Overview:
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OES is the Department of State bureau responsible for the integration of matters relating to the environment, science, and technology into United States foreign policy. It works closely with the White House, Congress, U.S. government agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations, and private citizens, as well as other Department of State bureaus. Among the specific areas OES addresses when representing the U.S. in making agreements with other nations: Bio-terrorism, climate change, conservation, fisheries, forests, international health issues, oceans, the use of outer space, and wildlife.
History:
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In October 1973 Congress passed the Department of State Appropriations Authorization Act that mandated the creation of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), and it was established a year later, on October 8, 1974. OES assumed the duties of several State Department offices and positions that were then abolished, including the Office of International Scientific and Technological Affairs; Office of Special Assistant to the Secretary of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Coordinator of Ocean Affairs; Office of the Special Assistant to the Secretary for Population Matters; and Special Assistant to the Secretary for Environmental Affairs. In addition, the Act gave OES responsibility for promoting U.S. interests in various matters relating to conservation, environmental issues, fisheries, health arenas, oceans, scientific topics, and wildlife, designating it as the primary office for negotiation of international environmental and natural resource agreements and treaties with other nations.
What it Does:
The Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking aims to focus political and public attention on the threat to global wildlife from poaching and illegal trade. The coalition members, in addition to the U.S., include: India, the United Kingdom, the American Forest and Paper Association, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Conservation International, the Humane Society International, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Save the Tiger Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, Traffic International, WildAid, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the World Wildlife Fund.
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OES is the U.S. State Department Bureau responsible for the coordination, integration, and implementation of U.S. foreign policy in the areas of International Science and Technology; Environmental, Health, Natural Resource Protection, and Global Climate Change; and Oceans and Fisheries. It represents the Department of State at meetings with commissions and various other groups from nations across the globe, working toward the creation of partnerships, initiatives, agreements, and treaties that will enable sustainable development and economic growth, while also aiming to ensure as little harm as possible to the environment occurs in the process. Among the wide range of specific global issues it addresses are bio-terrorism; climate change; conservation of natural resources, including forests, fisheries, oceans, and wildlife; health issues, particularly avian influenza; science; technology; and the use of outer space.
The work of OES is accomplished through various directorates and offices:
- The Environment Directorate deals with a broad range of global topics related to environmental protection and natural resources conservation, many of which are addressed by the Office of Environmental Policy, which coordinates U.S. approaches to air quality and environmental issues that cross national boundaries; environmental aspects of free trade agreements; and environmental issues in international financial institutions. The Office of Ecology and Natural Resource Conservation also covers areas relevant to the Environment Directorate, coordinating U.S. approaches to international wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, and issues related to the conservation of coral reefs, wetlands and drylands, and control of invasive species.
- The Health, Space, and Science Directorate acts in conjunction with several U.S. Government agencies, including the Office of International Health Affairs, which facilitates policy-making regarding international bio-terrorism, infectious disease, surveillance, environmental health, and health in post-conflict situations. The Office of Space and Advanced Technology works to see that U.S. space exploration policies are science-based, protect national security, advance economic interests, foster environmental protection, and enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry, and is also coordinating a broad diplomatic effort to encourage acceptance of the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) as a worldwide standard for satellite-based navigation. The Office of Science & Technology Cooperation promotes the interests of the U.S. science and technology communities in the international policy arena, negotiating agreements, taking a leading role in representing U.S. science and technology in organizations such as UNESCO, and managing the State Department's Embassy Science Fellows Program.
- The Oceans and Fisheries Directorate has two offices addressing its issues, the Office of Marine Conservation, which concentrates on international fishing matters, and the Office of Ocean Affairs, which is primarily responsible for international ocean law and policy, marine pollution, marine mammals, polar affairs, maritime boundaries, and marine science.
- The Office of Global Change functions in accordance with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to develop a post-2012 climate strategy that is environmentally effective and economically sustainable, and aims to create, as part of a global agreement, binding international commitments for all major economies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but flexible, depending on each country’s circumstances and capabilities.
- The Office of Policy Coordination and Initiatives works closely with the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development to help build and promote public-private partnerships, and manages ongoing initiatives on water, and dialogues on OES issues with partners such as Brazil, India and China, and other countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq. It also coordinates the operation of twelve Regional Environmental Hubs that deal with health, science, the environment, and other areas of concern, and which operate out of U.S. Embassies strategically positioned throughout the world, Their locations are: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Gaborone, Botswana; Accra, Ghana; Copenhagen, Denmark; Budapest, Hungary; Amman, Jordan; Suva, Fiji; Bangkok, Thailand; Kathmandu, Nepal; Astana, Kazakhstan; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Brasilia, Brazil.
Among specific OES activities:
The Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking aims to focus political and public attention on the threat to global wildlife from poaching and illegal trade. The coalition members, in addition to the U.S., include: India, the United Kingdom, the American Forest and Paper Association, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Conservation International, the Humane Society International, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Save the Tiger Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, Traffic International, WildAid, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the World Wildlife Fund.
Actress Bo Derek is currently Special Envoy of the Secretary of State for Wildlife Trafficking issues, and recently spoke out on the topic along with OES Current Assistant Secretary Claudia A. McMurray.
In addition, actor Harrison Ford can presently be seen in Public Service Announcements also addressing the issue.
Launched by President Bush in 2005, the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, supports international efforts to combat avian flu and the potential for a human flu pandemic. The U.S. has pledged $629 million to this initiative since 2005, about half of its budget.
The Methane to Markets Partnership was launched in November 2004 by the United States and 13 other national governments to promote the use of methane as an energy source. The chair is the deputy assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Methane emissions come from animal waste, coal mines, landfills and oil and gas systems.
The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 was passed to improve access to safe water and sanitation for developing countries. OES works closely with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement the policy in 35 countries worldwide.
Former Directors:
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The position of Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs can be an unexpected springboard to greater things. The first person to hold the office, Dixy Lee Ray, was later elected governor of the state of Washington. Patsy Mink went on become the first Asian American woman to be elected to Congress. Thomas Pickering was later U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and John Negroponte went on to serve as Ambassador to Iraq and Director of National Intelligence.
- Table of Contents
- Overview
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- What it Does
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Founded: 1974
Annual Budget: $33.9 million
Employees: 168
Official Website: http://www.state.gov/g/oes
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
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