Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
Bureau overview
Seal of the United States Department of State
Formed	2006 (2006)^[1]
Preceding bureau	Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs
Jurisdiction	Executive branch of the United States
Headquarters	Harry S. Truman Building, Washington, D.C., United States
Employees	130 (as of 2011)^[1]
Annual budget	$837 million (FY 2010)^[1]
Bureau executive	Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
Parent department	U.S. Department of State
Website	www.state.gov/p/sca/

The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) is an agency within the United States Department of State that is responsible for the U.S. government's relations with countries in the South and Central Asian region. The bureau is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, who reports to the Secretary of State through the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. The current Assistant Secretary is Nisha Biswal.

History

A delegation headed by Ms. Heather Variava (Second from Left), meeting with E. Saravanapavan, M.P.(Far Left), in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

After six years of trying, Congress allocated the funds to create an independent Bureau of South Asian Affairs in 1991.^[2] Pursuant to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993,^[3] the Bureau of South Asian Affairs was established on August 24, 1992 after having been a part of the Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs since 1958.^[4] In February 2006 the bureau absorbed the Office of Central Asian Affairs from the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

Organization

The offices of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs direct, coordinate, and supervise U.S. government activities within the region, including political, economic, consular, public diplomacy, and administrative management issues.^[5]^[6]

Organizational chart of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs as of 2014

SCA Front Office – The office of the Assistant Secretary and other principals in the bureau
Office of Central Asia – Informs policy and coordinates with U.S. Missions in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
Office of INSB – Informs policy and coordinates with U.S. Missions in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives
Afghanistan Desk – Oversees Afghanistan–United States relations, and liaises with the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.
India Desk – Oversees India–United States relations, and liaises with the U.S. Embassy in India
Pakistan Desk – Oversees Pakistan–United States relations, and liaises with the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy – Coordinates public outreach and digital engagement, and prepares press guidance for the Department Spokesperson in the Bureau of Public Affairs
Office of Regional Affairs

References

1 2 3 "Inspection of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs" (PDF). Inspector General of the Department of State. June 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
↑ Office of the Historian. http://history.state.gov, U.S. Department of State .
↑ U.S. Congress. Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993. The Library of Congress, 1992, Sec. 122.
↑ Crossette, Barbara. "Congress Is Impatient for South Asia Bureau". New York Times, December 26, 1991. .
↑ "State Department Student Internship Brochure" (PDF). U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources. September 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
↑ "1 FAM 170 Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA)". Foreign Affairs Manual. U.S. Department of State. August 27, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2015.

External links

United States Department of State

Headquarters: Harry S Truman Building John Kerry, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources

Deputy Secretary of State & Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources	Bureau of Budget and Planning Counselor of the Department Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources

Under Secretary for Political Affairs	Bureau of African Affairs Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau of International Organization Affairs Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs

Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment	Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of Energy Resources Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Office of the Science and Technology Adviser Office of the Chief Economist

Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs	Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau of Political-Military Affairs

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs	Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of Public Affairs Bureau of International Information Programs Department Spokesperson Office of the Historian Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs United States Diplomacy Center

Under Secretary for Management	Bureau of Administration Bureau of Consular Affairs Bureau of Diplomatic Security Bureau of Human Resources Bureau of Information Resource Management Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Diplomatic Reception Rooms Foreign Service Institute Office of Children's Issues Office of eDiplomacy Office of Foreign Missions Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation Office of Medical Services Office of White House Liaison

Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights	Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau of Counterterrorism Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Office of Global Criminal Justice Office of Global Youth Issues Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Bureaus/Offices reporting directly to the Secretary	Bureau of Intelligence and Research Bureau of Legislative Affairs Executive Secretariat Operations Center Office of Civil Rights Office of Inspector General Office of the Legal Adviser Office of Policy Planning Staff Office of the Chief of Protocol Office of Global Food Security Office of Global Women's Issues Office of the United States Global AIDS Coordinator Office of Global Partnerships

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