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# Equity Action Plan

Since he took office, President Biden has issued two Executive Orders (E.O.) 13985 and 14091 to advance racial equity and support for underserved communities.  Theses E.O.s call upon every department and agency in the Executive Branch to embed equity in government programming and decision-making processes and hold them accountable for delivering concrete results.

Inequity impacts all spheres of foreign relations and is a national security challenge with global consequences.  The implementation of E.O.s 13985 and 14091 is a historic shift for the U.S. Department of State, as it requires advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities across all dimensions of U.S. foreign policy and the United States’ broader foreign affairs mission.  The Department’s Equity work focuses on external efforts to address structural inequalities and discrimination that impede underserved or marginalized populations’ full inclusion in society.

On behalf of Secretary Blinken, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma leads implementation of E.O.s 13985 and 14091 in collaboration with the Department Equity Council, led by Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Robert Gilchrist.  The Department Equity Council has over 80 colleagues from across the institution, which includes civil service and foreign service employees, political appointees, and contract employees, and coordinates the implementation of the E.O.s throughout the Department’s foreign affairs mission.  The Department Equity Council’s objective is to identify how the Department can advance racial equity and support for underserved communities through U.S. foreign policy and assistance, public engagements and exchanges, grants, procurement, contracts, and consular services.  The updated Equity Action Plan provides a roadmap for the Department to generate better-informed policies, programs, and processes to address barriers to equity worldwide and achieve our foreign policy goals.  This includes sustained engagement with individuals from historically marginalized populations and underserved communities domestically and overseas.

The Department has identified five areas of focus for its 2023 Equity Action Plan: pursuing diplomatic efforts to combat hate and protect inclusive democracy; advancing racial equity and justice globally; protecting LGBTQI+ persons globally; programing respect for international disability rights; and advancing gender equity and equality globally.  Through community consultation, high-level dialogues, new diplomatic efforts, and our foreign assistant programs, the Department and its missions overseas will increase efforts to embed equity in our work through outreach and engagement with historically marginalized populations and communities; underserved groups; civil society; and bilateral and multilateral organizations.  The Department will continue to engage the public on these action areas, its progress, and next steps.

Download 2023 Equity Action Plan							 [613 KB]

## Learn More: 2022 Equity Action Plan

Download 2022 Equity Action Plan							 [478 KB]

Fact Sheet – April 14, 2022U.S. Department of State’s Equity Action Plan

Press Statement – April 14, 2022The Department of State’s Plan to Advance Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities in Foreign Affairs

Media Note – April 14, 2022White House Release of the U.S. Department of State’s Action Plan to Advance Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities in Foreign Affairs

DipNote – April 15, 2022Integrating Equity Across our Foreign Affairs Work

ShareAmerica – April 14, 2022State Department’s historic plan to advance equity in U.S. foreign policy

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## Discover More

OMB Report to the President

Equity RFI Summary

FY23 Budget Equity Fact Sheet

FY22 Budget Equity Fact Sheet

White House Equity MicrositeExplore the findings from the year-long equity process agencies have engaged in, as well as executive summaries of the equity action plans submitted by the largest Federal agencies.

Performance.gov Equity MicrositeFind all agency equity action plans, links to agency equity pages, and other equity-related public documents.

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