About the Embassy

Mission Statement

The American people have a long and close relationship with the Basotho people.  The U.S.  Embassy in Lesotho has five primary goals: 

1. To assist the further consolidation of democracy
2. To fight the scourge of HIV/AIDS
3. To promote sustainable economic development and bilateral trade and investment
4. To build support for United States Government policies 
5. To provide high quality assistance to American Citizens in Lesotho and visa services to non-Americans.

The U.S. Embassy works to realize these goals in cooperation with the people and government of Lesotho. To do so, Ambassador June Carter Perry leads an Embassy staff that includes administrative, political, economic, consular and public affairs specialists.  The Ambassador heads a special projects group concentrated on the strengthening of democracy, education, human rights and combating HIV/AIDS.

The official United States presence in Lesotho also includes the Peace Corps, which supports over 100 Volunteers working throughout the country in a variety of fields, including education, agriculture, environment, health and small business development. The United States Agency for International Development Regional Center for Southern Africa (USAID/RCSA) runs programs in the areas of democracy and economic/commercial development and HIV/AIDS education.

The U.S. Department of Defense supports the rehabilitation of rural health clinics and schools by the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and provides HIV/AIDS infection and technology hematology and other supplies. The U.S.-supported International Law Enforcement Academy in Gaborone provides training for the Lesotho Mounted Police Service.

Lesotho is one of the primary beneficiaries of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. program that allows duty and quota-free exports. Under AGOA, Lesotho’s exports to the United States surged from US$140.3 million for all of 2000 to nearly $350 million for 2004.  Lesotho has been selected to be one of sixteen countries chosen by the Millennium Challenge Corporation