Office of the Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs

Welcome to the Office of the Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs. 

Reta Jo Lewis was named by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as the United States Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs on January 26, 2010. The Special Representative serves the global needs of U.S. intergovernmental officials and their counterparts abroad so they can collaborate on international issues such as trade, investment and economic development, energy, climate change, urbanization, citizen security, and global health.

U.S.-China Subnational Engagement
Special Representative Lewis traveled to China, September 3-15, 2012, to promote subnational partnerships.  She visited the cities of Beijing, Chengdu and Guangshou.  In Chengdu, Special Representative Lewis delivered remarks to the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) Friendship City Conference. Special Representative Lewis' Remarks»  Media Note»
Date: 09/08/2012 Description: Secretary Clinton participates in a signing ceremony with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week in Vladivostok, Russia. - State Dept Image U.S.-Russian Subnational Engagement:  Building a Relationship for a Common Future
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Vladivostok, Russian on September 8, 2012.  At this time, Secretary Clinton and Minister Lavrov signed a Joint Statement on Strengthening Interregional Cooperation.  Secretary's Remarks»  Fact Sheet»  Media Note» Special Representative Lewis' Remarks»
Date: 08/23/2012 Description: Special Representative Lewis meets with Mr. Luis Fernandes, Brazilian Deputy Minister of Sport (left) with Mr. Todd Chapman, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Brasilia (right); in Brasilia. - State Dept Image U.S.-Brazil Subnational Engagement
Special Representative Lewis traveled to Brazil, August 20-24, 2012 to promote subnational engagement and to participate in a technical meeting of the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality.  Full Text»  Media Note»
Date: 07/30/2012 Description: Special Representative Lewis meets with Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Travnikov, Russian Ministry of Regional Development. - State Dept Image U.S.-Russia Subnational Engagement
Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs Reta Jo Lewis traveled to Russia, July 21-31, 2012, to promote subnational cooperation. She visited oblasts and cities throughout Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok.   DipNote Entry» More» YouTube Video»
Date: 06/22/2012 Description: Secretary Clinton delivered remarks during the plenary session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during Rio+20 Conference. Photo courtesty of Walter Mesquita - State Dept ImageUN Conference on Sustainable Development
Secretary Clinton (June 22): “We also have to be thinking different about development in our cities. That is, after all, where most of the world’s population lives today, where most of the growth is and will take place, and where innovative ideas are being put into action. Under the Joint Initiative on Urban Sustainability that President Rousseff and President Obama kicked off last year, we are bringing political officials from every level – from state, county, local municipalities – together along with industry leaders and developers to find creative ways to generate sustainable economic growth, if, as I heard earlier today, that 70 percent of the structure that will be needed in 30 years to house, to provide economic opportunities for the world’s populations have yet to be built, then we have tremendous opportunity we cannot waste.”  Secretary’s Remarks»  More»
Date: 06/14/2012 Description: Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs Reta Jo Lewis during her visit to ACMinas in Brazil. - State Dept Image Global Economic Statecraft Day
June 14, 2012: Local Economies are the Building Blocks of the National Economy: Secretary Clinton’s Economic Statecraft initiative places local and national economic prosperity at the center of U.S. foreign policy. It calls upon each of our embassies, Department bureaus and offices to leverage its resources and relationships to support economic development at home and abroad. The work of the Office of the Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs is critical to this effort as our work with elected officials at the state and local levels, and their public and private stakeholders drives the formation of critical partnerships that support economic development and jobs creation. Remarks»
Date: 06/13/2012 Description: Secretary Clinton holds a joint press availability with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna, at the Department of State. - State Dept Image U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue
June 13, 2012: The U.S. Department of State hosted the third annual session of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Indian Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna co-chaired interagency delegations to discuss a broad range of bilateral issues, reflecting the breadth and depth of the strong partnership between the United States and India. High-level officials from both governments discussed issues of common concern and examined ways to leverage our broad people-to-people partnership for improving the quality of life for U.S. and Indian citizens.

In the text of the Joint Statement on the Third U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, Secretary Clinton welcomed Minister Krishna’s proposal for a “Conversation Between Cities” to take place later this year to address “urban challenges and solutions in the 21st Century and to foster greater economic ties, understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries.” The announcement of a U.S.-India City-to-City partnership allows future cooperation in trade and investment, clean energy, education, infrastructure, development, tourism, and leadership training for women elected leaders.  Joint Statement»
Wisdom Session on Diversity, Inclusion, and U.S. Foreign Policy
June 7, 2012: Special Representative Lewis delivered closing remarks on the important global role that diversity and inclusion leaders play in buidling partnerships with state and local governments. The event was held at the State Department.  Full Text»
Date: 06/02/2012 Description: Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs Reta Jo Lewis delivers remarks at the 38th Annual National Conference for Black Mayors in Atlanta, Georgia. - State Dept Image 38th Annual Convention of the National Conference of Black Mayors
June 2, 2012: Special Representative Lewis delivered remarks addressing the conference's theme, "Thinking Globally, Acting Locally" in Atlanta, Georgia.  Full Text»
Date: 05/30/2012 Description: Special Representative Reta Jo Lewis joined Washington, DC's Mayor Vincent Gray during the signing ceremony for a sister city agreement with Bangkok, Thailand. - State Dept Image Washington, D.C.-Bangkok Sister City Agreement
May 18, 2012: Special Representative Lewis participated with Washington, DC's Mayor Vincent Gray in the signing ceremony for the sister city agreement with Bangkok, Thailand.  Full Text»
Date: 05/07/2012 Description: Secretary Clinton (right) meets with Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee during her visit to India. - State Dept Image U.S.-India State-to-State Engagement
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to India, May 6-8, making stops in Kolkata and New Delhi. In Kolkata, the Secretary met with Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee and other state officials and civil society organization representatives. In New Delhi, she met with Indian Government officials to review programs in the strategic partnership, looking forward to the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue to be held in Washington, D.C. on June 13, and to be co-chaired by Secretary Clinton and Indian Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna.  Trip Page»
Date: 05/03/2012 Description: Special Representative Reta Jo Lewis speaks with an attendee of the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. - State Dept Image 2012 Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Conference
Apr. 22, 2012: Special Representative Lewis led a delegation of young U.S. political leaders to Copenhagen, Denmark to participate in the 2012 Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Conference.  Remarks» Blog»
Date: 04/09/2012 Description: Special Representative Reta Jo Lewis attends the memorandum of understanding signing between the U.S. and Brazil. Photo by Michael Gross. - State Dept Image U.S. Brazil MOU on State and Local Cooperation
Apr. 9, 2012: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on State and Local Cooperation. This agreement was signed on the margins of the “Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the 21st Century” conference which took place in Washington, DC during Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s visit to the United States.  Joint Statement» MOU»
Date: 03/13/2012 Description: Ambassador Steve Nolan, Director of South African Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs (center, left) and Special Representative Lewis (center, right) offer welcoming remarks to program participants and panelists. - State Dept Image Leveraging Sister City Relationships as a Driver of Economic Growth
Mar. 13: The Office of Global Intergovernmental Affairs partnered with Sister Cities International and the Bureau of African Affairs to host a “Smart Partnership Dialogue: Global Engagement Series” that brought together U.S. and South African state and local officials. The group discussed how to leverage the economic benefits of strong city-to-city relationships. DipNote Blog by Special Representative Lewis>>
Date: 03/13/2012 Description: Special Representative Lewis and Professor Oliver Stuenkel address students at Fundacao Getulio Vargas. - State Dept Image Subnational Engagement as a 21st Century Foreign Policy Tool
Mar. 27: Special Representative Lewis spoke to Brazilian students in Sao Paulo about the growing role of state and municipal governments in foreign relations. Remarks>>
The Role of Cities on the Road to Rio+20
Date: 03/08/2012 Description: Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, and Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City © OECD Mar. 8: Special Representative Lewis traveled to Chicago for the OECD Roundtable of Mayors and Ministers, where she highlighted the importance of cities in the creation of a sustainable future. Remarks to the OECD Roundtable of Mayors and Ministers»
The Road to Rio: Regions Building the Green Economy
Date: 03/07/2012 Description: Special Representative Lewis delivers remarks on the role of cities in creating a sustainable future at ''The Road to Rio'' Conference in Geneva. © Carla O'DonnellMar. 7: Special Representative Lewis delivers remarks on the role of cities in creating a sustainable future at “The Road to Rio” Conference at the Geneva International Conference Center in Geneva, Switzerland.
Chinese Vice President Xi’s U.S. Visit Offers Opportunities for State-to-State Engagement
Date: 02/24/2012 Description: California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. speaks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in California, February 17, 2012. © Official State of California photo/ Used by Permission Feb. 24: Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping wrapped up a five-day trip to the United States last week with a stop in Los Angeles that included meetings with state and local officials and private sector leaders.  DipNote Blog by Special Representative Lewis»  Media Note»
Engaging Brazilian Subnational Leaders on Upcoming International Sporting Events
Date: 02/16/2012 Description: Governor Agnelo Queiroz shakes hands with Special Representative Reta Jo Lewis in Brazil, February 2012. - State Dept ImageFeb. 17: Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs Reta Jo Lewis traveled to six cities throughout Brazil to meet with local government officials, business leaders, and civil society to promote subnational engagement with this vibrant democracy. DipNote Blog by Special Representative Lewis»


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