U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Commission overview
Jurisdiction	U.S. Department of State
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Commission executive	Sarah Arkin, Executive Director
Parent department	United States Department of State

The United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (ACPD), created in 1948, is tasked by Congress with "appraising U.S. Government activities intended to understand, inform, and influence foreign publics and to increase the understanding of, and support for, these same activities."^[1] The commission is supported by the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, and reports to the president, secretary of state, and Congress. Its current charter authorizes the commission until 2020.^[2]

The commission conducts independent research and hosts symposia and panels to discuss public diplomacy while bringing together practitioners throughout the U.S. government and outside experts to provide honest assessments of and policy recommendations for improving U.S. public diplomacy. Priority areas of focus for the commission include: improving research and evaluation to bolster the impact of PD programs; integrating strategic planning with program design; strengthening public diplomacy professionals' development and training; and preparing public diplomats for the changing technological landscape of the 21st century.^[1]