Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs

The Office of the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, headed by Dr. Paula J. Dobriansky, coordinates U.S. foreign relations on a variety of global issues, including democracy, human rights, and labor; environment, oceans, health and science; population, refugees, and migration; women's issues; and trafficking in persons and avian and pandemic influenza.

Since her appointment in 2001, Under Secretary Dobriansky has also served concurrently as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. In this capacity, she is the U.S. government's point person on Tibet policy matters, including: support for dialogue between the Chinese and the Dalai Lama or his representatives; promotion of human rights in Tibet; and efforts to preserve Tibet's unique cultural, religious and linguistic identity.

Under Secretary Dobriansky also was appointed in February 2007 to serve as the Special Envoy on Northern Ireland with the rank of Ambassador. In this capacity she is actively involved in supporting the implementation of the Good Friday and St. Andrews Agreements.

The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), headed by Assistant Secretary Claudia McMurray, coordinates an extensive portfolio of issues related to science, health, the environment, and the world's oceans.

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), headed by Acting Assistant Secretary Jonathan D. Farrar, leads the U.S. efforts to promote democracy, protect human rights and international religious freedom, and advance labor rights globally.

The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), headed by Acting Assistant Secretary Samuel M. Witten, is responsible for formulating and implementing policies on population, refugees, and migration, and for administering U.S. refugee assistance and admissions programs. The Bureau coordinates U.S. international policy within the U.S. Government and through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. PRM also administers and monitors U.S. contributions to international and non-governmental organizations to assist and protect refugees abroad and oversee admissions of refugees to the United States for permanent resettlement.

The Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs established the Avian Influenza Action Group (G/AIAG), headed by Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza Amb. John Lange. The Avian Influenza Action Group coordinates U.S. international engagement – with international organizations, governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector -- to contain the spread of avian influenza in poultry and to mitigate the global socioeconomic and security consequences of a potentially catastrophic human influenza pandemic.

The Office of the Science and Technology Adviser (G/STAS), led by the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary Dr. Nina V. Fedoroff, provides S&T advice to the Department and USAID, works to enhance the S&T literacy and capacity of the Department of State, builds partnerships with the S&T community and strives to shape the global perspective on the emerging and "at the horizon" S&T developments.

The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP), headed by Amb. Mark Lagon, provides the tools to combat trafficking in persons and assists in the coordination of anti-trafficking efforts both worldwide and domestically.

The Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues (G/IWI), led by Andrea Bottner, Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues, serves as the Department's coordinating body for all foreign policy issues related to the political, economic, and social advancement of women in democracy worldwide. Recognizing that the full and equal participation of women in the political, economic, and social spheres of society is a key ingredient for democratic development, the mandate of this Office is to mobilize concrete support for greater women's empowerment, promote greater awareness of gender-based violence and discrimination, and to ensure that women's human rights are considered along with, not segregated from, other human rights in the development of U.S. foreign policy.

The Office of the Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea (G/SENK) is led by Special Envoy Jay Lefkowitz who was appointed by the President in August 2005. The office coordinates and promotes efforts to improve the respect for fundamental human rights of the people of North Korea.