The Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs is the head of the Bureau of International Organization Affairs

Bureau of International Organization Affairs

The Bureau of International Organization Affairs is a bureau in the United States Department of State that creates and executes U.S. policy in the United Nations and other international organizations. It is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.The IO...

 within the American Department of State that creates and executes policy in international organizations such as the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

. The Department of State created the position of Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs in February 1949, using one of the six Assistant secretary positions originally authorized by Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 in 1944. On August 25, 1954, a Department administrative action changed the incumbent's designation to Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. The current Assistant Secretary is Dr. Esther Brimmer.

Assistant Secretaries of State for International Organization Affairs

Term started	Term ended	Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs
Feb 8, 1949	May 26, 1949	Dean Rusk Dean Rusk David Dean Rusk was the United States Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Rusk is the second-longest serving U.S...
Jun 24, 1949	Jul 27, 1953	John D. Hickerson John D. Hickerson John Dewey Hickerson was a United States diplomat-Biography:John D. Hickerson was born at Crawford, Texas on January 26, 1898. He was educated at the University of Texas, receiving a B.A. in 1920....
Mar 20, 1953	Nov 30, 1953	Robert D. Murphy
Dec 4, 1953	Jul 31, 1955	David McK. Key David McK. Key David McK. Key of Tennessee, a descendant of David M. Key, served as United States Ambassador to Burma from March 1950 to October 1951, and later as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs of the State Department.-External links:*...
Jul 28, 1955	Jan 20, 1961	Francis O. Wilcox Francis O. Wilcox Francis Orlando Wilcox was an official in the United States Department of State.-Biography:Francis O. Wilcox was born in Columbus Junction, Iowa on April 9, 1908. He was educated at the University of Iowa, receiving his A.B. in 1930, his A.M. in 1931, and his Ph.D. in 1933. He then attended the...
Feb 20, 1961	Sep 8, 1965	Harlan Cleveland Harlan Cleveland Harlan Cleveland was an American diplomat, educator, and author. He served as Lyndon Johnson's U.S. Ambassador to NATO, 1965–1969, and earlier as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, 1961-1965...
Sep 1, 1965	Feb 9, 1969	Joseph John Sisco
Feb 7, 1969	Jun 20, 1973	Samuel De Palma Samuel De Palma Samuel De Palma was an official in the United States Department of State.-Biography:Samuel De Palma was born in Rochester, New York. He was educated at the University of Rochester, graduating in 1940. After college, he took a job with the United States Department of War in Washington, D.C...
Jul 12, 1973	Jan 2, 1974	David H. Popper David H. Popper David Henry Popper was a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Cyprus and Chile . He was a member and former President of the American Academy of Diplomacy.-Early Life:...
Dec 19, 1973	Dec 18, 1975	William B. Buffum William B. Buffum William Burnside Buffum was an official in the United States Department of State.-Biography:William B. Buffum was born in Binghamton, New York on September 10, 1921. He served in the United States Army during World War II...
Dec 22, 1975	Apr 13, 1977	Samuel W. Lewis Samuel W. Lewis Samuel Winfield Lewis is a retired American diplomat. During his lengthy career with the United States Department of State he served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs , U.S. ambassador to Israel and Director of Policy Planning...
Apr 7, 1977	Apr 9, 1980	Charles W. Maynes Charles W. Maynes Charles William "Bill" Maynes was a United States diplomat and long-time editor of Foreign Policy magazine.-Biography:Charles W. Maynes was born in Huron, South Dakota on December 9, 1938. He was educated at Harvard College, receiving a bachelor's degree in history in 1960...
Jun 5, 1980	Jan 21, 1981	Richard Lee McCall, Jr. Richard Lee McCall, Jr. Richard Lee McCall, Jr. was United States Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs 1980-81.-Biography:...
May 7, 1981	Dec 1, 1981	Elliott Abrams Elliott Abrams Elliott Abrams is an American attorney and neoconservative policy analyst who served in foreign policy positions for two Republican U.S. Presidents, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. While serving for Reagan and in the State Department, Abrams, Paul Wolfowitz, and retired U.S. Marine Corps officer...
May 28, 1982	Nov 12, 1985	Gregory J. Newell Gregory J. Newell Gregory John Newell currently serves as the President of International Commerce Development Corporation .-Biography:...
Nov 6, 1985	Nov 17, 1987	Alan L. Keyes Alan Keyes Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
Feb 5, 1988	Mar 19, 1989	Richard S. Williamson Richard S. Williamson Richard Salisbury Williamson is an American lawyer, diplomat and pedagogue. He currently serves as Special Envoy to Sudan as of January 7, 2008. Williamson is a partner at Winston & Strawn and was also Thomas J...
May 5, 1989	Jan 19, 1993	John R. Bolton John R. Bolton John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
May 25, 1993	May 31, 1995	Douglas J. Bennet, Jr. Douglas J. Bennet Douglas Joseph “Doug” Bennet, Jr. is a former national political official and college president. He was the fifteenth president of Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut, from 1995 to 2007...
Mar 18, 1997	Oct 22, 1998	Princeton N. Lyman Princeton N. Lyman Princeton Nathan Lyman is a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Nigeria and South Africa , and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs...
Oct 22, 1998	Nov 19, 2002	C. David Welch
Nov 19, 2002	May 1, 2005	Kim Holmes Kim Holmes Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D., is a foreign and defense policy experts in the United States.A former assistant secretary of state, he currently serves as the Vice President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation and as director of its Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for...
Aug 2, 2005	June 27, 2008	Kristen Silverberg Kristen Silverberg Kristen Silverberg was the United States Ambassador to the European Union from July 2008 until January 2009. She was nominated by President George W. Bush on April 24, 2008 and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 27, 2008...
Oct 3, 2008	January 20, 2009	Brian H. Hook Brian H. Hook Brian H. Hook was United States Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 2008 to 2009.-Biography:Brian H. Hook received a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas, a master's degree in Philosophy from Boston College and, in 1999, a J.D. from...
April 2, 2009	present	Esther Brimmer Esther Brimmer Esther Brimmer is an American foreign policy expert and current Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.-Education:...