
Bureaus and Offices
Domestically, the Department consists of bureaus and offices responsible for handling various interests and policy initiatives. We also operate several other types of offices, most of which are located throughout the United States, including passport agencies, foreign press centers, logistic support offices, security offices, and financial service centers.
Bureaus and offices cover “regional” or “functional” topics. Most report to one of six Under Secretaries, but some report directly to the Secretary of State or the Deputy Secretary of State. The Under Secretaries of State serve as advisors to the Secretary and lead the Department’s efforts in their respective subject matters. As their work is often related, bureaus and offices that report to the same Under Secretary are said to belong to the same “family,” and are usually identified with a single letter representing each Under Secretary.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service, and U.S. Agency for International Development.
- Deputy Secretary of State
- Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources
- Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy
- Bureau of Intelligence and Research
- Bureau of Legislative Affairs
- Counselor of the Department
- Executive Secretariat
- Office of Civil Rights
- Office of Diversity and Inclusion
- Office of Global Women’s Issues
- Office of the Chief of Protocol
- Office of the Legal Adviser
- Office of the Ombudsman
- Office of the Secretary’s Special Representative for Syria Engagement
- Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology
- Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs
- Office of the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
- Policy Planning Staff
- Special Representative for Iran
- Special Representative for Venezuela
- The Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS
- United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority
The Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security serves as a Senior Adviser to the President and the Secretary of State, leads the interagency policy process on nonproliferation, and manages global U.S. security policy, including: nonproliferation, arms control, regional security, defense relations, arms transfers, security assistance.
The Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights leads Department efforts to prevent and counter threats to civilian security. The bureaus and offices reporting to the Under Secretary advance the security of the American people by assisting countries around the world to build more democratic, secure, stable, and just societies.
- Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
- Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
- Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
- Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
- Office of Global Criminal Justice
- Office of International Religious Freedom
- Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
- Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues
- Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
The Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment (E) leads the State Department’s efforts to develop and implement international policies related to economic growth, energy, agriculture, the ocean, the environment, and science and technology.
The Under Secretary for Management is the State Department’s representative on the President’s Management Council, and is the Department official responsible for implementing the President’s Management Agenda (PMA). The PMA is a set of management initiatives designed to make government more citizen-centered, effective, and efficient.
- Bureau of Administration
- Bureau of Budget and Planning
- Bureau of Consular Affairs
- Bureau of Diplomatic Security
- Bureau of Global Talent Management
- Bureau of Information Resource Management
- Bureau of Medical Services
- Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations
- Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services
- Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms
- Foreign Service Institute
- Office of Foreign Missions
- Office of Management Strategy and Solutions
The Under Secretary for Political Affairs serves as the day-to-day manager of overall regional and bilateral policy issues. The geographic bureaus and offices advise the Under Secretary and guide the operation of the U.S. diplomatic missions within their regional jurisdiction. International Organization Affairs develops and implements the policies of the U.S. Government within the United Nations and its affiliated agencies, as well as within certain other international organizations.
The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs serves as the lead policy maker for the Department’s overall public outreach and press strategies. The team coordinates closely with bureaus, the interagency, the private sector, and international partners to ensure the Department’s public diplomacy and public affairs activities are consistent, forward looking, supportive of U.S. foreign policy, and grounded in research.