overview of the department of state• supported un efforts. the u.s. supported un efforts to...

1Overview of the Department of State

Diplomacy is an instrument of power,essential for maintaining effective interna-tional relationships, and a principal meansthrough which the United States defendsits interests, responds to crises, andachieves its international goals. TheDepartment of State is the lead institutionfor the conduct of American diplomacy, amission based on the role of the Secretaryof State as the President’s principal foreignpolicy adviser.

In order to carry out U.S. foreign policy at home and abroad,the Department of State:

• Exercises policy leadership, broad interagency coordi-nation, and management of resource allocation for theconduct of foreign relations.

• Leads representation of the United States overseas andadvocates U.S. policies for foreign governments andinternational organizations.

• Coordinates, and provides support for, the interna-tional activities of U.S. agencies, official visits, andother diplomatic missions.

• Conducts negotiations, concludes agreements, andsupports U.S. participation in international negotia-tions of all types.

• Coordinates and manages the U.S. Governmentresponse to international crises of all types.

• Carries out public affairs and public diplomacy.

• Reports on and analyzes international issues of impor-tance to the U.S. Government.

The Missionof theDepartmentof State

Overviewof the

Department ofState

2 Overview of the Department of State

• Assists U.S. business.

• Protects and assists American citizens living or travel-ing abroad.

• Adjudicates immigrant and nonimmigrant visas toenhance U.S. border security.

• Manages those international affairs programs andoperations for which the Department has statutoryresponsibility.

• Guarantees the Diplomatic Readiness of the U.S.Government.

The above mission statement guides the men and women ofthe Department who carry out foreign affairs programs andactivities. Department employees are also guided by a set ofvalues as individuals and as an institution. The work of theseemployees has an impact on the American people here andabroad. Expertise in languages, understanding of foreigncultures, and management of complex issues and programsgained through international experience are essential elementsof this work. The Department exercises discipline in imple-menting policy regardless of personal preference, and itspersonnel are willing and able to serve worldwide as needed.The conduct of foreign relations is viewed as a long term,career commitment rather than just a job. The Departmentworkforce, a blend of Civil and Foreign Service employeesand foreign nationals overseas, reflects the diversity ofAmerica.

Organization and Structure

The Department was established in 1789 to advise the Presi-dent on the formulation and execution of foreign affairs. TheSecretary heads the Department and is the President’s princi-pal advisor on the conduct of foreign relations. The Secretaryis aided by a Deputy Secretary, the Counselor, and six UnderSecretaries who serve as the Department’s corporate board onforeign policy with each specializing in the following areas -political affairs, economic, business and agricultural affairs,arms control and international security, global affairs, publicdiplomacy and public affairs, and management.

The foreign policy mission is conducted by approximately20,900 employees in both the Civil Service and the ForeignService, including foreign nationals, in the 162 countrieswhere the United States is represented. In addition, the

1995

4,972 5,021 4,977 5,165 5,498

8,207 7,994 7,724 7,769 8,169

8,616 8,121 7,872 7,637 7,192

1996 1997 1998 1999

Foreign Nationals

Foreign Service

Civil Service

21,795

21,13620,573

Summary of Full-TimePermanent Employees

20,57120,859


Department operates a national passport and visa centerlocated in Dover, New Hampshire (a partner center opened inSpring 2000 in Charleston, South Carolina), 13 passportagencies, 5 offices that provide logistics support for overseasoperations, 22 security offices, and 3 financial services centerslocated overseas in Paris and Bangkok, and domestically inCharleston, South Carolina.

Within the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.,the mission is coordinated and managed through six regionalbureaus, each with responsibility for a specific geographic areaof the world. The regional bureaus and the overseas posts aresupported by domestic offices that provide program manage-ment and administrative expertise in dealing with matterssuch as economics, intelligence, and human rights, as well as,finance, administration, personnel, training, medical services,and security programs.

In each Embassy, the Chief of Mission (usually an Ambassa-dor), is responsible for the coordination and management ofall U.S. Government functions in the host country. EachAmbassador is appointed by the President, confirmed by theSenate and reports directly to the President through theSecretary. The Diplomatic Mission is also the primary U.S.Government contact for Americans overseas and foreignnationals of the host country. The Mission serves the needs ofAmericans traveling and working overseas and providessupport to Presidential and Congressional delegations visitingthe country.

The Department of State Strategic Plan

During 1999, the Department continued full implementationof its first Strategic Plan prepared in 1997, as required by theGovernment Performance and Results Act (GPRA). TheStrategic Plan defines the mission, goals, objectives, strategies,and performance measurement indicators for the Departmentof State and is available to the general public on the Depart-ment of State’s web site at HYPERLINK http://www.state.gov.The Department’s programs and activities are further definedin the 1999 Performance Plan also required by the GPRA.The following commentary addresses key accomplishmentstowards achieving the goals contained in the 1999 Perfor-mance Plan. These accomplishments are more fully describedin the Department of State Performance Report for Fiscal Year1999, published in March 2000.

UnitedStates

42%

Department of StateWorkforce

Where Based

Overseas58%

CivilService26%

ForeignService39%

ForeignService

Nationals35%

Department of StateWorkforce

Full-time Permanent Employeesas of September 1999


The following discussion presents the program accomplish-ments achieved in 1999 within the framework of the StrategicPlan. To facilitate understanding of the mission of theDepartment, the 16 strategic goals present what the Depart-ment wants to accomplish while the seven national intereststatements explain why the Department pursues these goalson behalf of the American people.

Strategic Goal: Regional Security

Ensure that local and regional instabilities do notthreaten the security and well-being of the United Statesor its allies.

Regional stability, achieved through diplomatic leadership, astrong military and effective intelligence, is fundamental toU.S. national security. Strengthening national security is aprerequisite to all other U.S. goals.

The President’s national security strategy is based on diplo-matic leadership, a strong military and effective intelligence.Traditional diplomacy through establishment of alliances andcountry-to-country relations help to achieve national security,but U.S. interests may require more aggressive action toprevent, manage, and resolve ethnic conflicts, civil wars,territorial disputes and humanitarian disasters anywhere inthe world. In some cases, the U.S. may be the only nationwith the ability, need and responsibility to respond withoutthe support of other countries.

The strategy for achieving this goal is to maintain effectiveworking relationships with leading regional states utilizingdefensive cooperation through alliances, military assistanceand defense trade controls to help prevent, manage anddiffuse regional conflicts. To decrease the potential of futureconflicts, the United States may impose sanctions on violatorsof international norms of behavior. Building a consensusamong the foreign community that the U.S. is an importantparticipant in the international peacekeeping process is alsoessential for resolving regional conflicts.

Program Performance DuringFiscal Year 1999

National Interests and Strategic Goals

NationalInterest:

NationalSecurity


Following are the key events that took place in 1999.

• Pursued Peace between Israel and its Arab Neighbors.With the election of Israeli Prime Minister Barak, thepreviously frozen Middle East Peace Process movedforward with renewed vigor. A breakthrough occurred inSeptember 1999 with the signing of a new agreement inSharmel-Sheikh, Egypt, committing Israel and the Pales-tinians to full implementation of the Wye River Accordsand laying the groundwork for a permanent status agree-ment. Several Arab states took action to deepen ties withIsrael, including through meetings and the exchange ofvisitors.

• Maintained Full and Secure Access to Energy Resources ofthe Persian Gulf. U.S. access to Persian Gulf oil resourcescontinued uninterrupted. Several states in the regionparticipated in an aggressive schedule of bilateral andmultilateral military exercises with the U.S. UnitedNations (UN) sanctions on Iraq continued to denySaddam Hussein the means to reconstitute his conven-tional and weapons of mass destruction arsenals.

• Continued Peacekeeping Efforts. The Good Friday PeaceAgreement in Northern Ireland remained on track during1999. Greece and Turkey agreed to revive talks on se-lected Aegean confidence building measures. Militaryunits trained under the Africa Crisis Response Initiative(ACRI) participated in peacekeeping operations in theCentral African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, and SierraLeone.

The conclusion and implementation of a comprehensivePeace Agreement between Peru and Ecuador in 1999,including border demarcation and demining, significantlycontributed to overall regional security in the WesternHemisphere.

On the negative side, Slobodan Milosevic maintained hisincreasing authoritarian grip on Serbia, threateningMontenegro’s genuine democratic reform, and remaininga threat to peace and stability throughout the region.

• Supported NATO Efforts. There was hard-won progressin many parts of the world towards reducing regionaltensions. U.S. diplomatic and military leadership helpeddefeat a massive effort by Serbia to ethnically cleanseKosovo and began the process of building a democraticKosovo. The Department’s efforts united NATO, con-

Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright’s call on KingFahd at the Al-Yammamah Palace.


vinced Russia to join a coalition to make and keep thepeace, got the UN and NATO to establish a robustpeacekeeping mission, and placed Balkan integration intothe rest of Europe high on the international agenda.Trans-Atlantic mechanisms designed to deal with interna-tional crises were strengthened. At the April 1999 NATOSummit, the heads of state and government of theNATO member states approved a revised strategic con-cept that endorses new missions, expanded outreach topartners, enhances the European security and defenseidentity, transforms defensive capabilities and responds toweapons of mass destruction.

• Supported UN Efforts. The U.S. supported UN efforts toarrange a ballot through which Indonesia permitted thepeople of East Timor a choice between autonomy andseparation. When violence broke out after the announce-ment of the result, the U.S joined in international effortsto quickly stop the bloodshed and provide humanitarianrelief. During the year, with U.S. support, UN-author-ized peacekeeping tripled in size, with new missions inKosovo, East Timor, and Sierra Leone, and preparationfor a new mission in the Democratic Republic of theCongo.

• Expanded Talks between India and Pakistan. In February1999, the Lahore Summit in South Asia gave promise ofimproved relations between India and Pakistan. However,that dialogue was suspended in May when tensions inKashmir took a severe turn for the worse after Pakistan-supported forces moved into Indian territory and Indiantroops fought to dislodge those forces. U.S. diplomaticefforts succeeded in encouraging Pakistani withdrawal andIndian restraint, but, at the end of the year, relationsbetween India and Pakistan were decidedly strained.

Strategic Goal: Weapons of Mass Destruction

Reduce the threat to the United States and its allies fromweapons of mass destruction.

The most direct and serious threat to U.S. security is thepossibility of conflict involving weapons of mass destruction.Of greatest concern are the threshold states and terroristorganizations that seek to acquire these weapons and theirdelivery systems.

UNHCR Headquarters, Pristina, Yugoslavia.


The United States and most nations, both those that possessweapons of mass destruction and those that do not, value theconstraint provided by arms control treaty regimes. Ofgreatest concern are the threshold states and terrorists thatseek to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Unbridledacquisition of conventional arms can similarly threaten U.S.interests by disrupting regional relations.

The Department has the lead responsibility for nonprolifera-tion policy and coordinates implementation of that policyregarding individual countries, such as China, and multina-tional arrangements. A number of activities can be utilized toprevent, discourage and eliminate accumulation of weaponsof mass destruction: reducing the incentives of countries toacquire the weapons, taking actions against violators ofnonproliferation treaties or agreements, controlling trade inrelated technologies that are essential for delivering theweapons, and securing excess fissile material to preventacquisition by countries (or terrorists) that are seeking toacquire weapons of mass destruction. Following are some ofthe key activities that took place in 1999 in pursuit of thegoal to eliminate weapons of mass destruction.

• Constrained the Proliferation of Weapons. Efforts toprevent countries of proliferation concern from acquiringmaterials and equipment were partially successful duringthe year, principally by interdicting sensitive foreignexports. This was done both bilaterally and throughmultilateral export control regimes such as the MissileTechnology Control Regime, the Australia Group, andthe Wassenaar Arrangement.

After a year of negotiation, the UN Security Councilcreated a new arms control institution to inspect andmonitor destruction of Iraqi weapons of mass de-struction. The resolution also improved the Oil-for-Foodprogram designed to assist the Iraqi population whilekeeping control of Iraqi oil revenue. The U.S. helpedbring Ukraine – a key potential supplier of missiletechnology – into the Missile Technology Control Re-gime, thereby cutting off proliferator access to Ukraine’skey missile technologies.

To remove suspicions about the compliance of the Dem-ocratic People’s Republic of Korea with the Agreed Frame-work, the U.S. sought and successfully gained access tothe suspect underground facility at Kumchan-ni. Theinspection found no violation of the Agreed Framework.

UN helicopter landing at space launch complex in Iraq.


• Provided Disarmament Assistance for Russia. With U.S.assistance, a number of the countries in the Newly-Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union,including Russia, have improved internal physical andlegal controls designed to prevent illegal transfers ofnuclear materials. The Russian government adopted anew omnibus export control law in July 1999. Licensingand tracking procedures have been improved, internalcompliance programs have been installed at over 200Russian nuclear and aerospace enterprises of particularnonproliferation concern and programs to install effectiveradiation detection equipment at key Russian borderposts and international airports have begun. Neverthe-less, the Department believes that continuing Russianand NIS economic problems have contributed to anincrease in the number of nuclear smuggling incidents.The vast majority of these recent incidents are scamsinvolving non-weapons usable material.

The United States was much more successful in achievingits objectives related to implementing existing treaties.The U.S. and Russia met the phased reduction goals ofSTART I and are, in fact, ahead of schedule. U.S.implementing legislation for the Chemical WeaponsConvention (CWC) was enacted.

The United States was unable to fully achieve its 1999strategic arms control objectives in part because theSTART II Treaty and 1997 protocols were not ratified byRussia and the U.S. The U.S. was unable to accomplishthe following.

• Begin START III negotiations (discussions, however,began).

• Reach agreement on inspection procedures for observ-ing/confirming elimination of conversion of heavyinter-continental ballistic missile silo launchers, asrequired by the START II Treaty.

• Reach agreement with the Russian Federation on stepsto deactivate strategic nuclear delivery vehicles elimi-nated under START II, as required by the START IITreaty.

• Transmit signed September 1997 agreements relatedto Anti-Ballistic Missile/Theatre Missile DefenseDemarcation and Treaty succession to the U.S. Senatefor its advice and consent to ratification. The 154signatories of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty(CTBT) continue to take action to bring the Treatyinto force by ensuring full support for the CTBTPreparatory Committee and expanding the interna-

Erected SCUD missile with crew loweringsupport frame during live fire demonstrationin Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

Border guards marching at the May Day parade in RedSquare, Moscow, Russia.


tional monitoring system. CTBT remains the mostlikely means by which India and Pakistan will beable to formalize an agreement not to conduct nucleartests. Twenty-three of the necessary 44 ratificationsfor entry into force have been deposited.

• Developed Strategic Arms Dialog with China. Efforts todevelop a strategic arms control dialogue with China werepartially successful. The U.S. provided briefings toChinese officials on several strategic arms control issues,which served as the basis for useful informal discussion.While willing to listen to U.S. presentation, the Chinesedeclined to provide comparable briefings of their own andindicated that U.S. development of missile defenses (and,in particular, the possibility of U.S. cooperation withTaiwan on theater missile defenses) is an impediment tosuch a dialogue. The accidental bombing of China’sembassy in Belgrade resulted in the postponement of asenior level meeting planned for June 1999, at whicharms control issues would have been discussed.

Strategic Goal: Open Markets

Open world markets to increase trade and free the flowof goods, services, and capital.

The world economy continues to globalize, and U.S. eco-nomic prosperity is increasingly linked to international trade,investment, and capital flows.

The Uruguay Round of trade negotiations ended in 1993 andestablished the World Trade Organization (WTO). TheUnited States continues to ensure that the rules established bythe WTO are enforced and that follow-on agreements aresuccessfully concluded and implemented. As the free flow ofgoods and services expands with reductions in tariffs andother barriers to trade, negotiations have come to focusincreasingly on new areas of concern, such as investment,corruption, technical and labor standards, and the environ-ment.

The Department of State integrates the Administration’seconomic and commercial priorities into a policy frameworkfor geographic regions and countries within each region. TheDepartment advances U.S. interests in regional fora, such asthe Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and theSummit of the Americas, designed to foster economic pros-perity and economic dialogue among member countries.

NationalInterest:

EconomicProsperity

C-801 Coastal Defense Missile at October 1,1999 ChineseCommunist Party 50th Anniversary parade in Beijing, China.


Following are several illustrative accomplishments achieved in1999 that contributed to expanded trade in various regions ofthe world.

• Continued Focus on Air Service. The U.S. concludednegotiations of four Open Skies agreements (Bahrain,Italy, Pakistan, United Arab Emerits) and agreements withChina and Mexico that further liberalize air servicesmarkets. The China agreement, signed during PremierZhu’s visit, doubles capacity over two years. Multilateralnegotiations in International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) produced a new convention to replace theWarsaw Convention, meeting U.S. objectives for modern-izing the liability regime for international air transport.Negotiations with the EU Commission gained a one-yeardeferral of an EU rule that would have limited use ofaircraft with U.S. manufactured “hushkitted” engines.

• Expanded Trade Agreements. The Department concludedthree new Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) withMozambique, Bahrain, and El Salvador. The Departmentalso continued negotiations with another 17 countries.These agreements serve two basic purposes. First, theyprotect U.S. investment abroad in those countries whereU.S. investors’ rights are not protected through existingagreements. Secondly, they encourage adoption in foreigncountries of market-oriented domestic policies that treatprivate investment fairly. They also support the develop-ment of international law standards consistent with theseobjectives. In the aftermath of the cessation of negotia-tions on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI)in the spring of 1999, the Organization of EconomicCooperation and Development (OECD) Committee onInternational Investment continued analysis of issuesrelated to the establishment of investment rules.

• Enhanced e-Commerce. The U.S. hosted a successfulplenipotentiary conference of the International Telecom-munication Union, among its achievements being agreater private sector role in the organization’s decision-making. The International Mobile Satellite Organization(INMARSAT) was privatized along lines acceptable to theU.S. Both the OECD and APEC adopted action pro-grams on electronic commerce that are consistent withU.S. goals and interests.

• Protected Investments. The Department’s OverseasSecurity Advisory Council (OSAC) continues to promoteAmerican investment abroad through a healthy exchange

Airport terminal and buildings in Haikou, China.

“Suk” market area in Manama, Bahrain.


of security related information. Using this information,better corporate decisions can be made on how best to protectinvestment, personnel, facilities and intellectual propertyabroad. The analytical staff of the OSAC Research and Infor-mation Support Center (RISC) maintain an active databaseon the internet for over 1,800 American companies and org-anizations as constituents. The electronic database is enor-mously successful and receives well over 40,000 hits per week.

OSAC country specific councils have been established in 27foreign cities to enhance the exchange of security relatedinformation abroad and serve as an effective partnership be-tween the U.S. Embassy and the American private sector in agiven country. These councils encourage managers of U.S.enterprises to organize themselves to cope with security relatedproblems by pooling resources. Key representatives of thesecountry specific councils and U.S. Embassy security officers,as well as other post officials, develop close working relation-ships to create an open exchange of security related informa-tion in a timely fashion.

Strategic Goal: U.S. Exports

Expand U.S. exports to $1.2 trillion early in the 21st Century.

Globalization of the world economy makes trade increasinglyimportant to U.S. prosperity and well being, particularly in thehigh technology sectors of the U.S. economy. In 1998, U.S.exports totaled $930 billion, accounting for 12% of our GrossDomestic Product or one in every seven American jobs.

As the world economy becomes more interdependent, tradewill be increasingly important to the domestic economy andU.S. well-being, particularly in the high technology sectors ofthe U.S. economy. The 1997 National Export Strategy setsthe goal of expanding U.S. exports of goods and services from$800 billion in 1995 to $1.2 trillion early in the 21st Century.

To accomplish this objective, the Department relies on anumber of export promotion efforts such as advocacy, finance,and public diplomacy. This is especially effective in fast-growing, emerging markets such as Mexico, Brazil, China,Korea and India. In addition, export promotion can be in-creased by reaching out to small- and medium-sized firms toprovide in-country assistance to encourage development ofmarkets for their products overseas. Following are some of themore significant expansions of trade in 1999.

McDonald’s near Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China.


• Increased Trade for U.S. Firms. Working closely withU.S. Embassies abroad, the coordinators for businessaffairs helped support numerous bids by U.S. firms.Some of the more important successes in 1999 includedsupport for Bechtel in overcoming obstacles in its bid fora $600 million highway construction contract, a U.S.firm in the first-ever privatization of power and desali-nated water valued at $700 million, and extension ofexploration/production rights in Bangladesh for Unocaland Occidental Petroleum.

Strategic Goal: Global Growth and Stability

Increase global economic growth and stability.

Other countries and international financial institutions adoptpolicies designed to achieve global financial stability andrestore economic growth.

Global macroeconomic conditions have an increasing impacton the ability of the United States to export and to sustaineconomic growth, while maintaining low domestic inflationand unemployment. Economic health is also a critical deter-minant of stability worldwide.

In order to increase global economic growth and stabilizeeconomic crises when they occur, the Department encouragescountries that have a major impact on the global economy toadopt market-oriented investment, legal, and regulatoryreforms. Countries are also encouraged to establish public-private partnerships to take advantage of private sector exper-tise and demonstrate private sector commitment to a countryor region. Also, strengthening the International MonetaryFund and other international financial institutions to achieveregional financial stability, a key ingredient to global eco-nomic growth, can facilitate reform.

• Supported International Financial Institutions. In the pastyear, key members of the International Monetary Fund(IMF) (particularly the G-7), have worked to strengthenthe international financial architecture to improve institu-tional ability to predict and respond to financial disrup-tions in the global economy. Recommendations have beenmade that will strengthen and reform the internationalfinancial institutions, enhance transparency and promotebest practices, strengthen financial regulation, improvecrisis prevention and management, and promote respon-

Lashio market, Shan State, Burma.


sive and responsible social policies. The G-7 finance min-isters announced significant progress in these areas at theCologne Summit in June 1999. In fall of 1998, Congressappropriated the full U.S. payments due to the IMF andthe World Bank. Although a few arrears still remain, byand large, the U.S. has met its assessments to Interna-tional Financial Institutions (IFIs).

During this period, IFI lending and technical assistanceplayed critical roles and helped cushion the impacts of theAsia financial crisis and other severe economic shocks onvulnerable populations. In addition to ongoing povertyreduction programs, the IFIs lent nearly $25 billion toAsian financial crisis countries, linking lending to specificstructural reforms and social sector spending.

• Expanded Debt Relief. Congress has passed legislationauthorizing limited debt swaps and debt relief for thepoorest, most heavily indebted countries, and has appro-priated funds for that debt relief. G-8 leaders agreed to anew and expanded Heavily Indebted Poor Countries(HIPC) program of debt relief, largely reflecting U.S.proposals, at the Cologne Summit in June. A number ofAfrican and Latin American nations have benefited fromdebt relief under the HIPC initiative, including Moz-ambique, Uganda, Bolivia, and Guyana.

• Increased Oil Production. There was notable progress inthe promotion of new oil and gas sources. Progress was madedeveloping East-West pipeline corridors for the Caspian andCentral Asia areas, with the goal of reinforcing the economicindependence of these countries. The Department was alsoinstrumental in organizing a seminar highlighting the ob-stacles to and opportunities for increasing oil production inSub-Sahara Africa. In addition, the Department of Stateparticipated in an Africa Energy Ministerial hosted by the U.S.

Strategic Goal: Economic Development

Promote broad-based growth in developing and transi-tional economies.

Developing and transitional economies make the necessarypolicy changes to create environments capable of supportingsustained economic growth.

Over the long term, the prosperity of America benefits astransitional and developing nations expand their economies

Yukos/Yugansknefte gas oil production in the PriobskoyeBasin area of Russia.


and open their markets. Economic growth that reducespoverty and provides opportunity can further regional stabil-ity and complements the advance of democracy and rule oflaw. Sustainable development also ameliorates global prob-lems such as high population growth, the spread of infectiousdiseases, and environmental degradation.

The Department seeks this goal primarily through promotingthe movement away from centrally controlled economies tomarket-based economies and by helping to make free marketswork in developing nations. This is achieved by pursuingsound macroeconomic policies, promotion of private sectortrade and investment, and financial market reforms in devel-oping and transitional countries. The Department assistsdeveloping economies through coordination of efforts withdonor nations, international financial institutions and othermultilateral organizations.

• Supported Economic Reform in Russia. Monitoring thefragile Russian economy and assisting in development ofan economic reform program has been a priority of theU.S. Government, using bilateral funding provided underthe Freedom Support Act and working with the IFIs onmultilateral solutions. Russia needs to implement finan-cial safeguards and focus on deep structural and institu-tional reform. The U.S. and other nations signed a debtrescheduling agreement with Russia for some $8 billionRussia owes to creditors.

In the past year, the U.S., along with the internationalfinancial institutions, have worked with Russia to pro-mote structural and legislative reform that would stabilizeand redirect the economy toward free market mecha-nisms, transparency and equity. In spring of 1999, theRussian Duma responded by passing a significant part ofthe economic reform program developed in consultationwith the IMF.

The World Bank’s operations in Russia have been focusedon promoting policy improvements and addressing theinadequacies of the social benefits system. The Bank’s$28.6 million Social Protection Adjustment Loan, forexample, is directed to improving the inadequate unem-ployment insurance system and targeting of social welfarebenefits system.

Progress has continued in other transition countries, andhas reached a point where some will “graduate” from the

Front of Duma building in Moscow, Russia.

Pizza Hut restaurant on Leningradskaya Prospect inMoscow, Russia.


U.S. assistance program Support for Eastern EuropeanDemocracy (SEED) in 2000. Cooperation is ongoingwith other transition countries.

• Rebuilt Central Europe. In Central Europe, signifi-cant bilateral economic assistance was provided to Alba-nia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, the FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Montenegro. TheCongress appropriated emergency funding for thesecountries to help cope with the refugee crisis in Kosovoand to help them withstand the negative economicimpact of the war in Kosovo. The World Bank is alsoplaying a key role in post-conflict Kosovo, particularly indeveloping a short-term reconstruction and recoveryprogram, including (1) preparation of damage assess-ments and development of a program for physical andinstitutional rebuilding, (2) planning, preparing and co-hosting donor conferences to mobilize donor assistance,and (3) aid coordination and monitoring.

Since the Dayton Peace Agreement, SEED and humani-tarian funding in Bosnia has helped create the conditionsenabling 600,000 people to return to their homes. How-ever, about 1.2 million Bosnians remain displaced inter-nally or abroad.

• Promoted Growth in Asia. The U.S. joined with theEuropean Union, the major international financialinstitutions, and the countries of Southeast Europe topromote economic and democratic reform throughoutthat region through the Stability Pact. Frameworkagreements were reached designed to increase invest-ment, combat corruption, and promote other reforminitiatives.

Cambodia and Mongolia were the top priorities foreconomic support funds. Indonesia and the Philippinesremain the Department’s top priorities for developmentassistance geared to democratic and economic structuralreforms necessary to create a self-sustaining marketeconomy. The independence of East Timor posed anotable challenge to the bilateral assistance program.Working with other U.S. agencies, the World Bank, andthe UN, the Department of State put in place a fullycoordinated program of reconstruction and institutionbuilding to which the Department contributed $33.5million.

IFOR vehicle in Gorazde, Bosnia-Herzegovina.


Strategic Goal: American Citizens

Enhance the ability of American citizens to travel andlive abroad securely.

The millions of Americans who travel and reside abroadexpect to do so with freedom and in reasonable safety. TheUnited States cannot prevent the difficult and often tragicsituations that arise. The U.S. can, however, help ensure thatits citizens receive information, assistance, and protection.

Americans will continue to travel and reside abroad in largenumbers. When they encounter emergencies they cannothandle on their own (political unrest, natural disasters,accidents, terrorist attacks, crime, illness, or legal problems),they turn to the network of U.S. diplomatic and consularposts for help and protection.

The Department of State assists Americans who travel andreside abroad by providing a wide variety of consular servicesas well as citizenship and identity documents such as pass-ports and reports of birth abroad. When American citizensencounter emergencies, the Department of State officers helpensure that they receive assistance and protection. Followingare some key accomplishments realized in 1999 towards theachievement of this goal.

• Improved Passport and Service. Last year, the Depart-ment tested a digital photography system, which printsthe photo image directly into the passport, to reduce theopportunity for substitution and fraud. This year, thenew system was deployed in the New Orleans agency andNational Passport Center in New Hampshire, whichaccount for 45% of our domestic passport production.Additional passport agencies are being upgraded to thenew system.

In an effort to lessen the waiting time in lines, the De-partment inaugurated an appointment system. This year,the Department instituted the appointment system at fiveagencies, to bring the total to eight. In addition, the De-partment began accepting credit card payments at allpassport agencies.

• Advanced Internet Communications with Citizens.The Department of State faced record demands forpassports, travel information and requests for assistanceto American citizens over the year. The Bureau of

NationalInterest:

American Citizensand U.S. Borders

DomesticPassportIssuances

5.3

5.5

6.3

6.5

6.7

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

1995-1999

In millions


Consular Affairs’ web site received 55.7 million hits,averaging 147,800 per day, compared to 25.7 million in1998. Sections on student safety abroad, Y2K, and crisisawareness, preparedness and response were added to theweb site, which earned more “best of the web” kudos.This web site, http://travel.state.gov, has come to beknown as the best place to obtain consular informationand an authoritative source of travel safety information.

Strategic Goal: Travel and Immigration

Manage fairly and effectively the entry of foreign visi-tors, immigrants, and refugees into the United States.

The United States has been a beacon of freedom and oppor-tunity throughout its history. Immigrants make importantcontributions to the nation, and visitors contribute directly toU.S. prosperity. The large numbers of people seeking to enterthe U.S. illegally present major law enforcement, bordersecurity, and socio-economic problems.

The Department of State shares responsibility with theDepartment of Justice’s Immigration and NaturalizationService (INS) for administering U.S. immigration laws fairlyand effectively. U.S. consular officers provide for the lawfulentry of persons who seek to come into the U.S. either temp-orarily or as immigrants. Consular screening helps deter illegalimmigration by preventing terrorists, narcotics traffickers, andother criminals from entering the United States. Consularofficers employ special techniques and technologies, such asmachine-readable documents, biometric indicators, andsophisticated namechecks, to expedite lawful entry, identifycriminals and terrorists, and inhibit illegal immigration.

During 1999, 717,000 immigrant visa applications werereceived and only 415,000 visas were issued. The reason forthe unusually high number of denials is a direct result of thenew Affidavit of Support requirements implemented inDecember 1997 as required by the Illegal ImmigrationReform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Animmigrant must furnish an Affidavit of Support from asponsor in the U.S. showing that a combination of incomeand assets exceeds 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.Following are some of the more significant accomplishmentsthe Department realized in 1999.

1995

Nonimmigrant Visas(In Millions)

1996

1997

1998

1999

Nonimmigrant VisasProcessed

* (Projected)

Visa Waiver PilotProgram

7.8

10.3

7.8

12.5

7.5

14.5

7.4

15.8

8.2

16.2*


Following are some of the more significant accomplishmentsthe Department realized in 1999.

• Streamlined Visa Processing. A number of steps were takento streamline immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing.Accompanying these steps were a number of name-checkenhancements, improvement of anti-fraud training andinformation sharing, and other enhancements designed todeter visa and passport fraud.

In an effort to reduce administrative refusals caused byimproperly completed Affidavits of Support, the NationalVisa Center began an Affidavit of Support Review project towork with petitioners to correct deficiencies in the formsbefore they are sent to posts for adjudication. The Projectbegan with three high-volume posts in 1999 (Ciudad Juarez,Manila, and SantoDomingo), with plans to add others. Inaddition to reducing the burden on posts, the Project hasenhanced customer service by reducing the number of times anapplicant must return to post.

• Expanded Visa Waiver Pilot Program. The continuation ofthe Visa Waiver Pilot Program (VWPP) was extended byCongress through April 30, 2000. Legislation that wouldremove its designation as a pilot program is pending inCongress. The VWPP allows visitors from 29 countries toenter the U.S. for business or pleasure up to 90 days withouta visa. This program allows the Department to concentrateprecious resources in those countries where cases are morecomplicated or difficult due to fraudulent or terroristactivities. If the VWPP were to end, it would immediatelytriple the Department’s nonimmigrant workload. Thiswould result in a huge backlog of cases which would bedevastating to the U.S. travel and tourism industry. Asshown in the chart at left, three new countries joined theprogram in August 1999—Portugal, Singapore, and Uruguay.

• Border Security Program. All persons using Border CrossingCards to enter the United States after October 1, 2001, willuse a card issued after April 1, 1998. The Illegal ImmigrationReform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requiresthat every Border Crossing Card (BCC) issued as of April 1,1998, contain a biometric indicator (fingerprint) and bemachine-readable. It also requires that every person using aBCC to enter the U.S. as of October 1, 2001, must haveone of the new cards. To comply with this legislation, theDepartment of State and Immigration and NaturalizationService (INS) will have to replace approximately 5.5 millionexisting cards, as well as keep up with new requests, whichapproach 1 million a year. A total of 535,000 cards wereissued in 1999. Because the INS is currently unable to issuemore than 1.8 million BCCs per year, plans are underwayfor the Department of State to explore issuing BCCs in

1988Japan, UnitedKingdom

1993Brunei

1995Ireland

1996Argentina, Australia

1997Slovenia

1999Portugal,Singapore,Uruguay

1989France, Germany,Italy, Netherlands,Sweden,Switzerland

1991Andorra, Austria,Belgium, Denmark,Finland, Iceland,Liechtenstein,Luxembourg,Monaco, NewZealand, Norway,San Marino, Spain

Countries Approvedfor the VisaWaiver Program


Mexico. In 1999, six more posts in Mexico began adjudi-cating BCCs. Now all posts in Mexico except Guadalajaraparticipate in the BCC program. Additionally, consularofficers with mobile enrollment equipment regularly visitfive border towns.

Strategic Goal: Law Enforcement

Minimize the impact of international crime on theUnited States and its citizens.

Transnational crime represents a growing threat to the prosper-ity and well-being of Americans. International criminalorganizations have become increasingly global and sophisti-cated, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union andthe advent of the information revolution. Their prevalence andresilience also affects other U.S. interests in stability, immigra-tion, and democracy.

International crime poses a serious threat to Americans athome and abroad. Drug and firearms trafficking, terrorism,alien smuggling, trafficking in women and children, financialfraud, money laundering, counterfeiting, auto theft, intellec-tual property theft, computer hacking, and public corruptionare all international in scope and cost Americans billions eachyear.

To minimize the impact of international crime on the UnitedStates and its citizens, the Department of State uses a three-part approach, as articulated in the President’s InternationalCrime Control Strategy. Specifically, the Department seeks to:

• Establish international standards, goals and objectives tocombat international crime by using bilateral, multilateral,regional and global mechanisms, and by actively encourag-ing compliance.

• Improve bilateral cooperation with foreign governmentsand law enforcement authorities through increased coop-eration, training and technical assistance.

• Strengthen the rule of law internationally as the founda-tion for democratic government and free markets in orderto reduce societies’ vulnerability to criminal exploitation.

Thus, the Department conducts relations with foreign govern-ments and multilateral organizations to create a global responseto the threat of international crime. Under the authority of the

NationalInterest:

LawEnforcement


Chief of Mission at each embassy, the Department coordi-nates U.S. activities to fight international crime. The Depart-ment is also directly responsible for implementing the inter-national narcotics control and anti-crime program withforeign assistance funds to assist selected foreign governmentcriminal justice and law enforcement agencies.

Through these initiatives, the Department not only workswith foreign governments to prevent international crime, butalso to enhance their ability to provide the U.S. with im-proved assistance to identify, investigate, arrest and prosecuteinternational criminals. Below are some of the key lawenforcement accomplishments that Department of Stateinitiatives helped to achieve in 1999.

• Increased Training in International Law Enforcement.International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA) inBangkok, established in March 1999, and Budapest arebuilding relationships for U.S. law enforcement agencies,helping them to break international criminal organiza-tions. The Department’s training programs in the areas ofintellectual property rights, white collar crime, stolencars, and anti-smuggling are protecting American com-merce. Anti-money laundering programs presented by theILEAs are protecting the U.S. financial system frompotential exploitation by narcotics traffickers and organ-ized crime organizations.

• Promoted Human Rights. The Department activelypromoted standardizing legal aspects of internationaladoptions and abduction of children. Resource con-straints, however, did not permit the reduction ofcaseloads per officer in abduction cases. Department ofState officers handle 150 abduction cases each, comparedto 50 cases per officer at the National Center for Missingand Exploited Children. The Department’s embassiesand consulates assist ever-increasing numbers of Ameri-cans in foreign adoption cases. For example, from 1992through 1998, Americans adopted 15,100 Russianchildren (4,000 last year alone), and Embassy Moscowprocessed visas for them.

• Organized Conventions. In February 1999, the Depart-ment organized and coordinated the Vice President’sGlobal Forum on Fighting Corruption and SafeguardingIntegrity among Justice and Security Officials. Over 500delegates from 92 nations attended the conference,including one head of state, five vice-presidents, andmore than 50 officials of ministerial or equivalent rank.

Anti-terrorism assistance training of foreign police officers.


Strategic Goal: Illegal Drugs

Reduce the entry of illegal drugs into the United States.

Most illegal narcotics consumed in the U.S. come fromabroad. Control of this foreign supply must complementefforts to reduce drug use and its harmful consequences in theU.S. The problems of illegal drugs extend far beyond thesocial and economic consequences they cause in the UnitedStates and abroad. Rich, powerful, and violent narcoticstrafficking organizations threaten democratic institutions andundermine political stability in countries and regions wherethe United States has critical interests.

The Department of State coordinates implementation ofthose elements of the National Drug Control Strategy thatentail relations with or actions by foreign governments, oractivities outside the U.S. subject to the authority of chiefs ofU.S. diplomatic missions. These include reducing produc-tion, trafficking, and abuse of illicit drugs. The Departmentis directly responsible for implementing the InternationalNarcotics Control program with funds appropriated underthe Foreign Assistance Act to assist foreign institutions re-sponsible for development and implementation of drugcontrol activities.

The strategy to reduce the availability of illegal drugs in theUnited States focuses on programs to eliminate their produc-tion at their source and to interdict drug shipments beforethey reach our borders. When the U.S. has access to areaswhere illicit coca, opium poppy and marijuana crops aregrown and the cooperation of the host government, we workto implement enforcement and development programs toeliminate illicit drug crop cultivation and reduce overallproduction. Major producers in this regard include Colom-bia, Bolivia and Peru for coca, Pakistan, Thailand, Laos andMexico for opium, and Mexico and Jamaica for marijuana.Furthermore, the Department cooperates with governmentsin the transit zones outside the source areas, such as CentralAmerica and the Carribean, to identify and seize drug ship-ments enroute to the United States and to dismantle thecriminal organizations controlling these operations. TheDepartment applies the diplomatic measures required by theCongressionally-mandated annual Narcotics Certificationprocess to identify the major drug producing and transitcountries and to encourage these countries to cooperate fullywith the United States. Following are some of the key inter-

Opium poppies, Shan State, Burma.


national narcotics control accomplishments the Departmentof State programs helped achieve in 1999.

• Removed Cocaine and Heroin from World Supply. U.S.sustained crop control programs have reduced cocacultivation in many countries. In Peru, the coca crop wasreduced by 24%, while in Bolivia the reduction totaled43%. Pakistan reduced poppy cultivation by 26% overthe 1997/8 crop year. Its government approved a five-year Drug Abuse Control Master Plan which providesspecific objectives in the law enforcement, crop controland demand reduction areas. Opium production de-clined by 36% in Thailand, this past year, while cultiva-tion decreased 18%. In Laos, targeted project areashave reduced poppy cultivation to minimal levels.

• Strengthened Law Enforcement. Overall coca cultivationincreased in Columbia, primarily in regions of weakgovernment control and needs to be addressed. This wasin spite of the breakup of all the major drug kingpinorganizations as a result of U.S. diplomatic efforts andColombian government assistance. In Mexico, thegovernment intensified law enforcement and militaryactions against major drug cartels, strengthened its laws,and enhanced its cooperation with the U.S. and othercountries to combat international narcotics trafficking.U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Caribbean and LatinAmerica resulted in agreements for the use of forwardoperating locations in Aruba, Curacao and Ecuador thatwill support U.S. counter-narcotics and monitoringflights.

• Encouraged Institution-Building. Nigeria continued toindicate that it would expand cooperation in anti-crimeand narcotics control activities. During the year, Nigeriahosted a joint U.S./EU counter-narcotics assessmentteam and confirmed, after previous refusal, that it wouldrecognize existing extradition treaties. In addition, a U.S.legal attache office was opened at Embassy Lagos.

Cocaine found concealed under the deck of a smallfishing vessel.


Strategic Goal: Counterterrorism

Reduce the number and impact of international terroristattacks, especially on the United States and its citizens.

International terrorism has entered more directly into the livesof all Americans, and continues to threaten U.S. interestsaround the world. Threats to American citizens, facilities, andinterests, as well as the potential for use of weapons of massdestruction, makes terrorism a national security as well as a lawenforcement challenge.

International terrorism threatens American lives, property andforeign policy interests. The threat continues to evolve, as newand often loosely knit radical groups emerge, engaging inmassive terrorist attacks such as those against the U.S. embas-sies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in August 1998. The will-ingness of some terrorists to commit suicide in order to kill asmany persons as possible complicates efforts of security forcesto take effective countermeasures. Our goal is to minimize thefrequency, severity and impact of terrorist attacks, using arange of economic and diplomatic pressures, practical mea-sures, and enlisting the cooperation of other governments.

Defeating terrorists requires taking assertive offensive actionsas well as strengthening protective measures for personnel,embassies, airports and other potential targets. This involvesaggressively thwarting terrorist activities by curbing theirmoney, munitions and freedom of movement, eliminatingtheir safe havens, and undermining their support. The U.S.works to bring international pressure to bear against terrorists,their organizations, and countries that support terrorism.

Following are some key accomplishments realized by theDepartment in 1999 to combat terrorism.

• Strengthened Treaties and Conventions. The Departmentcontinued its efforts to pressure states that sponsor orsupport terrorism to change their policies. The U.S.Government’s efforts earlier in the year led the waytoward obtaining passage, on October 15, 1999, of UnitedNations Security Council sanctions against the Talibanregime in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighter holding a RPG-7 anti-tank rocketlauncher in the vicinity of Jabal os Saraj andGolbahar, Afghanistan.


• Expanded the Antiterrorist Assistance Program (ATA).The Department of State helps strengthen internationalcooperation, political will and the operational capabilityof countries willing to counter terrorism. Some 2,100foreign officials were trained in Anti-Terrorism AssistancePrograms managed by the Department in 1999, a sub-stantial increase from the 1,200 officials trained in 1998.In June 1999, the Department sponsored the first majorgovernmental international terrorism conference andmini-exercise. Two dozen countries, primarily from theMiddle East and South Asia, took part. In addition toour annual bilateral exchanges with such key countriessuch as the United Kingdom, Canada and Israel, theDepartment also enhanced our bilateral relationship withIndia and Australia. The Department of State also sharedinformation with other countries to help them counterpossible terrorist actions.

• Improved Security Measures. Using funding from theEmergency Security Supplemental Appropriation, theDepartment greatly reduced the vulnerability of itsembassies, consulates, missions and residences abroadduring the year by improving perimeter security, estab-lishing surveillance detection teams, and the purchase ofspecialized security equipment such as armored vehicles,metal detectors and x-ray devices.

• Surrender of Terrorists. Meanwhile, working with ourallies, the Department of State diplomats put together astrategy that finally led Libyan leader Ghadaffi to surren-der the two men suspected of bombing the Pan Am 103flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which more than 100Americans died.

Strategic Goal: Democracy andHuman Rights

Increase foreign government adherence to democraticpractices and respect for human rights.

New democracies hold free and fair elections.

Democracy is the best guarantor of universal human rightsand the fundamental right of all people to have a say in theirgovernment. Democracies produce long-term economicgrowth, as well as social and political stability. In supportingthe spread of democracy, the United States is simultaneouslypromoting American values while helping create a more

NationalInterest:

Democracy andHuman Rights

Atomic, biological and chemical defense schooldemonstration of equipment in Austria.


stable, secure, and cooperative global arena in which toadvance all U.S. interests.

A world of democratic nations provides a more stable andsecure global arena in which to advance U.S. objectives.Advancing U.S. interests in the post-Cold War world oftenrequires efforts to support democratic transitions as well as toaddress human rights disasters and democratic reversals.Promotion of democracy and human rights, including therights of women and minorities, reflects the fundamentalvalues of the American people.

The Department of State provides leadership and coordina-tion for U.S. policy related to the advancement of democracyand the promotion of human rights by conducting relationswith foreign governments and multilateral organizations. TheDepartment coordinates implementation of activities of U.S.agencies that provide assistance toward that objective, includ-ing activities related to conflict prevention and resolution andannually publishes Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,an analyses of human rights conditions in foreign countries.The Department allocates economic support funds forbuilding democracy in countries in transition and consultsextensively with non-governmental organizations to promotedemocracy.

Following are the key democracy and human rights accom-plishments in 1999.

• Promoted Human Rights. There were a number ofpositive developments during the year, including ongoingdemocratic transitions in Indonesia and Nigeria, and thepassage of a landmark United Nations Commission onHuman Rights resolution which recognized the right todemocracy. Freedom House’s authoritative annualComparative Survey of Freedom identified seven new freecountries and three new partly free countries, a total of117 electoral democracies at the end of 1999. Severalcountries made strides towards democracy. The HumanRights and Democracy Fund continued to providecritical assistance to democratization opportunities as wellas human rights emergencies matters by establishing anAdvisory Committee on International Labor and aSpecial Representative on International Labor.

The Department’s 6,000-page Country Reports on HumanRights Practices documents human rights conditions in194 countries around the world. It continues to berespected globally for its accuracy and objectivity.


• Supported War Crimes Tribunals. The U.S. continued itsstrong support for the International Criminal Tribunalsfor the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. The U.S. is theleading provider of both financial and technical supportto these tribunals, which investigate and bring to trialthose accused of the most serious war crimes in theBalkans and Rwanda.

The U.S. also took the lead in documenting war crimescommitted in Kosovo, compiling and publishing tworeports documenting the extent of war crimes and crimesagainst humanity. Entitled Erasing History and EthnicCleansing in Kosovo: An Accounting, the reports markedthe first efforts to comprehensively document the crimescommitted by Serbian forces in Kosovo.

• Supported the Rights of Workers and Child LaborReform. Important advances were made to improve corelabor standards globally. The United States supported thecreation of an Apparel Industry Partnership, announcedin late 1998, to help end the use of child and sweatshoplabor by ensuring corporate compliance with a code ofconduct. The United States helped secure passage by theInternational Labor Organization of a new conventionbanning the worst forms of child labor. In October 1998,the United States became one of the first governments toratify. To underscore the importance the U.S. places oninternational labor issues, the Department strengthenedthe advice given to the Secretary on labor matters byestablishing an Advisory Committee on InternationalLabor and a Special Representative on InternationalLabor.

• Integrated Religious Freedom Policy. The Department ofState also focused more resources on religious freedomissues through the establishment of a new Ambassador atLarge for International Religious Freedom and a U.S.Commission on International Religious Freedom. InSeptember 1999, the Department published the first-everAnnual Report on International Religious Freedom, whichdocuments violations of that right in 194 countriesaround the world.

Secretary Albright greets the crowd at Camp Stenkovecrefugee camp in Skopje, Macedonia on June 11, 1999.


Strategic Goal:Humanitarian Assistance

Prevent or minimize the human costs of conflict andnatural disasters.

American values mandate offering assistance and internationalleadership to help alleviate human suffering from crises,whether man-made or natural, even when there may be nodirect or indirect threat to U.S. security interests.

Of great concern are the estimated 35 million refugees andother displaced persons currently under the protection of theinternational community. The U.S. goal is to insure thatvictims of conflict and disaster, especially vulnerable womenand children, are cared for and protected in the most efficientmanner possible. In addition, people in more than 60 coun-tries, mostly in the developing world, face a daily threat ofbeing killed or maimed by millions of landmines still left inthe ground, years after conflicts have ended.

The Department of State is the hub for coordinating the U.S.Government response to humanitarian crises. In the event ofa crisis, the Department initiates decision-making in Wash-ington, communicates with other donors in capitals andinternational fora, and coordinates implementation in thefield on all issues ranging from preventive diplomacy topeacekeeping. These are our humanitarian assistance accom-plishments for 1999.

• Provided Humanitarian Aid. The year 1999 was a bad onefor disasters, both natural and man-made. The U.S. wasable to grant significant humanitarian, reconstruction anddebt relief assistance to countries in the Caribbean in theaftermath of Hurricane George and to countries inCentral America damaged by Hurricane Mitch. Gener-ous levels of assistance were due in large measure to anemergency supplemental appropriation from the Con-gress. The U.S. was the largest single contributor tohumanitarian programs run by international relief organi-zations worldwide, including programs of the UN HighCommission for Refugees, the International Committeeof the Red Cross, the UN Relief and Works Agency forPalestine Refugees in the Near East, the InternationalOrganization for Migration, and the World Food Pro-gram. The U.S. also provided significant assistance to theWorld Food Program for its humanitarian feeding pro-grams worldwide, in particular its effort to feed 8 million

NationalInterest:

HumanitarianAssistance

Damage wrought by Hurricane Mitch on the Hondurannorth coast.


of the 22 million people in North Korea, helping avertwidespread famine.

• Repatriated and Resettled Refugees. The Departmentreacted quickly and effectively to the massive outflow ofrefugees from Kosovo to neighboring countries by provid-ing help to temporarily feed, shelter and eventually returnhome 700,000 refugees and displaced persons at theheight of the Kosovo crisis. Emergency consultationswere held with the Congress to increase our refugeeadmissions ceiling and over 11,000 Kosovars were evacu-ated to the United States. All of this was supported byEmergency Supplemental Appropriations of approxi-mately $1 billion by the Congress.

The United States provided a new home to 85,000refugees worldwide in 1999, expanding the use of resettle-ment as a means to provide refugees in need of protectionwith a durable solution to their status as refugees. TheDepartment was instrumental in transferring from theDemocratic Republic of the Congo 2,000 Tutsi Congol-ese at risk of persecution; the United States has offeredresettlement to all who qualify.

• Removed Landmines. The number of countries receivinghelp in the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Programincreased from 19 to 26 during the year. As a result ofU.S. efforts, casualties in Cambodia have dropped by90% in the last four years, and half of the mined areasin Chad have been cleared.

Strategic Goal: Environment

Secure a sustainable global environment, and protectthe United States and its citizens from the effects ofinternational environmental degradation.

The global environment has a profound and increasingimpact on the United States. Pollution crosses borders andoceans, affecting the health and prosperity of Americans.Competition for natural resources can lead to instability andconflict, threatening security, economic, and other U.S.interests. In addition, the U.S. values protection of theenvironment both at home and globally for its own sake.

Americans care deeply about the environment and demandaction to protect it. U.S. leadership is essential to resolving

NationalInterest:

GlobalIssues

Secretary Albright is briefed by refugee in tent at CampStenkovec refugee camp in Skopje, Macedonia.


environmental problems that require global and regionalsolutions. Given the magnitude and complexity of thisundertaking, the participation of the private sector and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) is essential.

The Department of State is responsible for developing theforeign policy framework for international environmentalpolicy and coordinating the environmental activities of U.S.agencies overseas. The Department builds effective bilateraland multilateral relationships to promote environmentalcollaboration and address environmental problems that crossregional boundaries. The Department of State providedskillful leadership to multilateral negotiations leading toagreements on climate change (for example, greenhouse gasemissions), toxic chemicals, sustainable forestry and biosafety.The Department also works with Non-Government Organi-zations, financial institutions, international businesses andUnited Nations organizations to more effectively addressinternational environmental problems. The Department hasestablished and expanded Regional and EnvironmentalOffices (Hubs) to address transboundary environmentalchallenges that cannot be solved through either multilateral ornational efforts. This has made a significant difference during1999.

• Negotiated Agreements on Greenhouse Gases. In 1999,the Department successfully engaged other nations and/orcoalitions to support U.S. negotiating positions under theUN Framework Convention on Climate Change and itsKyoto Protocol. During the year, a number of LatinAmerican and African countries expressed their supportfor an approach to the Clean Development Mechanismconsistent with U.S. objectives. With the exception of afew detractors, the parties to the climate conventionreached a common view on the fundamental structure foremissions trading and the need for a registry system totrack transactions, both based on U.S.-proposed models.

• Sustained Forest Protection. Substantial progress wasmade in implementation of the G-8 Forest Action Pro-gram. The U.S. secured G-8 support for collaborativeremote sensing efforts, co-sponsored with Brazil a meetingto advance international understanding on issues relatedto forest protection, helped organize a World Banksymposium to increase regional cooperation on sustain-able forest management, including illegal logging andcross border trade, especially in the Mekong region, andparticipated at the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests.

Example of slash and burn agriculture in the NorthernShan State, Burma.


• Promoted BioSafety. The Department forged a coalitionof like-minded biotechnology exporting countries, the“Miami Group,” to keep the Convention on BiologicalDiversity’s Biosafety Protocol negotiations focused onprotecting the environment while preventing adoption ofa Protocol that would have hindered U.S. economic andtrade interests. Regarding hazardous chemicals, the U.S.made substantial progress in developing a global agree-ment to minimize transboundary pollution from the useand emissions of persistent organic pollutants. In 1999,three of five necessary negotiating sessions occurred, withconclusion expected in 2000.

• Resolved Salmon Fishing Issues. Finally, and after manyyears of negotiation, the Department of State resolved oneof the longest-running contentious issues in the bilateralrelationship with Canada: Pacific salmon. In June 1999,the U.S. and Canada signed a historic agreement that willestablish a strong, ten-year regime for sharing and con-serving intermingling salmon stocks in West Coastfisheries.

Strategic Goal: Population

Stabilize world population growth.

Stabilizing world population is vital to long-term U.S. inter-ests. Rapid population growth undermines stability andeconomic and social progress, and can contribute to environ-mental degradation in many developing countries. Popula-tion stabilization that is grounded in human rights especiallyfor women promotes democracy, reduces poverty, and leads toa healthier work force, all of which helps create a more stableglobal arena in which to advance U.S. interests.

In the year in which the world’s population reached sixbillion, the United States was engaged actively in the five-yearreview of the Program of Action of the 1994 InternationalConference on Population and Development (ICPD). Thereview, in which over 180 countries participated, showed thatsignificant progress has been made globally toward reducingmaternal and infant mortality, increasing girls’ education andwomen’s empowerment, expanding the availability of repro-ductive health services, and slowing the rate of populationgrowth. The review also highlighted the more serious than

Nitrous Oxide emissions from fertilizer plant atCh’Ongjin, North Korea.


expected consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, thechallenges faced in meeting the needs of three billion youngpeople, and the shortfall of financial resources needed to fullyimplement the ICPD goals.

While U.S. funding to the United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) was restored in 1999, new restrictions and cutswere placed by Congress on U.S. bilateral funding for popula-tion activities. These restrictions, intended to be in place forone year only, will nonetheless hamper the work of familyplanning organizations, barring them from providing, andeven debating reproductive health policies. The restrictionswill make it significantly more difficult for the United Statesto contribute to the important goal of stabilizing worldpopulation growth. Namibia and Mexico to Bangladesh andSenegal have revised their national policies. During 1998,U.S. technical and program aid assisted many of the ICPDProgram signatory countries to assess the consistency andperformance of their policies, in preparation for their five-yearimplementation review.

Strategic Goal: Health

Protect human health and reduce the spread of infec-tious diseases.

The United States has direct interests in safeguarding thehealth of Americans and in reducing the negative conse-quences of disease worldwide. Epidemics can directlythreaten public health in the United States. Unhealthyconditions elsewhere in the world increase the incidence ofdisease, increase human suffering, and retard development.Humanitarian values lead Americans to support improve-ments to global health, even in the absence of other directinterests.

Despite medical advances, the spread of infectious diseasesthreatens not only the health of populations, but also thepolitical, economic and social stability of entire countries. OnMarch 16, 1999, Secretary Albright launched a DiplomaticInitiative on HIV/AIDS and emerging infectious diseases,raising this urgent foreign policy priority to a global priority.The Department of State, as coordinator of an interagencyworking group on HIV/AIDS, spearheaded action amongU.S. Government agencies, industry, and non-governmentalorganizations in issuing the U.S. International Response to

Botswana’s Health Ministry advertisementpromoting condom use.


HIV/AIDS. Through the Diplomatic Initiative, the U.S.raised the attention of national leaders around the world,especially in the countries of southern Africa. For the firsttime, the 14 Southern African Development Communitycountries are collaborating with the U.S. to develop andimplement consistent HIV/AIDS policies to tackle thetransborder issues that promote the spread of disease.

DIPLOMATIC READINESS

The ability of the Department of State to advance the foreignpolicy interests of the United States - including supportingthe overseas roles of the other federal agencies representedabroad - depends upon the quality of Departmental person-nel, technologies, and infrastructure. Diplomatic readiness, acore responsibility, is the strategic asset that enables theDepartment to carry out its mission.

The United States has important economic, security, politicaland humanitarian interests on every continent. At any time,around the world, U.S. representatives are engaged in negoti-ating treaties, responding to crises, supporting Presidential orother high-level visits, observing foreign elections, promotingAmerican exports, providing relief to victims of naturaldisasters, assisting American citizens in emergencies, deliver-ing sensitive government-to-government messages at thehighest levels, assisting American citizens in emergencies, andenhancing border security.

Diplomatic readiness, like the military readiness of the ArmedForces, is the strategic asset that enables the Department ofState and other U.S. Government agencies abroad to carryout our mission. The embassies, consulates and other poststhe Department manages are the principal platforms for theactivities of the U.S. Government around the world. To carryout the diverse diplomatic responsibilities, our Ambassadors,foreign service personnel, and other U.S. Government em-ployees abroad need extensive training in the language, cul-ture and politics of a host country. They need safe and secureoffices and housing in parts of the world where running waterand electricity are the exception rather than the rule, and theability to report to Washington through safe and reliablesecure communications.

The Department of State’s Strategic Plan identifies threeprincipal components of diplomatic readiness: human re-sources, information, and infrastructure and operations.

NGO funded clinic that teaches AIDS patients sewingskills in Soweto, South Africa.


Diplomatic Readiness Goal:

Enable the U.S. Government to achieve foreign policyobjectives and respond to international crises by culti-vating a skilled, motivated, diverse, and flexibleworkforce.

People are the Department of State’s most significant resource- 20,900 highly qualified civil service, foreign service, andforeign service national employees, with many more contractemployees, in over 300 locations in the U.S. and overseas.Sound workforce planning and management is a criticalcomponent of diplomatic readiness, and a challenging task,especially given the complexities of operating overseas. Sincethe Department of State represents the U.S. to the world, itsworkforce must be highly skilled and truly representative ofthe American people, while its employment practices mustdemonstrate the U.S. commitment to the principles offairness and equal employment opportunity.

• Increased Training. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) islocated at the 72-acre National Foreign Affairs TrainingCenter (NFATC) in Arlington, Virginia. As the federalgovernment’s primary training institution for personnel ofthe foreign service community, FSI helps promote diplo-matic readiness by equipping foreign affairs personnelwith first rate language and area expertise, as well asdiplomatic tradecraft, general management and informa-tion management skills. The Foreign Service Institutedelivered more than 915,000 hours of language trainingin 1999, an increase of 110,450 hours over 1998. Train-ing in Public Diplomacy was added to the core curricu-lum, and increased emphasis was placed on leadershipand management training and training for Foreign ServiceNational employees. One disappointment was the lack offunding for the development of required contractingcourses.

Also in 1999, the Foreign Service Institute provided over280,000 hours of technology training to over 14,000students, an increase of over 20% from the prior year.The main subjects taught to end-users were personalcomputer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel,Power Point, Access, plus electronic mail and the internet.FSI also trained information management specialists inMicrosoft NT, Exchange, and Systems ManagementServer (SMS), which form the backbone of the Depart-ment’s new technology infrastructure. In additionto

The Foreign Service Institute campus in Arlington, Virginia.


boosting hours of training significantly, FSI completelyrevised the curriculum for technology specialists. Thesecourses are now the equivalent of courses taught byprivate industry training institutions. That is, they aretaught by Microsoft Certified Trainers, use Microsoft-approved courseware, and culminate in students’ takingthe Microsoft Certification Examinations.

• Improved Recruitment Methods.The Department devel-oped a strategy to recruit highly skilled informationmanagement and telecommunications specialists, held asuccessful job fair in February 1999, and prepared andpublished a regulation establishing the regulatory frame-work for a recruitment bonus for these employees.

• Planned Workforce Changes. A major achievementduring the year was the implementation of theForeign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998,which mandated the integration of the Department ofState, the United States Information Agency (USIA), andthe Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA)into a single institution. The Act also strengthened the tiebetween the Department of State and the U.S. Agency forInternational Development, (USAID) in order to enhancethe cohesiveness of U.S. foreign policy. The Departmentprepared and presented to the Congress a comprehensiveplan, Reorganization and Report, designed to implementthe provisions of this Act. Working groups were establ-ished within the Department of State, ACDA, and USIAto modify differences in personnel policy and integrate allof the Arms Control and public diplomacy functions andpositions. Throughthese working groups, the Departmentdeveloped comprehensive crosswalks of all positions andpersonnel to specific bureaus. The Department alsoaddressed all personnel policy differences and developedcomprehensive personnel policies for review by all em-ployees and their union representatives.

In order to better plan future personnel resource needs,the Department revised the criteria for all elements of theoverseas staffing model and prepared a preliminary planfor incorporating the public diplomacy functions withinthe model in 2000. This included integrating staffingcriteria developed in the clinical staffing model into themore comprehensive overseas staffing model.

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Strengthen the ability of the United States to achieve itsInternational Affairs goals and respond to crisesthrough effective and efficient information resourcesmanagement and information systems.

The collection, analysis and communication of informationconcerning international issues and developments of impor-tance to the U.S. Government are essential to achievingforeign policy goals. Given the vast quantities of informationavailable today, there is a premium on value-added and timelyinformation. Secure and reliable information technology,along with accurate and efficient information networks, areessential tools for the policy process and Department opera-tions at home and abroad. They are equally critical for theeffective conduct of foreign relations, and for communica-tions with the rest of the government and the public.

• Maintained Information Technology (IT). Informationtechnology infrastructure protection is another placewhere improvements in information security supportdiplomatic readiness. In 1999, the Information SystemsSecurity Officer position was established - an initiativewhich centralized the information security authority andresponsibility in the Department of State. Informationsecurity policies were updated to meet the demands andrealities of current data processing. The anti-virusprogram which previously was decentralized and incon-sistently applied was centralized for improved configura-tion management and deployment control. Finally, theDepartment deployed intrusion detection software forbetter protection of its unclassified networks.

• Deployed Key Overseas Computer Infrastructure. TheDepartment has made major steps in modernizing itsinformation infrastructure and therefore in making itsinformation technology accessible. The unclassifiedoverseas modernization initiative (ALMA) was success-fully completed in 1999. This initiative brought the morethan 230 overseas posts up to a standard that supportedthe Department’s world-wide unclassified networklinking the Department’s overseas employees to Washing-ton. Domestically the Department has deployed Opennet,providing unclassified network access to over 99% of theDepartment’s domestic employees. ALMA and Opennettogether form the infrastructure that allows employees to


exchange electronic mail with colleagues in the Department,as well as with others outside the Department across theinternet. This infrastructure has also provided the means forweb-based document data sharing.

• Initiated Plans to Address State of Readiness. TheDepartment completed implementation and contingencyplans for Y2K-compliant versions of all 23 managementsystems and databases. It conducted end-to-end andadditional regression testing for mandatory systemschanges. The Department was able to mobilize domesticand overseas resources to support Y2K Working Groupand Day One Planning. The Department’s Y2K effortreceived an “F” following the initial evaluation of Con-gressman Horn’s Committee. The grade was raised to “A”during the final evaluation but, most significantly, nomajor Y2K problems were encountered.


Establish and maintain infrastructure and operatingcapacities that enable employees to pursue policy objec-tives and respond to crises.

The Department of State operates and maintains a network ofdiplomatic and support facilities in over 250 locations world-wide, ranging from highly developed countries with advancedinfrastructure to underdeveloped or crisis-bound nationswithout reliable communications, transportation, or bankingsystems in all 24 worldwide time zones. The Departmentmust respond to a vast array of support needs at overseasposts, ensuring that representatives from all U.S. Governmentagencies and their families can live and conduct businesssafely and efficiently, with due regard for morale, even inunhealthy or dangerous locations.

The most critical infrastructure need of the Department in1999 was to enhance the protection of our posts abroad inresponse to the increased security threat due to terrorism. Inresponse to the bombing of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya andTanzania, and with nearly $1.5 billion in resources from anEmergency Supplemental Appropriation, the Departmentimplemented a series of comprehensive security upgrades andcountermeasures.


• Instituted vehicle inspections at all posts.• Initiated surveillance detection programs at 154 posts.• Purchased 359 bomb detectors and shipped 230.• Hired 200 new special agents and deployed 65 security

officers overseas.• Funded perimeter security enhancements at 50 posts.• Installed 157 new X-ray systems at posts.• Ordered 129 fully armored vehicles and 799 partially

armored vehicles.• Upgraded residential security at 130 posts.• Began to build new and secure embassies in Nairobi and

Dar es Salaam.• Purchased additional properties for improved set-back at

8 posts.

overview of the department of state• supported un efforts. the u.s. supported un efforts to...

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