Department of State Bureaus in the United States

Introduction to Department of State Bureaus

The State Department has six geographically defined bureaus, all of which report to the undersecretary of political affairs. There are geographic bureaus for Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Near East, South Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. The bureaus, each headed by an assistant secretary, coordinate U.S. relations with the countries in their respective areas. Directors within the bureaus work closely with U.S. ambassadors abroad to ensure that U.S. foreign policy directives are both understood and implemented. Also included in the State Department is the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, which implements U.S. policies in the United Nations (UN), UN-affiliated agencies, and other international organizations.

The following are among the other major functional bureaus in the Department of State. The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs is responsible for formulating and coordinating policy regarding foreign economic matters and international trade. The Bureau of Intelligence and Research produces intelligence studies and analysis for the State Department as well as other federal agencies. The Bureau of Public Affairs is involved with the dissemination of foreign policy information to the American people.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs enforces immigration laws, issues passports to U.S. citizens and visas to foreign visitors to the United States, and publishes travel warnings recommending that Americans avoid travel to certain countries. The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs provides direction on military and security policies. The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor promotes democracy, assists newly formed democracies, investigates and documents human rights conditions in other countries, and promotes worker rights. The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration works with foreign governments and international organizations to provide relief to refugees and victims of conflict, and it formulates U.S. policies on population and migration. The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs deals with global problems that relate to human health, oceans, forests, the atmosphere, and space. It also directs U.S. participation in science and advanced technology programs. The Office of Protocol deals with the many aspects of protocol involved in international relations, such as planning ceremonial events for visiting heads of state.” (1)

Alphabetical List of Bureaus and Offices

References in the following list provide the available entries in this U.S. legal Encyclopedia for the domestic organizational components of the State Department in alphabetical order:

• Deputy Secretary (D)
• Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources (DMR)
• Counselor of the Department (C)

Under Secretary for:

• Arms Control and International Security (T)
• Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J)
• Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment (E)
• Management (M)
• Political Affairs (P)
• Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (R)

Bureaus and Offices:

• Administration (A)
• African Affairs (AF)
• Allowances (A/OPR/ALS)
• Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (AVC)
• Authentications
• Budget and Planning (BP)
• Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC)
• Chief Information Officer (CIO)
• Chief Economist, of the Department
• Chief of Staff
• Civil Rights, Office of
• Comptroller and Global Financial Services (CGFS)
• Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO)
• Consular Affairs (CA)
• Counterterrorism (CT)
• Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL)
• Department Spokesperson
• Diplomatic Reception Rooms
• Diplomatic Security (DS)
• Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources (DGHR)
• East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP)
• Economic and Business Affairs (EB)
• Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
• Energy Resources (ENR)
• European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR)
• Executive Secretariat (S/ES)
• Foreign Assistance (F)
• Foreign Missions (OFM)
• Foreign Service Institute (FSI)
• Global AIDS Coordinator (S/GAC)
• Global Criminal Justice (GCJ)
• Global Food Security
• Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI)
• Global Youth Issues (GYI)
• Human Resources (DGHR)
• Information Resource Management (IRM)
• Inspector General (OIG)
• Intelligence and Research (INR)
• International Information Programs (IIP)
• International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
• International Organization Affairs (IO)
• International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN)
• Legal Adviser (L)
• Legislative Affairs (H)
• Management Policy, Rightsizing and Innovation (PRI)
• Medical Services (MED)
• Mission to the United Nations (USUN)
• Near Eastern Affairs (NEA)
• Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs(OES)
• Office of Terrorism Finance and Economic Sanctions Policy
• Ombudsman, Office of
• Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO)
• Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (PPR)
• Policy Planning Staff (S/P)
• Political-Military Affairs (PM)
• Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)
• Protocol (S/CPR)
• Public Affairs (PA)
• Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR)
• Science & Technology Adviser (STAS)
• South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA)
• Trafficking in Persons (TIP)
• Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Department of State Bureaus in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Department of State Bureaus

In this Section

Federal Departments, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense (including Department of Defense Purpose, Department of Defense Organization, Department of Defense Liaison of Command and Department of Defense Supporting Agencies), Department of Education, Department of Energy (including Department of Energy Purpose, Department of Energy Organization and Department of Energy Research and Development), Department of Health and Human Services (including Department of Health and Human Services History and Department of Health and Human Services Agencies and Services), Department of Homeland Security (including Department of Homeland Security Organization and Functions, Department of Homeland Security Origins and Department of Homeland Security Supporting Agencies), Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice (including Department of Justice Functions, Department of Justice Structure and Department of Justice Associated Agencies), Department of Labor, Department of National Defence, Department of State (including Department of State Administration and Department of State Bureaus), Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army, Department of the Interior (including Department of the Interior Functions and Department of the Interior Principal Agencies), Department of the Navy, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs (including the Department of Veterans Affairs Service Categories, Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Available and GI Bill of Rights) and Department of War.