Our Mission

The Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO), headed by Assistant Secretary Kim R. Holmes, develops and implements U.S. policy in the United Nations (UN), the UN's specialized agencies, and other international organizations. IO works in cooperation with the United States Mission to the UN, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Geneva, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Rome, the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, and other international organizations.

IO works to advance U.S. policies and interests through multilateral diplomacy. The U.S. played a major role in the creation of the UN and other international organizations and maintains a strong leadership role in these bodies. IO works to ensure that the UN and other international organizations remain viable and effective.

Through the UN and other international organizations, the Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO) promotes:

• Peace: Effective UN peacekeeping operations and preventive diplomacy efforts in areas of potential conflict;
• Security: Nonproliferation, nuclear safeguards, arms control and disarmament, and efforts to combat terrorism, organized crime, and narcotics trafficking;
• Democracy: Support for democratic principles and the rule of law in government and politics;
• Human Rights: Support for human rights, including advancement of women's rights;
• Economic Growth: Environmentally sustainable economic growth through market economies, free trade, private investment, and efficient multilateral development assistance;
• Trade: Improved opportunities for America's economy through cooperation in a variety of technical fields, including standards in trade, communication, transportation, labor, intellectual property protection, food, and agriculture;
• Health: Improved standards of health and eradication of major diseases through the World Health Organization;
• Humanitarian Assistance: Assistance to refugees, displaced persons, and victims of disasters through the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Program;
• Environment: Environmental cooperation, including the setting of standards to promote environmental protection and the facilitation of new agreements; and
• Transportation Safety: The establishment and enforcement of safety and security standards for air and sea travel by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization.