Home Home Travel Remarks and Releases HomeBureaus & Offices...Home hide Deputy Secretary of State Our Mission The Deputy Secretary serves as the principal deputy, adviser, and alter ego to the Secretary of State; serves as Acting Secretary of State in the Secretary's absence; and assists the Secretary in the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy and in giving general supervision and direction to all elements of the Department. Specific duties and supervisory responsibilities have varied over time. Acting Deputy Secretary of State and Under Secretary for Political Affairs Ambassador Victoria Nuland Follow Us: Twitter Offices Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region