The Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is a senior position at the State Department tasked with coordinating US programmatic support for the Tibetan people and helping to establish a dialogue between the Chinese government and His Holiness the Dalai Lama or his representatives. Three of the past serving Special Coordinators are shown here at a reception in the Senate with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lodi Gyari. From left to right, Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and ICT Executive Chairman; Gregory Craig, Director of Policy Planning and Tibet Coordinator (1997-1998); Julia Taft, Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration and Tibet Coordinator (1999-2000); Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs and Tibet Coordinator (2001-2008).