Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan
2022 – 2026

The State Department is our nation’s oldest cabinet agency, our nation’s lead foreign affairs agency, and its employees are the face of the United States to the rest of the world.  In order to effectively pursue our foreign policy goals and ensure our national security, it is imperative we create a workforce that truly reflects the country we represent.  

Our country’s diversity is our greatest strength.  When we fully leverage everyone and everything our nation has to offer, our foreign policy is stronger, smarter, and more creative.  As I said in my confirmation hearing, I will measure the success of my tenure based on how well we can recruit and retain a workforce that looks like America.  Within the first few months of my administration, I appointed the Department’s first-ever stand-alone Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, who reports directly to me and leads the newly created Secretary’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.  I also created the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council to help achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the following Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan.  

Together, we will ensure that the Department of State is a leader in government-wide efforts to advance DEIA goals for the federal workforce.  In doing that, we will also be able to ensure that the Department itself is in the strongest possible position to deliver for the U.S. people in an increasingly diverse, complex, and interconnected world.