Department of State
283 Articles

Think Beyond the Beltway — Bring Mayors and Governors to the Foreign Policy Table
States, regions, and cities are already on the frontlines, as in the pandemic. The federal government should support these contacts for the global future.

Estrangement Over Engagement: How the Trump Administration is Bucking Bipartisan Human Rights Diplomacy at the UN
The practice of the Trump administration turning its back on rights at the United Nations goes well beyond the Human Rights Council.

Amnesty International Calls for India to Lift Account Freeze to Resume Vital Human Rights Work
Senior US officials traveling to India this month should urge the immediate lifting of the account freeze and press India to guarantee rights of civil society organizations to…

Shaky Hands in the Oval Office
Like another president's illness, Trump's bout with COVID-19 exposes the risks of a personalized foreign policy that dismisses national security structures.

Reclaiming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the Pompeo Commission – Part 2
The panel's lengthy exegesis of the Declaration contains at least six glaring omissions that have real-world consequences.

Reclaiming Human Rights from the Pompeo Commission – Part 1
Its report displays an interpretative sneakiness, invoking the “founding era” and “founding principles” in a highly selective and under-inclusive way.

A Test for the US Posture on the Int’l Criminal Court: “Safe Harbor” Licenses?
A US willingness to consider mitigation will signal the true intent of sanctions against the ICC prosecutor and a division director.

Why Them? On the U.S. Sanctions Against Int’l Criminal Court Officials
What messages is the United States sending by targeting Fatou Bensouda and Phakiso Mochochoko in particular?

State Dept. Inspector General Report: A Troubling Message on Arms Sales
"A stunning revelation given the repeated, severe cases of civilian casualties resulting from Saudi-led Coalition operations over the past several years."

Exclusive: Obstruction At All Costs: The State Department’s Petty Document Fight with Congress
The State Department is refusing to comply with a House subpoena for documents that it's already shared with Senate Republicans.

A Conflict of Interest Raises Questions for State Department’s Top Lawyer
Did Marik String successfully stymy inspector general investigation into his own actions?

US Iran Envoy to Step Down—Ahead of Key U.S. Move on Nuclear Program
The move comes as the Trump administration is expected to try to 'snapback' UN Iran sanctions, collapse nuclear deal