U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, announced on Monday the signing of Secretarial Order #3361, expanding the functions and responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Doug Domenech, to include the Office of International Affairs and the Ocean, Great Lakes, and Coastal Program (Oceans Program) currently under the Assistant Secretary for Policy Management and Budget. The new expanded portfolio will now be called the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs.
According to Interior, the Office of International Affairs facilitates, supports, and coordinates Interior’s international engagement to advance Interior’s mission and support complementary U.S. foreign policy objectives abroad.
“This realignment is part of the Department’s overall efforts to reorganize for the next 100 years and improve mission achievement,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “By elevating the profiles of all three of these components within Interior, we aim to renew and strengthen U.S. strategic interests, strengthen relationships and policies for U.S. oceans, Great Lakes and coastal communities, and enhance collaboration globally on behalf of the American people.”
“I look forward to continuing my work on Insular Areas issues and incorporating Oceans and International issues all at the Secretarial level,” Mr. Domenech said.“My work to highlight their importance and critical priorities at the highest levels here within Interior and across the Federal government does not change.”
The Office of Insular Affairs, the Ocean, Great Lakes, and Coastal Program, and the Office of International Affairs will continue to be led respectively by Nikolao Pula, Liza Johnson, and Karen Senhadji. All three will now report to the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs.
Feature Image: Doug Domenech is sworn in by Zinke.
Tags: Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Doug Domenech
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