Office of International Affairs

south and southeast asia

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The Office of South and South East Asian Nations at the U.S. Treasury Department helps develop and guide U.S. economic policy towards about 20 nations in the region, ranging from India to Papua New Guinea. The Office consists of four country economists and is led by a Director and Deputy Director. The Office's primary responsibilities involve the analysis of economic developments in the region with the purpose of promoting U.S. policies and fostering economic growth, financial stability and poverty reduction; ensuring that these policies are reflected in the activities of the international financial institutions (particularly the IMF, World Bank and the Asian Development Bank); and providing ideas to senior economic policymakers. In that context, the office's desk economists:

• monitor economic developments in South and South-East Asian countries and analyze ramifications of their current and proposed policies;
• seek to influence the policies and programs of the IMF, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank, working through the U.S. Executive Director's offices;
• engage with private sector analysts and businesses active in the region;
• work with U.S. government agencies and Congress on U.S. initiatives to stimulate growth and reduce poverty such as the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA);
• develop and maintain close relationships with Asian officials responsible for economic policies in the region.

More recently, the Office has been working with other parts of Treasury, U.S. agencies and the international financial institutions to respond to the Tsunami tragedy in South Asia. This includes encouraging strong coordination of assistance efforts from the various donors, monitoring of assistance flows, and focusing on delivering and measuring results on the ground.