By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies
Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., it is hereby ordered that:
Section 1. Subject to the provisions of section 3 of this order,
the officers named in section 2, in the order listed, shall act as,
and perform the duties of, the office of Secretary of State (Secretary)
during any period in which the Secretary has died, resigned, or otherwise
become unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Secretary.
Sec. 2. Order of Succession.
a) Deputy Secretary of State;
(b) Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources;
(c) Under Secretary of State designated for political affairs pursuant
to section 2651a(b) of title 22, United States Code;
(d) Under Secretary of State designated for management affairs pursuant
to section 2651a(b) of title 22, United States Code;
(e) The remaining Under Secretaries of State, in the order in which
they shall have taken the oath of office as such;
(f) Assistant Secretaries of State designated for regional bureaus pursuant
to section 2651a(c) of title 22, United States Code, in the order in
which they shall have taken the oath of office as such;
(g) The following officers, in the order in which they shall have taken
the oath of office as such:
(1) Remaining Assistant Secretaries of State;
(2) Coordinator for Counterterrorism;
(3) Director General of the Foreign Service; and
(4) Legal Adviser;
(h) United States Representative to the United Nations (New York);
(i) Deputy United States Representative to the United Nations (New York);
(j) The following other United States Representatives to the United
Nations (New York), in the order in which they shall have taken the
oath of office as such:
(1) United States Representative to the United Nations for United
Nations Management and Reform;
(2) United States Representative to the United Nations on the Economic
and Social Council of the United Nations; and
(3) Alternate United States Representative to the United Nations for
Special Political Affairs in the United Nations;
(k) The following Chiefs of Mission, in the order listed:
(1) United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom;
(2) United States Ambassador to Canada;
(3) United States Ambassador to Australia;
(4) United States Ambassador to Mexico;
(5) United States Ambassador to Japan; and
(6) United States Ambassador to India;
(l) The following officers, in the order in which they shall have taken
the oath of office as such:
(1) United States Ambassadors at Large;
(2) Counselor; and
(3) Special Representatives of the President; and (m) The remaining
Chiefs of Mission, in the order in which they shall have taken the
oath of office as such.
Sec. 3. Exceptions.
(a) No individual who has not been appointed by the President by and
with the consent of the Senate shall act as Secretary pursuant to this
order.
(b) No individual who is serving in an office listed in section 2(a)-(m)
in an acting capacity shall act as Secretary pursuant to this order.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this order, the President retains
discretion, to the extent permitted by the Federal Vacancies Reform
Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., to depart from this order in designating
an acting Secretary.
(d) A successor office, intended to be the equivalent of an office identified
in section 2 of this order, shall be deemed to be the position identified
in section 2 for purposes of this order.
Sec. 4. Executive Order 12343 of January 27, 1982, is hereby
revoked.
/s/George W. Bush
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 28, 2001.