and Iraq: How Peacemaking Changed (1994), ''Ending Mozambique's War
(1994) and Mission to Algiers: Diplomacy by Engagement'' (2006)) and numerous articles on
foreign policy. He has also been a fellow or guest scholar at the
Council on Foreign Relations,
Harvard University's Center for International Affairs, and the
United States Institute of Peace. He is a
lawyer and admitted to practice in
New York and the
District of Columbia. His foreign languages include Arabic, French, and Italian. Since leaving his post as ambassador in 2010, Hume has served as a consultant to various interests in Indonesia, including the
Sinar Mas Group. From October 2014 to July 2022, he served a member of
NOAA’s Ocean Exploration Advisory Board. He is currently Chairman of the American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Advisor to The Richardson Center. In April 2024, Hume was appointed as the Executive Director of Maritime Humanitarian Aid Foundation (MHAF). ==References==