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Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

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Employees
  
130 (as of 2011)

Annual budget
  
$837 million (FY 2010)

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

Formed
  
2006; 11 years ago (2006)

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

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 Acting Assistant Secretary is William E. Todd.

Contents

History

After six years of trying, Congress allocated the funds to create an independent Bureau of South Asian Affairs in 1991. Pursuant to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993, 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. 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.

  • 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

    Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA