Establishment of Afghanistan and Pakistan Strategic Partnership Office and Amendment to Executive Order 12163

Establishes a temporary State Department office to manage the U.S. transition from military-led operations to normalized diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan, while amending a foreign assistance determination procedure in Executive Order 12163. The Afghanistan and Pakistan Strategic Partnership Office will coordinate drawdown of civilian field operations, oversee assistance funds, and support bilateral partnerships across economic, diplomatic, cultural, technology, and security fields.

Federal Register Open PDF 79 FR 4263

Impact dates

Jan 16, 2017
APSPO termination at end of maximum period under 5 U.S.C. 3161(a)(1)

Key directives

Establish temporary organization APSPO within Department of State per 5 U.S.C. 3161
Support transition to strategic partnership in economic, diplomatic, cultural, technology, and security fields
Coordinate final drawdown of State Department civilian field operations and staff in Afghanistan
Coordinate and oversee administration of certain State Department assistance funds
Amend Executive Order 12163, section 1-701(c), by striking semicolon and all subsequent text before period
Terminate APSPO at end of maximum period permitted by 5 U.S.C. 3161(a)(1) unless sooner terminated by Secretary

Who is ordered

Secretary of State · State Department

Timeline

Immediate

Establishment of APSPO within Department of State
Director appointment by Secretary of State

Near term (90d)

Coordination of civilian field operations drawdown in Afghanistan begins
Assistance fund oversight mechanisms activated

Long term

Transition to normalized diplomatic presence
Termination at end of maximum period permitted by 5 U.S.C. 3161(a)(1) (typically 3 years for temporary organizations)

Risks & tensions

Temporary organization sunset creates institutional memory risk; functions may not persist after termination
Vague scope of 'certain State Department assistance funds' in 3(c) creates oversight ambiguity
Dual Washington/field presence structure may create coordination challenges
Amendment to EO 12163 removes unspecified determination functions—text does not clarify what authority is being eliminated, creating uncertainty about foreign assistance decision-making