Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

{{Infobox government agency

| agency_name = Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

| type = bureau

| seal = US Department of State official seal.svg

| seal_width = 120px

| seal_caption = Seal of the United States Department of State

| formed = {{start date and years ago|2006}}{{cite web|title=Inspection of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs|url=https://oig.state.gov/reports/10268|publisher=Inspector General of the Department of State|date=February 23, 2018|access-date=February 23, 2018}}

| preceding1 = Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs

| preceding2 =

| jurisdiction = Executive branch of the United States

| headquarters = Harry S. Truman Building, Washington, D.C., United States

| employees = 1,747 (as of FY 2017)

| budget = $820 million (FY 2017)

| chief1_name = Eric Meyer

| chief1_position = Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs

| chief2_name =

| chief2_position =

| parent_department = U.S. Department of State

| website = [https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-political-affairs/bureau-of-south-and-central-asian-affairs/ 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.

History

File:E. Saravanapavan with Heather Variava.jpg, 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.Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State [https://history.state.gov/about/hac]. Pursuant to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993,U.S. Congress. Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993. The Library of Congress, 1992, Sec. 122. [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c102:7:./temp/~c102wpH82U:e40571:]{{Dead link|date=August 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} 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.Crossette, Barbara. "Congress Is Impatient for South Asia Bureau". New York Times, December 26, 1991. [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/26/world/congress-is-impatient-for-south-asia-bureau.html]. 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.{{cite web|title=State Department Student Internship Brochure|url=https://careers.state.gov/uploads/dd/ed/dded53753df70409565b519d425f992c/Student-Internship-Brochure-Sept-2014.pdf|publisher=U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources|date=September 2014|access-date=December 10, 2015}}{{cite web|title=1 FAM 170 Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA)|url=https://fam.state.gov/FAM/01FAM/01FAM0170.html|work=Foreign Affairs Manual|publisher=U.S. Department of State|date=August 27, 2014|access-date=December 13, 2015}}

File:SCA chart.png

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