Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
	Seal of the United States Department of State
Bureau overview
Formed	2006; 15 years ago
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	1,747 (as of FY 2017)
Annual budget	$820 million (FY 2017)
Bureau executive	Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs;
Parent department	U.S. Department of State
Website	Official website

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 of State for Political Affairs. The current Assistant Secretary is Donald Lu, incumbent since September 15, 2021.

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 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 India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Maldives Affairs – Informs policy and coordinates with U.S. Missions in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives
Office of Pakistan Affairs – Oversees Pakistan–United States relations, and liaises with the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan
Office of Central Asian Affairs – Informs policy and coordinates with U.S. Missions in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
Office of Security and Transnational Affairs
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 Afghanistan Affairs – Oversees Afghanistan–United States relations, and liaises with the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c "Inspection of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs". Inspector General of the Department of State. February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
^ Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State [1].
^ U.S. Congress. Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993. The Library of Congress, 1992, Sec. 122. [2]^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Crossette, Barbara. "Congress Is Impatient for South Asia Bureau". New York Times, December 26, 1991. [3].
^ "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[]

Official website

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[OIG-1] "Inspection of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs". Inspector General of the Department of State. February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.

[2] Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State [1].

[3] U.S. Congress. Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993. The Library of Congress, 1992, Sec. 122. [2]^{[permanent dead link]}

[4] Crossette, Barbara. "Congress Is Impatient for South Asia Bureau". New York Times, December 26, 1991. [3].

[Brochure-5] "State Department Student Internship Brochure" (PDF). U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources. September 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2015.

[FAM-6] "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.

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v t United States Department of State
Headquarters: Harry S Truman Building Antony Blinken, Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State Brian P. McKeon, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
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Under Secretary for Management	Bureau of Administration Bureau of Budget and Planning Bureau of Consular Affairs Bureau of Diplomatic Security Bureau of Global Talent Management Bureau of Information Resource Management Bureau of Medical Services Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services Foreign Service Institute (Office of the Historian) Office of Foreign Missions Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms Office of Management Strategy and Solutions Office of White House Liaison
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v t Afghanistan–United States relations
Diplomatic posts	Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, D.C. Ambassadors of Afghanistan to the United States Embassy of the United States, Kabul Ambassadors of the United States to Afghanistan Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
Diplomacy	Operation Cyclone Operation MIAS U.S.–Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement Doha Agreement Six plus Three Six plus Two Group on Afghanistan Major non-NATO ally
Legislation	Access for Afghan Women Act ALLIES Act Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act
Incidents	Adolph Dubs Operation Infinite Reach Afghan Guantanamo Bay detainees Taliban Five Deportation of Afghan refugees Camp Chapman attack Insurgents' bodies Kandahar massacre U.S. Herate consulate attack Video of U.S. Marines urinating on Taliban fighters Quran burning protests
War in Afghanistan	History Timeline Opposition 2011–2016 withdrawal 2020–2021 withdrawal CIA activities Task Force Phoenix Peace process Reconstruction
Related	Anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan Afghanistanism Bost Airport Hamid Karzai International Airport Herat International Airport Kandahar International Airport Kunduz Airport Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History Overthrow
Category:Afghanistan–United States relations

Bureau overview
Seal of the United States Department of State
Formed	2006; 15 years ago (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	1,747 (as of FY 2017)^[1]
Annual budget	$820 million (FY 2017)^[1]
Bureau executive	Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
Parent department	U.S. Department of State
Website	Official website