Organization and Functions of American Embassies
To support its relations with other countries and
international organizations, the United States maintains diplomatic and consular
posts around the world. Under the President's direction, the Secretary of State
is responsible for the overall coordination and supervision of U.S. Government
activities abroad. Missions to countries and international organizations are
headed by Chiefs of Mission. They are considered the President's personal representatives and, with the Secretary of State, assist in implementing the
President's constitutional responsibilities for the conduct of U.S. foreign
relations.
Most missions have personnel assigned from other executive
branch agencies in addition to those from the Department of State; in some
cases, State Department employees may account for less than one-half of the
mission staff. Department of State employees at missions comprise U.S.-based
political appointees and career diplomats, and Foreign Service Nationals. The
last are local residents, who provide continuity for the transient American
staff and have language and cultural expertise; they also are employed at post
by other agencies.
Other executive branch agencies represented may include the
Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, Defense, and Justice (the Immigration and
Naturalization Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation) and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Other U.S. Government agencies also make vital contributions to the success of
U.S. foreign relations and in promoting U.S. interests.
Country Missions
In most countries with which it has diplomatic relations, the
U.S. maintains an embassy, which usually is located in the host country capital.
The U.S. also may have consulates in other large commercial centers or in
dependencies of the country. Several countries have U.S. ambassadors accredited
to them who are not resident in the country. In a few special cases--such as
when it does not have full diplomatic relations with a country--the U.S. may be
represented by only a U.S. Liaison Office or U.S. Interests Section, which may
be headed by a Principal Officer rather than a Chief of Mission.
The Chief of Mission--with the title of Ambassador, Minister,
or Charge d'Affaires - and the Deputy Chief of Mission head the mission's
"country team" of U.S. Government personnel.
Responsibilities of Chiefs of Mission at post also include:
- Speaking with one voice to others on U.S. policy--and
ensuring mission staff do likewise--while providing to the President and
Secretary of State expert guidance and frank counsel;
- Directing and coordinating all executive branch offices and
personnel (except for those under the command of a U.S. area military
commander, under another chief of mission, or on the staff of an
international organization);
- Cooperating with the U.S. legislative and judicial branches
so that U.S. foreign policy goals are advanced; security is maintained; and
executive, legislative, and judicial responsibilities are carried out;
- Reviewing communications to or from mission elements;
- Taking direct responsibility for the security of the
mission--including security from terrorism--and protecting all U.S.
Government personnel on official duty (other than those personnel under the
command of a U.S. area military commander) and their dependents;
- Carefully using mission resources through regular reviews
of programs, personnel, and funding levels;
- Reshaping the mission to serve American interests and
values and to ensure that all executive branch agencies attached to the
mission do likewise;
- Serving Americans with professional excellence, the highest
standards of ethical conduct, and diplomatic discretion.
The country team has responsibilities covering the following
areas:
Consular Affairs.
Whether in a U.S. embassy or a consulate, consular officers at post are the State Department
employees whom both American citizens overseas and foreign nationals are most
likely to meet. Consular officers protect U.S. citizens abroad and their
property. Overall, they touch the lives of millions of Americans living and
traveling abroad:
Consular officers provide emergency loans to U.S. citizens who
become destitute while traveling abroad, search for missing Americans at the
request of their friends or family, visit arrested Americans in prison, maintain
lists of local attorneys, act as liaison with police and other officials on
matters that affect the welfare of American citizens, re-issue lost or stolen
passports, assist in resolving international parental kidnaping cases, help next
of kin when American relatives die abroad, and generally provide many types of
assistance to U.S. citizens abroad.
Consular officers also perform non-emergency services --
dispensing information on absentee voting, Selective Service registration, and
acquisition and loss of U.S. citizenship; providing U.S. tax forms; notarizing
documents; issuing passports; and processing estate and property claims. U.S.
consular officers also issue about 6 million nonimmigrant visas annually to
foreign nationals who wish to visit, work or study in the United States and
almost 500,000 immigrant visas to those who wish to reside here permanently.
Commercial, Economic, and Financial Affairs.
By helping American businesses abroad, the Department helps Americans at home,
since every $1 billion in exported goods generates about 20,000 jobs in the
United States. State and Commerce Department officers specialize in four areas:
Commercial officers advise U.S. businesses on local trade and
tariff laws, government procurement procedures, and business practices; identify
potential importers, agents, distributores, and joint venture partners; and
assist with resolution of trade and investment disputes.
Economic officers advise U.S. businesses on the local
investment climate and economic trends; negotiate trade and investment
agreements to open markets and level the playing field; analyze and report on
macroeconomic trends and trade policies and their potential impact on U.S.
interests; and promote adoption of economic policies by foreign countries which
further U.S. interests.
Resource officers counsel U.S. businesses on issues of natural
resources--including minerals, oil, and gas and energy--and analyze and report
on local natural resource trends and trade policies and their potential impact
on U.S. interests.
Financial attaches analyze and report on major financial
developments as well as the host country's macro-economic condition.
Agricultural and Scientific Matters.
Agricultural officers promote the export of U.S. agricultural products and
report on agricultural production and market developments in their area. Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service officers from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture are responsible for animal and plant health issues that affect U.S.
trade and the protection of U.S. agriculture from foreign pests and diseases.
They also expedite U.S. exports affected by technical sanitary and phytosanitary
regulations.
Environment, science, technology, and health officers analyze
and report on developments in these areas and their potential impact on U.S.
policies and programs.
Political, Labor, and Defense Assistance Issues.
Political officers analyze political developments and their potential impact on
U.S. interests; promote adoption by the host country of foreign policy decisions
which support U.S. interests; and advise U.S. business executives on the local
political climate.
Labor officers promote labor policies in countries to support
U.S. interests and provide information on local labor laws and practices,
including wages, non-wage costs, social security regulations, the political
activities of local labor organizations, and labor attitudes toward American
investments.
Many posts have defense attaches from the Department of
Defense. Security assistance officers are responsible for Defense Cooperation in
Armaments and foreign military sales. They also function as the primary
in-country point of contact for the U.S. defense industry and U.S. businesses.
Administrative Support and Security Functions.
Administrative officers are responsible for normal business operations of the
post, including overall management of personnel, budget, and fiscal matters;
real and expendable property; motor pools; and acquisitions.
Information management officers are responsible for the post's
unclassified information systems, database management, programming, and
operational needs. They also are responsible for the telecommunications,
telephone, radio, diplomatic pouches, and records management programs within the
diplomatic mission and maintain close contact with the host government's
communications authorities on operational matters.
Regional security officers are responsible for providing
physical, procedural, and personnel security services to U.S. diplomatic
facilities and personnel; they also provide local in-country security briefings
and threat assessments to business executives.
Public Affairs.
Public affairs
officers, information officers, and/or cultural affairs officers of U.S.
missions overseas serve as press spokespersons and as administrators of such
official U.S. exchange programs as those for Fulbright scholars, Humphrey and
Muskie fellows, and foreign participants in International Visitor consultations
in the United States. They also direct the overseas U.S. Speakers program and
international electronic linkages such as the Worldnet TV satellite
teleconferencing network at more than 200 posts.
Legal and Immigration Matters. Legal
attaches serve as Department of Justice representatives on criminal matters.
Immigration and Naturalization Service officers are
responsible for administering the laws regulating the admission of foreign-born
persons (aliens) to the United States and for administering various immigration
benefits.
USAID mission directors are
responsible for USAID Programs including dollar and local currency loans,
grants, and technical assistance. USAID also provides humanitarian assistance
abroad during times of natural or man-made disasters. Helping other countries
develop through foreign assistance programs helps American business. As other
countries develop, they begin to import goods from abroad -- and now account for
one-third of all U.S. exports and more than one-half of America's farm exports.
(Excerpted from "Organization of the Department of State Abroad" in State Department: What We Do.)
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