Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs
United States Department of State · Public domain · source
Name	Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs
Department	United States Department of State
Reports to	United States Secretary of State
Appointed by	President of the United States
Formation	1972

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs is a senior official in the United States Department of State responsible for policy on arms control, nonproliferation, disarmament, and international security affairs. The office interfaces with counterparts in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations, and partner nations including Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France to implement treaties such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Role and Responsibilities

The Under Secretary leads engagement on arms control, advising the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of State, and interagency bodies like the National Security Council and the Department of Defense on issues including nuclear policy, missile defense, and export controls. The office coordinates with the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (historical), the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency on verification, compliance, and intelligence assessments. Responsibilities include negotiating treaties with parties such as Iran, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel; overseeing sanctions consistent with United Nations Security Council resolutions; and liaising with organizations like the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

History and Evolution

Created amid Cold War arms control efforts, the office traces roots to initiatives during the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, evolving through pivotal moments like the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. During the Reagan administration and the administrations of George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the role expanded to include treaty verification technologies and cooperative threat reduction programs with former Soviet Union states under initiatives associated with figures such as James Baker and Warren Christopher. Post-9/11 priorities under George W. Bush and Barack Obama shifted toward counterproliferation, nuclear security summits involving Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao, and efforts culminating in agreements like the New START treaty negotiated with Dmitry Medvedev. In the 21st century, the office adapted to challenges from actors such as Hezbollah, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and state cyber capabilities linked to People's Republic of China and Russian Federation.

Organizational Structure and Officeholders

The Under Secretary oversees bureaus and offices including the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and special envoys on issues such as WMD proliferation and human rights related to arms transfer. Notable officeholders have included Vann Van Diepen (acting), Rose Gottemoeller, Ellen Tauscher, Robert J. Einhorn, and John R. Bolton (note: served in related national security roles), each interacting with leaders like Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama. Appointment requires presidential nomination and United States Senate confirmation, with deputies and career Foreign Service officers providing continuity, often coordinating with agencies such as the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Major Initiatives and Policy Areas

Key initiatives overseen include nuclear risk reduction dialogues with Russia, denuclearization talks with North Korea involving figures like Kim Jong-un, nonproliferation diplomacy addressing Iranian nuclear program and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, chemical weapons dismantlement in Syria following events tied to Bashar al-Assad, and export control regimes like the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Missile Technology Control Regime. The office advances arms transfer policies affecting partners such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Japan and leads cooperative programs such as the Cooperative Threat Reduction program initiated after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and implemented with assistance from entities like the Nunn–Lugar framework.

Notable Negotiations and Treaties

The Under Secretary has been central to negotiations on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty series, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as bilateral agreements like the New START treaty and multilateral accords exemplified by the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. The office played roles in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiations with the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and in dispute settlement related to United Nations Security Council sanctions regimes addressing proliferation activities in Iran and North Korea. Engagements have involved counterparts from Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, and South Korea.

Controversies and Criticism

The office has faced criticism over treaty implementation and verification, including debates during the Iraq War era on weapons of mass destruction intelligence linked to Saddam Hussein, controversies surrounding the withdrawal from treaties such as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty under Donald Trump, and disputes over the efficacy of sanctions regimes targeting Iran and North Korea. Critics from think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation have questioned policy choices, while congressional oversight by committees like the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee has at times highlighted tensions between diplomatic negotiation and defense priorities advocated by figures like Chuck Hagel and Robert Gates.

Category:United States Department of State offices