Ambassadors of the United States
Special Envoys , Representatives and Coordinators
Table:
Portfolio
Officeholder (Title)
Website
Appointed

Afghanistan and Pakistan — S/SRAP office disestablished June 2017, its duties assumed by the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs[97]

Alice Wells

[66]

June 26, 2017

Arctic Region — In 2017 it was announced this office's functions would be subsumed into the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs[95]

Vacant since January 20, 2017
(Special Representative) [98]

[67]

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Matthew Matthews [99]
(Senior Official)

[68]

May 17, 2015

Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia

Vacant (Coordinator) [100]

[69]

Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention Issues

Robert Wood[101] (Special Representative)

[70]

October 2, 2014

Burma — In 2017 it was announced this office's functions would be subsumed into the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs[95]

Vacant since November 19, 2014
(Senior Advisor)

[71]

Central African Republic[102]

Vacant since 2015
(Special Representative)

[72]

Civil Society and Emerging Democracies

Vacant since October 31, 2014 (Coordinator)

[73]

Climate Change — In 2017 it was announced this office's functions would be subsumed into the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs[95]

Vacant since January 20, 2017
(Special Envoy)

[74]

Closure of the Guantánamo Detention Facility — In 2017 it was announced this office would be disestablished, and any of its functions deemed still necessary would be assumed by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs[96]

Vacant since January 20, 2017
(Special Envoy)

[75]

Commercial and Business Affairs

Vacant (Special Representative)
Scott Ticknor, acting

[76]

Conference on Disarmament

Robert Wood (Special Representative)

[77]

October 2, 2014

Counterterrorism

Nathan A. Sales[103] (Coordinator)[104]

[78]

August 10, 2017

Cyber Issues — In 2017 it was announced the coordinator position for this office would be discontinued, and its functions subsumed into the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs[96]

Vacant since July 2017[105][106] (Coordinator)

[79]

Environment and Water Resources — In 2017 it was announced the assistant secretary for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs would be dual-hatted as the special representative for environment and water resources.[96]

Vacant since January 2017
(Special Representative)

[80]

Fissile Material Negotiator

Michael Guhin (Senior Cutoff Coordinator)

[81][107]

August 10, 2009

Global Coalition to Counter ISIL

Vacant since December 31, 2018 [108][109]
(Special Presidential Envoy)

[82]

Global Criminal Justice

Todd Buchwald (Special Coordinator)

[83]

December 30, 2015

Global Engagement Center

Vacant (Coordinator)
Daniel Kimmage, acting

[84]

Global Food Security — In 2017 it was reported that this office would be moved to USAID[95]

Vacant (Special Representative)
Ted Lyng, acting

[85]

From the provided table together with the relevant paragraphs below.

Answer the following question: How many Pacific Rim member economies belong to the conference associated with Matthew Matthews ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

Afghanistan ( /æfˈɡænɪstæn , æfˈɡɑːnɪstɑːn/ ( listen ) ; Pashto/Dari : افغانستان , Pashto : Afġānistān [ avɣɒnisˈtɒn , ab- ] , [ a ] Dari : Afġānestān [ avɣɒnesˈtɒn ] ) , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country in Asia . Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south ; [ b ] Iran to the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan to the north ; and China to the northeast . Occupying 652,000 square kilometers ( 252,000 sq mi ) , it is a mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest . Kabul is the capital and largest city . The population is 32 million , mostly composed of ethnic Pashtuns , Tajiks , Hazaras and Uzbeks . Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era , and the country 's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia . The land has historically been home to various peoples and has witnessed numerous military campaigns , including those by Alexander the Great , Mauryas , Muslim Arabs , Mongols , British , Soviets , and by the United States with allied countries . The land also served as the source from which the Kushans , Hephthalites , Samanids , Saffarids , Ghaznavids , Ghorids , Khaljis , Mughals , Hotaks , Durranis , and others have risen to form major empires . The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century . In the late 19th century , Afghanistan became a buffer state in the Great Game between British India and the Russian Empire . Its border with British India , the Durand Line , was formed in 1893 but it is not recognized by the Afghan government and it has led to strained relations with Pakistan since the latter 's independence in 1947 . Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 the country was free of foreign influence , eventually becoming a monarchy under Amanullah Khan , until almost 50 years later when Zahir Shah was overthrown and a republic was established .
Pakistan , [ b ] officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , [ c ] is a country in South Asia . It is the world 's sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 207.8 million . In area , it is the 33rd-largest country , spanning 881,913 square kilometres ( 340,509 square miles ) . Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre ( 650-mile ) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east , Afghanistan to the west , Iran to the southwest , and China in the northeast . It is separated narrowly from Tajikistan by Afghanistan 's Wakhan Corridor in the northwest , and also shares a maritime border with Oman . The territory that now constitutes Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures and intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent . The ancient history involves the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation , and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures , including Hindus , Indo-Greeks , Muslims , Turco-Mongols , Afghans and Sikhs . The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties , including the Persian Achaemenid Empire , Alexander III of Macedon , the Seleucid Empire , the Indian Maurya Empire , the Gupta Empire , the Arab Umayyad Caliphate , the Delhi Sultanate , the Mongol Empire , the Mughal Empire , the Afghan Durrani Empire , the Sikh Empire ( partially ) and , most recently , the British Indian Empire . Pakistan is the only country to have been created in the name of Islam . It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country , with similarly diverse geography and wildlife . Initially a dominion , Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956 , becoming an Islamic republic . An ethnic civil war and Indian military intervention in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh .
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs ( SCA ) is an agency within the United States Department of State that is responsible for the U.S. government 's relations with countries in the South and Central Asian region . The bureau is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs , who reports to the Secretary of State through the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs . The current Acting Assistant Secretary is Alice G. Wells , incumbent since June 26 , 2017 .
Alice G. Wells is an American diplomat and former Ambassador of the United States of America to Jordan .
The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic . Eight member countries constitute the council : Canada , Denmark , Finland , Iceland , Norway , Russia , Sweden , and the United States as these are the eight countries with sovereignty over the lands within the Arctic Circle . Outside these , there are some observer states .
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs ( OES ) is a bureau within the United States Department of State . It coordinates a portfolio of issues related to the world 's oceans , environment , science and technology , and health .
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region . Following the success of ASEAN 's series of post-ministerial conferences launched in the mid-1980s , APEC started in 1989 , in response to the growing interdependence of Asia-Pacific economies and the advent of regional trade blocs in other parts of the world ; it aimed to establish new markets for agricultural products and raw materials beyond Europe . Headquartered in Singapore , APEC is recognized as one of the highest-level multilateral blocs and oldest forums in the Asia-Pacific region , and exerts a significant global influence . The heads of government of all APEC members except the Republic of China ( which is represented by a ministerial-level official under the name Chinese Taipei as economic leader ) attend an annual APEC Economic Leaders ' Meeting . The location of the meeting rotates annually among the member economies , and a famous tradition , followed for most ( but not all ) summits , involves the attending leaders dressing in a national costume of the host country . APEC has three official observers : the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat , the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat . APEC 's Host Economy of the Year is considered to be invited in the first place for geographical representation to attend G20 meetings following G20 guidelines .
Matthew John Matthews is an American diplomat who has served as the United States Ambassador to Brunei since 2019 .
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development , Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological ( Biological ) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction ( usually referred to as the Biological Weapons Convention , abbreviation : BWC , or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention , abbreviation : BTWC ) was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning the production of an entire category of weapons . The Convention was the result of prolonged efforts by the international community to establish a new instrument that would supplement the 1925 Geneva Protocol . The Geneva Protocol prohibits use but not possession or development of chemical and biological weapons . A draft of the BWC , submitted by the British was opened for signature on 10 April 1972 and entered into force 26 March 1975 when twenty-two governments had deposited their instruments of ratification . It commits the 183 states which are party to it as of August 2019 to prohibit the development , production , and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons . However , the absence of any formal verification regime to monitor compliance has limited the effectiveness of the Convention . An additional five states have signed the BWC but have yet to ratify the treaty . The scope of the BWC 's prohibition is defined in Article 1 ( the so-called general purpose criterion ) . This includes all microbial and other biological agents or toxins and their means of delivery ( with exceptions for medical and defensive purposes in small quantities ) . Subsequent Review Conferences have reaffirmed that the general purpose criterion encompasses all future scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention . It is not the objects themselves ( biological agents or toxins ) , but rather certain purposes for which they may be employed which are prohibited ; similar to Art.II , 1 in the Chemical Weapons Convention ( CWC ) . Permitted purposes under the BWC are defined as prophylactic , protective and other peaceful purposes .
Myanmar ( English pronunciation below ; Burmese : မြန်မာ , [ mjəmà ] ) [ nb 1 ] or Burma ( see §Etymology ) , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar [ nb 2 ] , is a country in Southeast Asia . Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh and India to its northwest , China to its northeast , Laos and Thailand to its east and southeast , and the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to its south and southwest . With a size of 676,578 square kilometres ( 261,228 square miles ) , Myanmar is the largest of the Mainland Southeast Asian states by area . As of 2017 , the population is about 54 million . Its capital city is Naypyidaw , and its largest city is Yangon ( Rangoon ) . Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) since 1997 . Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma . In the 9th century , the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and , following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s , the Burmese language , culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country . The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged . In the 16th century , reunified by the Taungoo dynasty , the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia . The early 19th century Konbaung dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well . The British East India Company seized control of the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony .
In the United States Government , the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs ( EAP , originally the Office of Chinese Affairs ) is part of the United States Department of State and is charged with advising the Secretary of State and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs on matters of the Asia-Pacific region , as well as dealing with U.S. foreign policy and U.S. relations with countries in that area . It is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs , who reports to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs .
The Central African Republic ( CAR ; Sango : Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka ; French : République centrafricaine pronounced [ ʁepyblik sɑ̃tʁafʁikɛn ] , or Centrafrique [ sɑ̃tʁafʁik ] ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa . It is bordered by Chad to the north , Sudan to the northeast , South Sudan to the southeast , the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south , the Republic of the Congo to the southwest and Cameroon to the west . The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres ( 240,000 sq mi ) and had an estimated population of around 4.7 million as of 2018 [ update ] . As of 2020 [ update ] , the CAR is the scene of a civil war , ongoing since 2012 . Most of the CAR consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas , but the country also includes a Sahelo-Sudanian zone in the north and an equatorial forest zone in the south . Two thirds of the country is within the Ubangi River basin ( which flows into the Congo ) , while the remaining third lies in the basin of the Chari , which flows into Lake Chad . What is today the Central African Republic has been inhabited for millennia ; however , the country 's current borders were established by France , which ruled the country as a colony starting in the late 19th century . After gaining independence from France in 1960 , the Central African Republic was ruled by a series of autocratic leaders , including an abortive attempt at a monarchy ; by the 1990s , calls for democracy led to the first multi-party democratic elections in 1993 . Ange-Félix Patassé became president , but was later removed by General François Bozizé in the 2003 coup . The Central African Republic Bush War began in 2004 and , despite a peace treaty in 2007 and another in 2011 , civil war resumed in 2012 . Despite its significant mineral deposits and other resources , such as uranium reserves , crude oil , gold , diamonds , cobalt , lumber , and hydropower , as well as significant quantities of arable land , the Central African Republic is among the ten poorest countries in the world , with the lowest GDP per capita at purchasing power parity in the world as of 2017 . As of 2019 [ update ] , according to the Human Development Index ( HDI ) , the country had the second lowest level of human development , ranking 188th out of 189 countries .
In October 2010 , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton created the Office of the Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies , and appointed Tomicah Tillemann to lead its work . In coordination with other State Department bureaus , the office is responsible for developing and implementing the Secretary of State 's civil society agenda and strengthen emerging democracies . The office reports directly to the Secretary of State .
Global climate change was first addressed in United States policy beginning in the early 1950s . The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) defines climate change as any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time . Essentially , climate change includes major changes in temperature , precipitation , or wind patterns , as well as other effects , that occur over several decades or longer . Climate change policy in the U.S. has transformed rapidly over the past twenty years and is being developed at both the state and federal [ citation needed ] level . The politics of global warming and climate change have polarized certain political parties and other organizations . This article focuses on climate change policy within the United States , as well as exploring the positions of various parties and the influences on policy making and environmental justice repercussions .
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base , also referred to as Guantánamo , G-Bay , GTMO , and Gitmo ( /ˈɡɪtmoʊ/ ) , which is on the coast of Guantánamo Bay in Cuba . Indefinite detention without trial and torture have led the operations of this camp to be considered a major breach of human rights by Amnesty International and a violation of Due Process Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments of the United States Constitution . The camp was established by President George W. Bush 's administration in 2002 during the War on Terror . His successor , President Barack Obama , promised that he would close it , but met strong bipartisan opposition from Congress , which passed laws to prohibit detainees from Guantanamo being imprisoned in the U.S. During Obama 's administration , the number of inmates was reduced from about 245 to 41 ; most former detainees were freed and transferred to other countries . In January 2018 , President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep the detention camp open indefinitely . In May 2018 , the first prisoner was transferred during Trump 's term ; this reduced the number of inmates to 40 .
In the United States government , the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs ( WHA ) is a part of the U.S. Department of State , charged with implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere , as well as advising the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs . It is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs , who is currently Acting Assistant Secretary Francisco Palmieri .
The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs ( EB ) is a bureau of the U.S. Department of State charged with promoting economic security and prosperity at home and abroad . It reports to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth , Energy , and the Environment . The Bureau 's work lies at the nexus of economic prosperity and national security . In addition , EB also addresses a range of economic issues including intellectual property rights , piracy , and counterfeiting . As the single point where international economic policy tools and threads converge , EB helps to promote a coherent economic policy across the U.S. government . It is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs , Manisha Singh .
The Conference on Disarmament ( CD ) is a multilateral disarmament forum established by the international community to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements based at the Palais des Nations in Geneva . The Conference meets annually in three separate sessions in Geneva .
The Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism ( CT ) is a bureau of the United States Department of State . It coordinates all U.S. Government efforts to improve counter-terrorism cooperation with foreign governments and participates in the development , coordination , and implementation of American counterterrorism policy . In June 2007 , Ambassador-at-Large Dell Dailey was appointed to be the Coordinator for Counterterrorism . Under Secretary Clinton , the Coordinator for Counterterrorism from 2009 to 2012 was Ambassador-at-Large Daniel Benjamin . He was followed by Tina S. Kaidanow , from 2014 to 2016 . The current Coordinator for Counterterrorism is Nathan Sales . Originally the Office for Combating Terrorism and later the Bureau of Counterterrorism , the bureau 's name was expanded in 2016 to include countering violent extremism in its mandate .
Nathan Alexander Sales is an American lawyer , academic , and government official who is currently serving as Coordinator for Counterterrorism within the U.S. Department of State . Prior to assuming his current role , he was an associate professor at Syracuse University College of Law , where his fields of research included national security law , counterterrorism law , administrative law , and constitutional law . Sales was also of counsel at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis .
A cybersecurity regulation comprises directives that safeguard information technology and computer systems with the purpose of forcing companies and organizations to protect their systems and information from cyberattacks like viruses , worms , Trojan horses , phishing , denial of service ( DOS ) attacks , unauthorized access ( stealing intellectual property or confidential information ) and control system attacks . There are numerous measures available to prevent cyberattacks . Cybersecurity measures include firewalls , anti-virus software , intrusion detection and prevention systems , encryption , and login passwords . There have been attempts to improve cybersecurity through regulation and collaborative efforts between the government and the private sector to encourage voluntary improvements to cybersecurity . Industry regulators , including banking regulators , have taken notice of the risk from cybersecurity and have either begun or planned to begin to include cybersecurity as an aspect of regulatory examinations .
Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful . Uses of water include agricultural , industrial , household , recreational and environmental activities . All living things require water to grow and reproduce . 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water ; slightly over two thirds of this is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps . The remaining unfrozen freshwater is found mainly as groundwater , with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air . Fresh water is a renewable resource , yet the world 's supply of groundwater is steadily decreasing , with depletion occurring most prominently in Asia , South America and North America , although it is still unclear how much natural renewal balances this usage , and whether ecosystems are threatened . The framework for allocating water resources to water users ( where such a framework exists ) is known as water rights .
The Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty ( FMCT ) is a proposed international treaty to prohibit the further production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other explosive devices . The treaty has not been negotiated and its terms remain to be defined . According to a proposal by the United States , fissile material includes high-enriched uranium and plutonium ( except plutonium that is over 80% Pu-238 ) . According to a proposal by Russia , fissile material would be limited to weapons-grade uranium ( with more than 90% U-235 ) and plutonium ( with more than 90% Pu-239 ) . Neither proposal would prohibit the production of fissile material for non-weapons purposes , including use in civil or naval nuclear reactors . In a 27 September 1993 speech before the UN , President Clinton called for a multilateral convention banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear explosives or outside international safeguards . In December 1993 the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 48/75L calling for the negotiation of a non-discriminatory , multilateral and international effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices . The Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament ( CD ) on 23 March 1995 agreed to establish a committee to negotiate a non-discriminatory , multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices . However , substantive negotiations have not taken place . In 2004 , the United States announced that it opposed the inclusion of a verification mechanism in the treaty on the grounds that the treaty could not be effectively verified . On November 4 , 2004 , the United States cast the sole vote in the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly against a resolution ( A/C.1/59/L.34 ) calling for negotiation of an effectively verifiable treaty . The Bush Administration supported a treaty but advocated an ad hoc system of verification wherein states would monitor the compliance of other states through their own national intelligence mechanisms .
In response to rapid territorial gains made by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( ISIL ) during the first half of 2014 , and its universally condemned executions , reported human rights abuses and the fear of further spillovers of the Syrian Civil War , many states began to intervene against it in both the Syrian Civil War and the Iraqi Civil War . Later , there were also minor interventions by some states against ISIL-affiliated groups in Nigeria and Libya . In mid-June 2014 , Iran , according to American and British information , started flying drones over Iraq , and , according to Reuters , Iranian soldiers were in Iraq fighting ISIL . Simultaneously , the United States ordered a small number of troops to Iraq and started flying crewed aircraft over Iraq . In July 2014 , according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies , Iran sent Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft to Iraq , and Hezbollah purportedly sent trainers and advisers to Iraq to monitor ISIL 's movements . In August 2014 , the US and Iran separately began a campaign of airstrikes on ISIL targets in Iraq . Since then , fourteen countries in a US-led coalition have also executed airstrikes on ISIL in Iraq and in Syria . In September 2015 , Russian forces , with the permission of the Syrian government , began thousands of bombing raids against ISIL , al-Nusra Front , and the Free Syrian Army ( FSA ) . In the months following the beginning of both air campaigns , ISIL began to lose ground in both Iraq and Syria . Civilian deaths from airstrikes began to mount in 2015 and 2016 . In mid-2016 , the US and Russia planned to begin coordinating their airstrikes ; however , this coordination did not materialize . As of December 2017 , ISIL was estimated to control no territory in Iraq , and 5% of Syrian territory , after prolonged actions .
The Office of Global Criminal Justice ( J/GCJ ) , formerly called the Office of War Crimes Issues ( S/WCI ) , is an office within the United States Department of State . The Office is headed by Ambassador Todd F. Buchwald . In that position , he advises the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security , Human Rights , and Democracy and works to formulate U.S. policy on prevention and accountability for mass atrocities . The Office coordinates U.S. government support for ad hoc and international courts currently trying persons accused of genocide , war crimes , and crimes against humanity committed ( among other places ) in the former Yugoslavia , Rwanda , Sierra Leone , and Cambodia , and helps bolster the capacity of domestic judicial systems to try atrocity crimes . It also works closely with other governments , international institutions , and non-governmental organizations to establish and assist international and domestic commissions , courts , and tribunals to investigate , judge , and deter atrocity crimes in every region of the globe . The Ambassador coordinates the deployment of a range of diplomatic , legal , economic , military , and intelligence tools to help expose the truth , judge those responsible , protect and assist victims , enable reconciliation , and build the rule of law . The current United States Ambassador in the Office of Global Criminal Justice is Todd F. Buchwald . According to reports in Foreign Policy , Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had intended to close the Office and fold its personnel into the Bureau of Democracy , Human Rights , and Labor . In an August 28 , 2017 letter to Senator Bob Corker , Secretary Tillerson informed the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that he intended to end or transfer as many as three dozen special envoy positions . The letter provided , however , that the office of the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice - along with the Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism and the office of the United States Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons -- will be retained and continue to be organized under the office of Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security , Democracy , and Human Rights .
Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act is a bipartisan bill that was introduced by the United States Congress on 10 May 2016 . The bill was initially called the Countering Information Warfare Act . The bipartisan legislation was written in March 2016 by U.S . Senators Rob Portman ( R , OH ) and Chris Murphy ( D , CT ) . It was additionally introduced in the United States House of Representatives in a bipartisan fashion ; co-sponsors included Congressmen Adam Kinzinger ( R , IL ) and Ted Lieu ( D , CA ) . In both the House and Senate the bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 . It passed the House in this fashion in a conference report vote on 2 December 2016 . The Senate then passed the measure in a conference report on December 8 by a tally of 92-7 .
The Global Food Security Act of 2009 , also known as the Lugar-Casey Food Security Bill , is a bill introduced February 5 , 2009 in the 111th Congress by Richard Lugar ( Indiana-R ) and sponsored by Robert Casey ( Pennsylvania-D ) , Mark Begich ( Alaska-D ) , Roland Burris ( Illinois-D ) , Susan Collins ( Maine-R ) , Richard Durbin ( Illinois-D ) , Thomas Harkin ( Iowa-D ) , John Kerry ( Massachusetts-D ) , and Mary Landrieu ( Louisiana-D ) to the United States Senate as S. 384 . Were this bill to become law , it would have authorized appropriations for fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to provide assistance to foreign countries to promote food security , to stimulate rural economies , and to improve emergency response to food crises , and for other purposes , including to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 . Title II in the Global Food Security Act would amend the FAA 's Section 103A as following : Agricultural research carried out under this Act shall [ … ] ( 4 ) include research on biotechnological advances appropriate to local ecological conditions , including genetically modified technology . This amendment has opened the bill to criticism that it would be mandating research on genetically modified technology . This bill has been endorsed by a large number of humanitarian organizations , including Oxfam , Bread for the World , The Borgen Project and the ONE Campaign .
The United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance . With a budget of over $ 27 billion , USAID is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world , and accounts for more than half of all U.S. foreign assistance - the highest in the world in absolute dollar terms . Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act on September 4 , 1961 , which reorganized U.S. foreign assistance programs and mandated the creation of an agency to administer economic aid . USAID was subsequently established by the executive order of President John F. Kennedy , who sought to unite several existing foreign assistance organizations and programs under one agency . USAID became the first U.S. foreign assistance organization whose primary focus was long-term socioeconomic development . USAID 's programs are authorized by Congress in the Foreign Assistance Act , which Congress supplements through directions in annual funding appropriation acts and other legislation . As an official component of U.S. foreign policy , USAID operates subject to the guidance of the President , Secretary of State , and the National Security Council . USAID has missions in over 100 countries , primarily in Africa , Asia , Latin America , the Middle East , and Eastern Europe .