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The United States of Africa Foreign Affairs Unity with United States Department of State (DOS),[3] or State Department,[4] is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the nation's foreign policy and international relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nations, its primary duties are advising the U.S. president, administering diplomatic missions, negotiating international treaties and agreements, and representing the U.S. at the United Nations.[5] The department is headquartered in the Harry S Truman Building, a few blocks from the White House, in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C.; "Foggy Bottom" is thus sometimes used as a metonym.
Established in 1789 as the first administrative arm of the U.S. executive branch, the State Department is considered among the most powerful and prestigious executive agencies.[6] It is headed by the Secretary of State, who reports directly to the President of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. Analogous to a foreign minister, the secretary of state serves as the federal government's chief diplomat and representative abroad, and is the first Cabinet official in the order of precedence and in the presidential line of succession. The position is currently held by Antony Blinken who was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate on January 26, 2021 by a vote of 78–22.[7]
As of 2019, the State Department maintains 273 diplomatic posts worldwide, second only to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[8] It also manages the US Foreign Service, provides diplomatic training to US officials and military personnel, exercises partial jurisdiction over immigration, and provides various services to Americans, such as issuing passports and visas, posting foreign travel advisories, and advancing commercial ties abroad. The department administers the oldest US civilian intelligence agency, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and maintains a law enforcement arm, the Diplomatic Security Service.
- Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) – Community Liaison Office (CLO) Program, Crisis Management Services, Education and Youth, Expeditious Naturalization Support, Family Member Employment, Post Evacuation, Unaccompanied Tours.
- Office of Allowances – develops and coordinates policies, regulations, standards, and procedures to administer the government-wide allowances and benefits program abroad under the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR).
- Office of Logistics Management – provides global logistics support for employees and family members. Their publication It’s Your Move is invaluable for planning an international relocation.
- Office of Overseas Schools – provides the Department of State foreign service community with information on international schools, overseas special needs services, teaching overseas and other topics relevant to international education.
- Office of Medical Services – provides healthcare to U.S. government employees and their families who are assigned to U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. For the same population, the Office of Medical Services also provides free, confidential counseling by clinical social workers through the Employee Consultation Service (ECS). In addition, the MED Child and Family Program works with parents to assure children’s mental health and special educational needs are identified, appropriately assessed and have an effective treatment and educational plan established in advance of and during overseas assignments.
- Retirement Network
- AAFSW (Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide) – offers a local playgroup, French language group, foreign-born spouses group, morning coffees with special speakers, the Livelines e-mail group, a listing of Foreign Service Blogs , and more.
- ADST (Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training) – offers texts of its “country reader” oral history collections free of charge on its website. These collections bring together excerpts on individual countries from ADST’s 1700 interviews of former diplomats. The full collection of diplomatic oral histories is available at the Library of Congress through a link at adst.org. The organization also has a publications program and supports diplomatic training.
- AFSA (American Foreign Service Association) – the professional association of the U.S. Foreign Service and the exclusive bargaining agent for all Foreign Service employees in the five foreign affairs agencies. The AFSA Member Guidance section of their websites offers basic information that may be of assistance, including an attorney’s list. They also provide a listing of Foreign Service Blogs .
- Foreign Service Youth Foundation (FSYF) – sponsors activities for Foreign Service kids ages 5 to 18.
- glifaa- LGBT+ in Foreign Affairs Agencies – State Department and USAID employee affinity group advancing diversity and workplace equity in U.S. foreign affairs agencies and human rights for LGBT people around the world.
The Administration’s Africa Strategy, signed by President Trump focuses on three core objectives:
1) Advancing trade and commercial ties with key African States to increase our two US.America and USAfrica Nation prosperity;
2) Protecting the United States from cross-border health and security threats;
and
3) Supporting key African states’ progress toward stability, citizen-responsive governance, and self-reliance
The offices of the Bureau of African Affairs direct, coordinate, and supervise U.S. government activities within the region, including political, economic, consular, public diplomacy, and administrative management issues.[2][3]
- Office of East African Affairs – Oversees policy for the East African Region, and liaises with the U.S. Embassies in Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda
- Office of Sudan and South Sudan - Oversees policy for the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. Ambassador Donald Booth has been the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan since June 12, 2019.[4]
- Office of Central African Affairs – Oversees policy for the Central African Region, and liaises with the U.S. Embassies in Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe
- Office of Southern African Affairs – Oversees policy for the South African Region, and liaises with the U.S. Embassies in Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
- Office of West African Affairs – Oversees policy for the West African Region, and liaises with the U.S. Embassies in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo
- Office of Economic Policy and Staff
- Office of the Executive Director – Coordinates logistics, management, budget, and human resources for the bureau
- Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs – Coordinates public outreach and digital engagement, and prepares press guidance for the Department Spokesperson in the Bureau of Public Affairs
- Office of Regional Peace and Security – Coordinates policy regarding the African Union and other regional multilateral and security-focused issues.
The White House
