The U.S. Department of State manages America’s relationships with foreign governments, international organizations, and the people of other countries. The management of all of these relationships is called diplomacy. State Department diplomats carry out the President’s foreign policy and help build a more free, prosperous, and secure world. The State Department is a vital part of the U.S. Government because it:
- Represents the United States overseas and conveys U.S. policies to foreign governments and international organizations through American embassies and consulates in foreign countries and diplomatic missions;
- Negotiates and concludes agreements and treaties on issues ranging from trade to nuclear weapons;
- Coordinates and supports international activities of other U.S. agencies, hosts official visits, and performs other diplomatic missions;
- Leads interagency coordination and manages the allocation of resources for foreign relations; and
- Promotes mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries around the world.
There are more than 190 countries in the world, and the United States maintains diplomatic relations with some 180 of them, as well as with many international organizations. Advances in travel, trade and technology have made the world more interconnected today than ever before, making interactions with other countries and their citizens more important for the United States.
The State Department has four main foreign policy goals:
- Protect the United States and Americans;
- Advance democracy, human rights, and other global interests;
- Promote international understanding of American values and policies; and
- Support U.S. diplomats, government officials, and all other personnel at home and abroad who make these goals a reality.
Protecting America
Diplomacy is one of the best ways to protect the United States and the American people. We use diplomacy with other nations to successfully deal with many challenges that cross national boundaries and affect us here in the United States, including:
- Terrorism;
- The threat of weapons of mass destruction;
- HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases;
- Illegal drug trafficking and crime;
- Humanitarian needs of migrants and refugees; and
- Environmental degradation.
Americans at home and abroad face threats to their physical and economic well-being. The State Department protects our nation, its people, and our prosperity by helping to:
- Prevent terrorist attacks and strengthen international alliances to defeat global terrorism;
- Ensure America’s homeland security by promoting policies and practices to keep travel, trade, and important infrastructure safe;
- Serve on the front line of America’s borders, facilitating the entry of legitimate visitors to the United States while denying visas to those who do not qualify or would do us harm;
- Promote stability in all regions of the world;
- Prevent enemies from threatening the United States or our allies with weapons of mass destruction;
- Reduce the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on Americans;
- Protect and assist American citizens who travel, conduct business, and live abroad; and
- Nurture common interests and values between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
Following are a few of the many ways the State Department uses diplomacy to protect America:
Fighting Terrorism
International terrorism threatens the United States, its allies and interests, and the world community. Defeating international terrorism requires sound policies, concerted U.S. Government effort, and international cooperation.
Our work reflects the goals of the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism:
- Defeat terrorists and their organizations;
- Deny sponsorship, support, and sanctuary to terrorists;
- Diminish the underlying conditions that terrorists seek to exploit; and
- Defend U.S. citizens and interests at home and abroad.
In the fight against terrorism, the State Department provides foreign policy oversight and guidance to all U.S. Government international counterterrorism activities. These include:
- Designating Foreign Terrorist Organizations to freeze their assets and isolate them internationally;
- Providing deterrence and rapid response to international terrorist incidents;
- Delivering creative and flexible anti-terrorism and counterterrorism finance training;
- Enhancing border security and global terrorism watch listing (see 2009-2017.state.gov/s/ct);
- Providing expert counterterrorism assistance in support of embassies and partner nations;
- Integrating homeland security initiatives with foreign policy; and
- Leading technology development to effectively combat terrorism.
The State Department’s annual Country Reports on Terrorism is a congressionally mandated assessment of trends in international terrorism and the nature of the terrorist threat. The narrative is focused on policy-related assessments, a country-by-country breakdown of foreign government cooperation, and chapters on State Sponsors of Terrorism, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, WMD terrorism, and Terrorist Safe Havens. Also see 2009-2017.state.gov/s/ct.