Washington, DC - The Department of State and our Embassies and Consulates abroad have no greater responsibility than the protection of U.S. citizens overseas. On July 12, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry introduced the Department’s innovations in expanding and modernizing services to U.S. citizens, under the new banner of “MissionOne.”
MissionOne’s first phase will be rolled out by the end of 2016, and includes:
The American Liaison Network (ALN): The ALN expands existing consular “warden” system, which is a network of volunteers who facilitate communication between the U.S. embassies and consulates and the U.S. citizen community abroad. For decades, local U.S. citizens have worked closely with our consular officers to help protect and inform U.S. citizens overseas. We’ve taken a close look at the how we can improve on this great work and harness modern technology. Under the ALN, these U.S. citizens are now called Citizen Liaison Volunteers (CLVs), reflecting the expansion of their traditional warden role from conveyors of information to true liaisons to the U.S. citizen communities. CLVs will work with U.S. embassies and consulates to identify the needs of the U.S. citizen community so that we may more effectively work to address security, safety, and health issues that affect U.S. citizens.
The Local Resources Initiative (LRI): LRI expands our assistance to U.S. citizens abroad who seek emergency assistance. U.S. embassies and consulates are identifying gaps in information concerning local services—such as medical care, crisis counseling, and destitute shelters—and working with local organizations, NGOs, and businesses to fill those gaps. We will improve the format and accessibility of these expanded lists of resources on all U.S. mission websites.
MissionOne’s second phase will be rolled out in 2017 and includes:
Online Passport Renewal (OPR): This project will allow U.S. passport renewal customers to submit their applications online, including payment and photo submission. This innovation will reduce application submission times for an anticipated record-breaking number of passport applicants in 2017 and beyond.
Next Generation Passport: New design features, such as a polycarbonate data page, laser engravings, micro-text, and special inks, will protect the integrity of the world’s premier travel document.