The secretary is the president's foreign policy adviser. The incumbent is responsible for coordination among various agencies in developing and implementing foreign policy; leading and coordinating U.S. representation abroad; conveying U.S. foreign policy to foreign governments and international organizations through U.S. embassies and consulates in foreign countries and diplomatic missions to international organizations; conducting negotiations and concluding agreements and treaties on issues ranging from trade to nuclear weapons; and coordinating and supporting international activities of other U.S. agencies and officials
Type of Appointment/Position: Presidential with Senate confirmation
Emira Woods is the Co-Director of Foreign Policy In Focus a joint project of the Institute for Policy Studies & International Relations Center. Emira holds a BA in International Relations from Columbia , a certificate in Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, a Master's in Government from Harvard, and is ABD in Political Economy and Government at Harvard.
Emira Woods is the Co-Director of Foreign Policy In Focus a joint project of the Institute for Policy Studies & International Relations Center. Emira holds a BA in International Relations from Columbia , a certificate in Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, a Master's in Government from Harvard, and is ABD in Political Economy and Government at Harvard.
Emira was Program Manager for the Committee on Development Policy and Practice at InterAction, serving as a principal staff contact for advocacy at the UN, the international financial institutions, USAID and Treasury. She designed and implemented a strategic campaign around the Monterrey Financing for Development conference, working with both InterAction members and a broader coalition of Southern and Northern agencies. Prior to this position, she served as Program Officer of Oxfam America's Africa program, which involved outreach to the heads of major international institutions and grassroots groups in the most remote communities. Prior to this position, she served as Program Officer of Oxfam America's Africa program, which involved outreach to the heads of major international institutions and grassroots groups in the most remote communities.
Nominating Speech:
Ms. Woods' work in debt relief, health, economic and energy policy in Africa give her insights into the effects of past policies of extraction and exploitation, as well as what will be needed to address current needs and realize the positive potentials of the continent of Africa. Her expertise in Africa, combined with her experience as the Co-Director of Foreign Policy In Focus with a staff of writers whose expertise span the foreign policy spectrum she is uniquely qualified nominee for progressive Secretary of State.
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Progressive Criteria:
The State Department will:
Make sure that the State Department, and not the Pentagon or the CIA is the prime agency for our foreign policy;
Work for much greater funding for international development aid, not the arms trade;
Help the US to be a good global citizen, recognizing the dignity of every person and every country, not throwing our weight around but acting cooperatively, using our tremendous resources to connect with and peacefully aid others:
Use our good offices to promote peaceful relations, de-militarizing conflicts, promoting justice, democratic rights, equality and fairness;
See that we act whenever possible to strengthen rather than weaken, international institutions such as the UN;
Work to restore funding and support for international cultural and educational exchanges;
Promote access of foreign scholars to our educational institutions;
Remember that the USA is a signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
