Oversees the Department of State’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs, handling relations with international organizations including the United Nations (UN).
Michele Sison is the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.
Ms. Sison is currently serving as the Ambassador to Haiti and formerly served as Deputy Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Ambassador to Lebanon, and Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
Past statements on development, diplomacy, and U.S. global leadership:
On Diplomacy: In a 2012 interview, Sison said of her decision to join the foreign service: “It sounds very simple, but I still think of what I do today — and this is 31 years after joining — as primarily building bridges between the United States and the countries in which I am posted, so as to increase mutual understanding and show people what is common and what sets us apart.” (source)
On Development: In a 2012 interview, Sison said of her role in Sri Lanka: “The U.S. seeks to strengthen civil society through the USAID, our human rights and democracy programs, the State Department, and our freedom of expression and media freedom projects. We lend support to activists working on these rule of law issues and provide capacity building and project funding support to journalists and editors. The U.S. also brings young people together in cultural and exchange programs across communities.” (source)