Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is moving to eliminate or downgrade special envoy positions within the State Department to reorganize the department's bureaucracy and "eliminate redundancies."
CNN obtained a letter that Tillerson wrote to Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saying that he would end or transfer as many as three dozen special envoy positions, including the representative for climate change.
"I believe that the department will be able to better execute its mission by integrating certain envoys and special representative offices within the regional and functional bureaus, and eliminating those that have accomplished or outlived their original purpose," Tillerson wrote in the letter.
He added that such an overhaul will "eliminate redundancies that dilute the ability of a bureau to deliver on its primary functions."
Tillerson had already hinted at a reorganization before the Trump administration signaled its intent to cut up to 30 percent of the State Department's budget. However, the letter to Corker outlines some of the first concrete steps the secretary of state plans to take towards reconstruction.
Special envoys for Syria, Sudan and South Sudan, and the Arctic will be eliminated, according to CNN.
Tillerson said there are nearly 70 special envoys, many of whose underlying issues for their positions have been resolved. Critics claim these envoys are still important because they can focus all of their attention on issues important to U.S. national security interests that may otherwise get overlooked.
Tillerson argued that the changes will advance U.S. national security interests and help "counter the influence of U.S. adversaries and competitors."
A State Department official told CNN that out of 66 positions, Tillerson will keep 30 envoys and representatives, 21 will be integrated into bureaus, nine will be eliminated entirely, and five will be folded into existing positions.
The official said that Tillerson believes the agency will be more efficient with the integration of certain envoys into the bureau structures.