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Home » Bureaus/Offices Reporting Directly to the Secretary » Deputy Secretary of State » Office of The Special Coordinator For Middle East Transitions (MET)

• U.S. Government Assistance to Syria
• U.S. Government Assistance to Libya
• U.S. Government Assistance to Tunisia
• Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

The Office of The Special Coordinator For Middle East Transitions (D(B)/MET), established in September 2011, coordinates United States Government assistance to incipient democracies arising from popular revolts across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions implements a coordinated interagency strategy to support designated MENA countries undergoing transitions to democracy – currently, Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. The Coordinator and D(B)/MET Office have direct reporting relationships to Deputy Secretary Bill Burns and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson.

The Special Coordinator and his staff:

• Develop comprehensive assistance strategies and ensure that assistance tools (USAID, INL, MEPI, DRL, and others, as well as PM/DOD programs as appropriate) are aligned with U.S. policy goals;
• Liaise closely with the interagency to insure that State and USAID assistance tools are reinforced with a whole-of-government package of technical, economic, and other support;
• Work with international donors and institutions on a coordinated assistance strategies;
• Evaluate the feasibility and facilitation of the recovery of any illegally acquired assets;
• Keep Congressional members and staff advised and informed, seeking Hill input and support;
• Develop and maintain links with Washington's think-tank community;
• Mobilize resources from the U.S. business, foundation, university and other sectors to support Middle East transitions;
• Ensure close assistance coordination between Washington and the U.S. embassies in Tunis, Cairo, and Tripoli;
• Support the interagency processes, goals and taskings.

The Coordinator focuses on mobilizing and coordinating U.S. efforts to:

• Support free, fair and competitive elections;
• Assist the Egyptian, Tunisian, and Libyan people’s creation of enduring democratic institutions;
• Enable the current transitional authorities and future elected governments to deliver services and sufficiently meet citizen expectations, including through support for civil society and the private sector;
• Identify ways to support key sectors of the Tunisian, Egyptian, and Libyan economies;
• Increase outreach to emergent political, economic and social forces in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya.

The Coordinator has, through the Deputy Secretaries, the Secretary’s mandate to formulate, secure resources for, and oversee the implementation of, coordinated strategies to support NEA countries in transition. In doing this work, the office convenes policy and assistance officials from State, USAID, and other relevant agencies to implement strategies for transition support. D(B)/MET also coordinates closely with the Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance on budget allocations, congressional notifications, and other actions relating to assistance activities within the designated transition countries.　

Office of the Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520-0000
Main Line: 202-647-7602
Fax: 202-647-1342