Assistant Secretary for International Affairs
Christopher Pratt serves as the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He leads the Departments international engagement efforts in this capacity, fostering partnerships and advancing collaboration with global allies to address U.S. Government priorities such as border security, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity. Drawing on extensive experience in international negotiations and diplomatic relations, Mr. Pratt works to advance U.S. national security interests and strengthen global frameworks on vital national security challenges to ensure DHS mission success.
Before his current role, Mr. Pratt served as the Principal Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) at the Department of State, where he led efforts to secure the release of American hostages and improve the government’s response to hostage-taking incidents. In this role, he was deeply engaged in high-stakes diplomacy and sensitive negotiations with foreign governments and other international actors. Prior, he served as Chief of Hostage Recovery/Personnel Recovery/NAR in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy at the Department of Defense (DoD), where he facilitated cross-agency collaboration to support complex recovery operations.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Pratt spent a decade in the private sector, where he designed and managed programs for U.S. Government entities, including establishing interagency initiatives in Afghanistan to advance mission-critical goals. He served as an advisor to the Commander of all forces in Afghanistan, as well as the Commanding General of all special operations forces. A former practitioner of intellectual property law, he holds a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech. Proficient in Pashto and Swedish, Mr. Pratt’s diverse background and expertise in diplomacy, negotiations, and cross-cultural engagement have equipped him to navigate complex international landscapes and deliver results that advance national and global security.