As the lead U.S. foreign affairs agency, the U.S. Department of State has over 265 diplomatic locations around the world, including embassies, consulates, and missions to international organizations. The Department also maintains diplomatic relations with most countries in the world, as well as with many international organizations.

The Secretary of State is the President's principal advisor on foreign policy and the person chiefly responsible for representing the United States abroad. The primary goal of the Secretary of State and the U.S. Department of State is to shape a freer, more secure, and more prosperous world through formulating and implementing the President's foreign policy, while supporting and protecting American interests abroad.

The Department of State's role in providing foreign assistance spans a broad range of sectors working in nations around the world, from mitigating the spread of infectious diseases, responding to humanitarian crises, and countering transnational threats including terrorism, drug trafficking, and nuclear proliferation. The Department is responsible for promoting peace and stability in areas of vital interest to America, and helping developing nations establish stable economic environments.