Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs

Last updated May 29, 2025

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Bureau overview
Seal of the United States Department of State
Jurisdiction	Executive branch of the United States
Headquarters	Harry S. Truman Building, Washington, D.C., United States
Employees	9,530 (As of 2009^[update])^[1]
Annual budget	$254 million (FY 2009)^[1]
Bureau executive	Michael Kozak, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Parent department	U.S. Department of State
Website	state.gov/wha

The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) is a part of the U.S. Department of State, charged with implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, as well as advising the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

Organization
References
External links

Organization

The offices of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs direct, coordinate, and supervise U.S. government activities within the region, including political, economic, consular, public diplomacy, and administrative management issues.^[2]^[3]

Office of Andean Affairs – Coordinates policy on Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela
Office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs – Coordinates policy on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay
Office of Canadian Affairs – Oversees Canada–United States relations
Office of Caribbean Affairs – Coordinates policy on Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago
Office of the Coordinator for Cuban Affairs – Oversees Cuba–United States relations
Office of Central American Affairs – Coordinates policy on Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
Office of Economic Policy and Summit Coordination – Oversees policy related to trade, energy, finance, and the Summits of the Americas
Executive Office – Responsible for human resources and management support services for the bureau's overseas missions
Office of Mexican Affairs – Oversees Mexico–United States relations
Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs – Oversees public diplomacy activities at WHA's overseas posts
Office of Haitian Affairs - Oversees Haiti–United States relations
Office of Policy Planning and Coordination – Responsible for the bureau's strategic planning and evaluation

The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs also oversees the United States Mission to the Organization of American States.^[2]^[3]

References

1 2 "Report of Inspection of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs" (PDF). Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State. January 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 11, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
1 2 "State Department Student Internship Brochure" (PDF). U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources. September 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
1 2 "1 FAM 150 Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA)". Foreign Affairs Manual . U.S. Department of State. July 7, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2015.

External links

Official website

v t e United States Department of State
Headquarters: Harry S Truman Building Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State Vacant, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Lisa D. Kenna, Acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources	Office of Foreign Assistance Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region
Under Secretary for Political Affairs	Bureau of African Affairs Bureau of Counterterrorism Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau of International Organization Affairs (United States Mission to the United Nations) Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment	Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of Energy Resources Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Office of the Chief Economist Office of Global Food Security Office of Global Partnerships Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security	Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau of Political-Military Affairs International Security Advisory Board
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs	Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (Fulbright Program) Bureau of Global Public Affairs Global Engagement Center International Expositions Unit Office of Global Youth Issues Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
Under Secretary for Management	Bureau of Administration Bureau of Budget and Planning Bureau of Consular Affairs Bureau of Diplomatic Security Bureau of Global Talent Management Bureau of Information Resource Management Bureau of Medical Services Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services Foreign Service Institute (Office of the Historian) Office of Foreign Missions Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms Office of Management Strategy and Solutions Office of White House Liaison
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights	Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Office of Global Criminal Justice Office of International Religious Freedom Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Bureaus/Offices reporting directly to the Secretary	Chief of Staff Office of the Counselor Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy Bureau of Intelligence and Research Bureau of Legislative Affairs Executive Secretariat (Operations Center) Policy Planning Staff (Foreign Affairs Policy Board) Office of Civil Rights Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office of Global Women's Issues Office of Inspector General Office of the Chief of Protocol Office of the Legal Adviser Office of the Ombudsman Office of the Secretary's Special Representative for Syria Engagement Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Office of the Special Representative for Venezuela Office of the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Iran Action Group Foreign Service Grievance Board Secretary's Open Forum

v t e Canada–United States relations
Diplomatic posts	Embassy of Canada, Washington, D.C. Ambassadors of Canada to the United States Former Residence of the Canadian Ambassador Embassy of the United States, Ottawa Ambassadors of the United States to Canada Lornado Consulate General of Canada, Boston Consulate General of Canada, Chicago Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Diplomacy	Treaty of New York (1796) Rush–Bagot Treaty Canadian–American Reciprocity Treaty Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 Migratory Bird Treaty Halibut Treaty International Pacific Halibut Commission First Quebec Conference Quebec Agreement Second Quebec Conference Columbia River Treaty The Merchant–Heeney Report Shakwak Agreement Great Lakes Charter Shamrock Summit U.S.–Canada Air Quality Agreement Agreement Concerning the Shipwrecked Vessel RMS Titanic Smart Border Declaration Canada–United States Safe Third Country Agreement Great Lakes–Saint Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement Boston–Halifax relations United States Senate Committee on Canadian Relations New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers' Annual Conference Climate Change Action Plan 2001 Canadian response to Hurricane Katrina Canadaville, Louisiana Cuban thaw Arctic Ocean Conference Arctic Council Arctic Economic Council International Space Station
Incidents	Quebec Act Caroline affair Frères chasseurs Hunters' Lodges Battle of Windsor Fenian raids Cypress Hills Massacre Sitting Bull Louie Sam In re Ross Trail Smelter dispute Defence Scheme No. 1 Murder of Patricia Lonergan 1950 Douglas C-54D disappearance 1950 British Columbia B-36 crash 1950 Rivière-du-Loup B-50 nuclear weapon loss incident Symphony Six CIA activities in Canada Edmonton aircraft bombing Canuck letter Arctic Refuge drilling controversy Kidnapping of Sidney Jaffe Shootings of Alfred and Rosemary Podgis 1984 Montreal bombing Arrow Air Flight 1285R Reference Re Ng Extradition Pacific Salmon War United States v Burns Mitchell v MNR Korean Air Flight 085 Tarnak Farm incident Canadian Guantanamo Bay detainees Northeast blackout of 2003 Arar v. Ashcroft Keystone Pipeline Havana syndrome Extradition case of Meng Wanzhou Canada convoy protest Timeline 2023 Yukon high-altitude object 2023 Lake Huron high-altitude object
Military relations	2nd Canadian Regiment Canadian Caper Canada and the Iraq War Iraq War resisters in Canada Jeremy Hinzman Kimberly Rivera War Resisters Support Campaign Canada and the Vietnam War Vietnam War resisters in Canada CIA activities in Canada Defence Scheme No. 2 First Special Service Force Five Eyes UKUSA Agreement Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Canadian procurement Mid-Canada Line Montreal Laboratory North American Aerospace Defense Command Distant Early Warning Line North Warning System Continental NORAD Region Operation Noble Eagle Operation Yellow Ribbon Operation Inland Seas Permanent Joint Board on Defense Ogdensburg Agreement Pinetree Line Project HARP War Plan Red
Economic relations	Comparison of Canadian and American economies Exclusive economic zone of Canada Exclusive economic zone of the United States Branch plant economy Deep integration Foreign ownership of companies of Canada Reciprocity Canada–United States Automotive Products Agreement Third Option Macdonald Commission Canada–United States softwood lumber dispute Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement North American Free Trade Agreement Northwest Cattle Project Canada–United States Consultative Committee on Agriculture Mandatory country-of-origin labeling American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Regulatory Cooperation Council FATCA agreement between Canada and the United States CSeries dumping petition by Boeing United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation International Fuel Tax Agreement North American SuperCorridor Coalition Pacific Northwest Economic Region
Border	Border crossings American entry into Canada by land Areas disputed by Canada and the United States 1985 Polar Sea controversy Alaska boundary dispute Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Arbitration Cape Muzon Battle of Caribou Dixon Entrance Republic of Indian Stream Machias Seal Island North Rock Northwest Passage Oregon boundary dispute Pearse Island Pig War (1859) Saint Croix Island, Maine Strait of Juan de Fuca Sugar Island (Michigan) Wales Island (British Columbia) Territorial claims in the Arctic
Related	History of Canada–United States relations Anti-Canadian sentiment American immigration to Canada Expulsion of the Loyalists Little Canada Snowbird Canada–United States sports rivalries Junior ice hockey Women's ice hockey Comparison of healthcare systems Canada lunar sample displays Canadian Society of New York CANUSA Games Hollywood North Maple Match 51st state Movements for the annexation of Canada to the United States Montreal Annexation Manifesto Annexation Bill of 1866 Cascadia Doug flag Parti 51 Unionest Party Continentalism Fort Stikine Godfrey–Milliken Bill Invasion of Quebec Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec Letters to the inhabitants of Canada Indian barrier state Royal Proclamation of 1763 Indian Reserve Aroostook War Halifax Road Webster–Ashburton Treaty Great Lakes Fishery Commission Great Lakes Areas of Concern Halifax Fisheries Commission Pacific Salmon Commission Pugets Sound Agricultural Company Rum-running in Windsor, Ontario United States passport card Western Climate Initiative Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival Champlain Hudson Power Express Great Recycling and Northern Development Canal Lake Champlain Seaway International Control Dam North American Water and Power Alliance Northwest Area Water Supply St. Lawrence Seaway Sumas 2 Alaska gas pipeline Alberta Clipper pipeline Alliance Pipeline Brunswick Pipeline Gas Transmission Northwest Great Lakes Transmission Iroquois Pipeline Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Northern Border Pipeline Northwest Pipeline Portland–Montreal pipeline Vector Pipeline Territorial claims in the Arctic Simultaneous substitution Canadian television stations available in the United States Foreign television channels available in Canada United States television stations available in Canada Talking to Americans Lament for a Nation The Fight for Canada
Category:Canada–United States relations

v t e Cuba–United States relations
Diplomatic posts	Embassy of Cuba, Washington, D.C. Ambassadors of Cuba to the United States Embassy of the United States, Havana Ambassadors of the United States to Cuba United States Interests Section in Havana Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Diplomacy	Cuban–American Treaty of Relations (1903) Hay-Quesada Treaty Cuban–American Treaty of Relations (1934) Good Neighbor policy Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance El Diálogo Cuba–United States Maritime Boundary Agreement Tripartite Accord (1988) Cuban thaw JetBlue Flight 387
Conflicts	Spanish–American War Ostend Manifesto USS Maine Monument to the Victims of the USS Maine (Havana) United States Senate Committee on Cuban Relations The Paquete Habana Army of Cuban Occupation Medal Propaganda United States Military Government in Cuba Second Occupation of Cuba Cuban Pacification Medal (Army) Banana Wars Negro Rebellion Sugar Intervention Cuban Revolution Aftermath La Coubre explosion Cuban exodus Cuban exile Golden exile Bay of Pigs Invasion Brigade 2506 Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front Cuban Revolutionary Council Operation Ortsac Polita Grau José Antonio Llama Bay of Pigs Monument Bay of Pigs Museum Operation Peter Pan Operation 40 Operation Mongoose JMWAVE Operation Northwoods Jamaican political conflict United States invasion of Grenada United States embargo against Cuba
Incidents	Cubana de Aviación Flight 493 Matthew Edward Duke Cuban Missile Crisis Crateology Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Sabbatino Zemel v. Rusk Cuba–United States aircraft hijackings Pan Am Flight 281 Trans World Airlines Flight 106 Southern Airways Flight 49 Cubana de Aviación Flight 455 Leyla Express and Johnny Express incidents Mariel boatlift Garcia-Mir v. Meese Cuban boat people Sandy Pollack Regan v. Wald 1994 Cuban rafter crisis Operations Safe Haven and Safe Passage Bill Gaede 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft Cuban Five Elián González Ana Montes Carlos Alvarez Elsa Alvarez Kendall Myers Alan Gross Havana syndrome American fugitives in Cuba Assassination attempts on Fidel Castro
Legislation	Teller Amendment Platt Amendment Cuban Assets Control Regulations Cuban Adjustment Act Wet feet, dry feet policy Helms–Burton Act Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act Cuban Democracy Act Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act
Related	Americans in Cuba Cuban Americans Little Havana Cuban migration to Miami Havana on the Hudson Cuban–American lobby Guantánamo Bay Timeline Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Guantanamo Bay detention camp 1999 Baltimore Orioles–Cuba national baseball team exhibition series Alpha 66 Antonio Maceo Brigade Brothers to the Rescue Balseros Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations Cuban American National Foundation Cuban dissident movement Cuban Liberty Council CubaOne Foundation Cuban Power Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil Engage Cuba Fair Play for Cuba Committee Friends of Democratic Cuba Havana Jam Omega 7 Radio Free Dixie Radio y Televisión Martí US-Cuba Democracy PAC Varela Project Venceremos Brigade ZunZuneo Cuban football players who defected to the United States Filibuster (military) NOAAS Oregon II (R 332) Silver certificate Troika of tyranny Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame Boquerón, Cuba Straits of Florida Third Border Initiative State Sponsors of Terrorism United States and state-sponsored terrorism Luis Posada Carriles Orlando Bosch Cuba–OAS relations United Nations Security Council Resolution 144 Overthrow The Cuba Wars Balseros 638 Ways to Kill Castro
Category:Cuba–United States relations

v t e Mexico–United States relations
Diplomatic posts	Embassy of Mexico, Washington, D.C. Ambassadors of Mexico to the United States Embassy of the United States, Mexico City Ambassadors of the United States to Mexico Consulate General of Mexico, Dallas Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations Permanent Mission of Mexico to the Organization of American States Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Diplomacy	Treaty of Limits (Mexico–United States) McLane–Ocampo Treaty International Boundary and Water Commission International Boundary Wastewater Treatment Plant Colorado River dispute Banco Convention of 1905 De la Huerta–Lamont Treaty Saavedra Lamas Treaty Good Neighbor policy United States–Mexico Convention relating to the Final Adjustment of Certain Unsettled Claims Bracero program Bracero Selection Process Boundary Treaty of 1970 Border Governors Conference North American Free Trade Agreement Law of Protection of Commerce and Investments from Foreign Policies that Contravene International Law Mexican response to Hurricane Katrina United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement United States presidential visits to Mexico
Conflicts	Mexican–American War United States declaration of war upon Mexico Battle for Mexico City Spot Resolutions Treaties of Velasco Treaty of Cahuenga Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexican Cession Botiller v. Dominguez Reconquista (Mexico) United States and Mexican Boundary Commission United States and Mexican Boundary Survey Crawford affair Mexican Revolution United States involvement in the Mexican Revolution Banana Wars Mexican Border War (1910–1919) Tampico Affair United States occupation of Veracruz Ypiranga incident Pancho Villa Expedition De la Huerta–Lamont Treaty Bucareli Treaty
Incidents	Chamizal dispute Texas Cart War Cortina Troubles Mexican Repatriation Operation Wetback Kennedy v. Mendoza-Martinez Tuna-Dolphin GATT Case (I and II) United States v. Brignoni-Ponce Kiki Camarena Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain Murder of Mark Kilroy United States v. Verdugo-Urquidez United States v. Alvarez-Machain Eunique v. Powell 1999 Matamoros standoff Avena case Project Gunrunner ATF gunwalking scandal Stainless Steel Sheets and Coils dumping Lopez v. Gonzales José Medellín Medellín v. Texas Humberto Leal Garcia Leal Garcia v. Texas Jaime Zapata 2011 Matamoros mass kidnapping Shooting of José Rodríguez Mexico–United States sugarcane trade dispute Carrier Air Conditioner move to Mexico Executive Order 13767 Central American migrant caravans Hernandez v. Mesa Killing of Claudia Gómez González 2019 El Paso shooting 2022 San Antonio migrant deaths 2023 Matamoros kidnappings
Military relations	Second French intervention in Mexico Siege of Mexico City Mexican drug war Mérida Initiative
Related	History of Mexico–United States relations Mexico–United States border Mexico–United States barrier Illegal immigration to the United States Operation Gatekeeper Mexico–United States border crisis Minuteman Project Minuteman Salsa Ranch Rescue Secure Fence Act of 2006 Operation Jump Start National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States Rio Grande border disputes Indigenous conflicts on the Mexico–United States barrier Environmental issues Migrant deaths Border Environment Cooperation Commission Violence and Activism At The Border Mexico–United States soccer rivalry Mexico–Puerto Rico boxing rivalry Mexico–Republic of Texas relations United States extradition relations with Mexico Agua Prieta pipeline North Baja Pipeline American-Mexican Claims Commission La Antorcha de la Amistad Chiapas Media Project Cuauhtémoc Brooklyn Bridge collision Directo a México Exclusive economic zone of Mexico Exclusive economic zone of the United States Filibuster (military) Mexico–United States international park North American Development Bank Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative New Virginia Colony Manifest destiny Maquiladora Second-tier Mexican sugar Señorita México U.S.
Category:Mexico–United States relations

v t e Nicaragua–United States relations
Diplomatic posts	Embassy of Nicaragua, Washington, D.C. Embassy of the United States, Managua Ambassadors of the United States to Nicaragua Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Diplomacy	Bryan–Chamorro Treaty Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement RENACER Act Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act
Conflicts	Filibuster War Banana Wars United States occupation of Nicaragua Nicaraguan Campaign Medal Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal Nicaraguan Revolution Boland Amendment Iran–Contra affair Contras CIA activities in Nicaragua Corporate Air Services HPF821 The Freedom Fighter's Manual Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare Gang of Four (pro-Contra) 1984 Nicaraguan general election Esquipulas Peace Agreement United States embargo against Nicaragua United Nations Security Council Resolution 562 Nicaragua v. United States
Incidents	Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Cardoza-Fonseca Murder of Haley Anderson
Military relations	Nicaraguan Civil War (1926–1927)
Related	American Nicaraguan Foundation Nicaragua lunar sample displays Norwalk/Nagarote Sister City Project Witness for Peace Troika of tyranny Federal Republic of Central America–United States relations Greater Republic of Central America–United States relations Overthrow
Category:Nicaragua–United States relations

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Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs

Contents

Organization

References

External links