Review of Gifts to Embassy Employees

The Office of the Legal Adviser should publish a provision in the Foreign Affairs Manual that requires missions to maintain a registry of gifts valued at more than $20 to embassy employees or to the U.S. Government, including gifts to individuals on temporary duty assignments at post.

The Office of the Legal Adviser should publish a provision in the Foreign Affairs Manual that requires each mission to designate a gift officer. The provision should also define that officer’s responsibilities, including a proviso that the mission may designate another officer with the concurrence of the appropriate regional bureau.

The Office of the Legal Adviser, in coordination with the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation, should add the gift officer designation to 2 Foreign Affairs Manual Exhibit 113.3.

The Office of the Legal Adviser should publish in the Foreign Affairs Manual a standard mission gift policy that provides up-to-date fair market value limits and other requirements.

The Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services should amend the annual assurance statements from chiefs of mission to include a section about compliance with Department of State requirements for gifts.