Diplomatic handbook

 

 

 

ABSENCE OR INDISPOSITION OF A HEAD

OF MISSION

 

If a head of mission is absent or otherwise unable to perform his functions (e.g. through serious illness), or if the post of head of mission is vacant, a member of the diplomatic staff of the mission (usually the next senior) will fill the post as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. In these circumstances the head of mission or his Ministry informs the appropriate authorities of the host state of the change, and advises them when the head of mission resumes his functions. If no member of the diplomatic staff is available to take charge during the absence of a head of mission, a member of the administrative or technical staff may, with the approval of the host state, be appointed by his government to take charge of the current administrative business of the mission. If a Chargé d’Affaires ad interim is unable to continue his functions, he may not appoint a Chargé in his place: this can only be done by his Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

 

APPOINTMENTS, ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

 

NOTIFICATION OF APPOINTMENTS

 

Although it is only the appointment of heads of mission and frequently that of Military, Naval or Air Attachés that require the formal approval of the host state in advance, all other appointments of diplomatic staff must be notified to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the earliest opportunity.

 

 

NOTIFICATION OF ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

 

The head of a mission should, where possible, advise the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs well in advance of the date, place and time of the intended arrival or final departure of any member of the staff of the mission or of their families. In addition, in some countries it is the practice to provide the Consular Department of the Ministry with details of the engagement or discharge of any residents or nationals of the country in which the mission is situated.

 

 

PROCEDURE ON ARRIVAL

 

On arrival at his post to take up his duties, a head of mission will be met by the Chief of Protocol (or his representative). This will not, however, be the case in the event of his arrival coinciding with a national or religious holiday or (in an increasing number of countries) over a weekend or very early or very late in the day. He immediately informs the Minister for Foreign Affairs (as well, of course, as informing his own Minister) that he has arrived, and requests an appointment so that he may call on him and, according to the practice in a number of countries, present him with a copy of his credentials.

 

In the UK, for example, an Ambassador would do this by handing to the Chief of Protocol, when he calls on him or her very soon after arrival, a letter, addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on the following lines.

 

Sir/Madam,

I have the honour to inform you of my arrival in London on [date] in order to take up my duties as

Ambassador of ……………………….to the Court of St. James's.

I should appreciate it if arrangements could be made for me to call on the appropriate Ministers and

senior officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and, in due course, for me to have an

Audience with Her Majesty the Queen for the presentation of my credentials the Working Copies of

which I shall deliver [or] which have already been sent to your department.

With the assurance of my highest consideration,

I have the honour to be, Sir/Madam,

 

Your obedient Servant,

[Usual signature of Ambassador]

The Rt Hon. …………………….

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

London

 

According to UK practice the receipt of the working copy of the Ambassador's credentials (and of his predecessor's letter of recall where appropriate), together with the letter announcing his arrival, constitute the formal assumption of his duties.      

If the head of mission holds the rank of Chargé d’Affaires en titre he will be accredited to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and will deliver to him his letter of appointment; but assuming, as is likely to be the case nowadays, that he holds the rank of Ambassador, his next call will be a ceremonial one on the Head of State (to present the original of his credentials), arrangements for which will usually be made through the head of the Department of Protocol. If it is the practice to deliver a formal speech at this audience, he should ensure that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has a copy of it in advance.

The procedure adopted by a state for the reception of a particular class of head of mission (i.e. Ambassador, Minister or Chargé d’Affaires) must be uniform in all cases.

Once a head of mission has officially assumed his functions he advises the Dean (Doyen) of the Diplomatic Corps and other heads of mission accordingly, and proceeds to call on them in accordance with the diplomatic protocol.

In a city of considerable diplomatic activity such as, for example, London, where the number of diplomatic missions has trebled in the past thirty years, the traditional practice for newly arrived heads of mission has been adapted to present-day circumstances. After paying courtesy calls on Ministers and senior officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (usually within a week or ten days of arrival), heads of mission call on the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, a selected number of their fellow heads of mission (chosen, in order of seniority, according to the political interests and geographical position of the newcomer's country), and on prominent figures in British life of their own choosing. Because a new head of mission has entered fully on his functions by presenting to the FCO, shortly after his arrival, the working copies of his credentials, his call on the Queen to present the credentials themselves is in the nature of a symbolic last act of the arrival procedure rather than (as in many other countries) an essential first act. Because of the Queen's absence from London, it can sometimes be a month or so before a new head of mission presents his credentials, but meanwhile he can, quite properly, circulate a note to other missions announcing his arrival and assumption of functions.

If a head of mission is replacing a colleague (as opposed to opening up a mission) he ensures that the appropriate procedure has been carried out with regard to his predecessor’s letter of recall.

 

 

 

PROCEDURE ON DEPARTURE

 

Shortly before a head of mission relinquishes his or her post (except in the event of his recall having been requested by the host state) he sends a note announcing his recall to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and asks for an audience with the Head of State. This farewell audience is a private one and the departing head of mission may take the opportunity of presenting his letter of recall. It is the normal practice nowadays, however, to combine an outgoing head of mission’s letter of recall (a formal document signed by the Head of State) with his successor’s letter of credence.

A departing head of mission writes to the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and to other heads of mission and informs them that he is leaving, e.g.

 

Your Excellency (or Monsieur le Chargé d’Affaires),

I have the honour to inform Your Excellency (you) that I shall be leaving........................................ [place] on......................... [date],on the termination of my mission.

Until the arrival of my successor, the direction of this Embassy will be assumed by Mr............................ Counsellor [e.g.l of this Embassy, as Chargé d’Affairs ad interim.

I should like to take this opportunity to express to Your Excellency (you) my sincere gratitude for your cooperation which has contributed to the good relations, both official and personal, which so happily exist between our two countries and our two missions.

Please accept, Your Excellency (Monsieur le Chargé d’affaires), the assurance of my highest (high) esteem.

Ambassador's name

 

His Excellency…………………., etc.

or Mr …………………, Chargé d’Affaires, etc.)

 

The head of mission’s diplomatic functions come to an end either when he leaves the country or on an earlier date if this is specified in his note announcing his recall. (If he does not leave on the date specified it is customary for him, together with his family, to be allowed full privileges and immunities for a reasonable period until his departure.) He is normally seen off at his point of departure by a representative of the Department of Protocol.

 

 

THE DIPLOMAT

 

The diplomat needs to acquire all the normal attributes of his compatriots who are successful businessmen, administrators or civil servants, but he is a specialist in that he needs an added dimension: he must understand other countries, other cultures and other societies, and know what makes them tick. He must like people, and be genuinely interested in them.

He needs specialist knowledge, professional skills and personal qualities, which may be summarised as follows:  

 

SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

 

A knowledge and understanding of his own country: its geography, history and culture, its political, social, economic and demographic structure and institutions, its human and economic resources - agriculture, industry, finance - in short the determinants of its foreign policy priorities.

A similar knowledge and understanding, as far as is possible, of other states and regional organisations, priority being given to his neighbours, the regional organisations of which his county is a member, and the super-states, actual and potential.

A knowledge of the mechanism and procedures of international intercourse. This involves a knowledge of the worldwide network of diplomatic missions and consular posts, their functions, their practice and structure; the worldwide network of trading and financial establishments and how they operate; the United Nations and other intergovernmental institutions, global and regional, for international political, social and economic cooperation; also the code of public international law which establishes rules of behaviour between states and the laws regulating international institutions. Not least, he should have an understanding of the social and political consequences of the current 'Media Revolution'.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

 

Skill in negotiating and in day-to-day diplomacy

Skill in observing, analysing and reporting

Skill in representation

Skill in the management of a mission

Skill in communication and public diplomacy

Cross-cultural skills

 

PERSONAL QUALITIES

 

Political awareness

Personal warmth and acceptability

Intellectual curiosity and the drive to go on learning

Intellectual versatility

Leadership

Common sense

 

The compendium of knowledge and the table of virtues required for the perfect diplomat are rarely found in one man or woman: which is perhaps just as well for those ordinary mortals who would have the trying task of working with them.

 

 

 

Chapter 4

PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURE

 

 

ORDERS OF PRECEDENCE

 

 

A diplomat is concerned with four orders of precedence:

 

 

1. PRECEDENCE BETWEEN HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC

MISSIONS

 

The precedence of a head of mission is based on the class into which he falls:

Ambassador, High Commissioner or Apostolic Nuncio;

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary or Inter-nuncio (a rank rarely used);

Chargé d’Affaires en titre (titular or en pied).

 

Within each class, seniority is based on the date on which the head of mission assumed his duties as such. This is either the date on which he presented his credentials to the Head of State, or alternatively the date on which he notified his arrival to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent or handed to the Minister or Ministry a copy of his credentials, depending on the practice of the country. In most countries the date is that of the presentation to the Head of State, but in some, including the UK, it is the date of banding over the copy of credentials.

If two heads of mission present their credentials on the same day precedence may be determined either by the place in the alphabet of the first letter of the state (in French) of the representatives concerned; or, more commonly, by the relative times of day they officially commenced their functions. Whichever practice of determining precedence is adopted by a state, it must be applied consistently, and not altered without prior notification.

In certain states the diplomatic representative of the Holy See takes precedence over all other heads of mission of the same category.

At gatherings at which all heads of mission are present a Chargé  d’Affaires en titre will follow heads of mission of ambassadorial rank, and Chargés d’Affaires ad interim will come third, each Chargé taking precedence within his class according to the date of his assumption of duty. When other members of the diplomatic staff of a mission (including spouses) are present they take their place with the head of mission or Chargé in accordance with his precedence.

Precedence is not affected by a head of mission’s credentials becoming temporarily invalid owing to the death of the Head of State who signed or accepted them.

 

 

 

2. INDIVIDUAL PRECEDENCE WITHIN A MISSION

 

The individual precedence of members of the 'political' staff below head of mission is:

 

Minister Plenipotentiary

Minister-Counsellor

Counsellor

First Secretary

Second Secretary

Third Secretary

 

The place of service and specialist attachés is determined by individual missions. They usually come before a First Secretary but rarely above the diplomat next senior to the head of mission. The precise order of precedence is normally found in the diplomatic list which every state receiving diplomatic representatives produces, though in certain states the list is arranged in functional sections. It is the responsibility of the head of mission to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the precedence of the members of his mission.

 

 

3. INDIVIDUAL PRECEDENCE INTER SE OF

       DIPLOMATS AT FORMAL OR DIPLOMATIC

       FUNCTIONS

 

Individual precedence at formal or diplomatic functions is based on rank, and is as follows:

Apostolic Nuncio (in those countries where he is Doyen ex officio)

Ambassador, High Commissioner, Apostolic Nuncio

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Chargé d’Affaires (en titre)

Chargé d’Affaires (ad interim)

Minister Plenipotentiary

Minister-Counsellor

Counsellor

First Secretary

Second Secretary

Third Secretary

 

Service and specialist attachés are usually placed immediately after Counsellors, but practice varies.

 

 

 

4. PRECEDENCE OF HEADS OF MISSION WITHIN THE

       NATIONAL ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

 

Heads of mission are placed according to custom, but usually after members of the cabinet and the presidents of the legislative assemblies. In the United Kingdom heads of mission of ambassadorial rank are placed after the seven very high dignitaries who rank immediately after the Sovereign and close members of the Royal Family in the national order of precedence.

 

 

THE DIPLOMATIC LIST

 

The Diplomatic List is a record of the names and designation of (a) the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to a state at a particular date, together with the names and diplomatic rank of the members of the diplomatic staff of their mission, and (b) other institutions and individuals received in a diplomatic capacity (e.g. United Nations senior staff).

Also shown is the address of the mission and sometimes the residences of the diplomats; whether or not they are married; whether or not their spouses have accompanied them; and in some countries the names of unmarried daughters over the age of eighteen.

If the post of head of mission is temporarily vacant the designation of the holder is shown with the word ‘vacant’. If the head of mission is non-resident, his place of residence is indicated after his name and the address of his mission and (usually) residence are given.

It is customary to add a list of heads of mission in order of their precedence (naming the Doyen), together with a list of the national days of the states represented in the host state.

The Diplomatic List is regularly revised and reprinted (the interval depending on the size of the state and the rate of diplomatic turnover); states are listed alphabetically (usually in the language of the issuing state); and the responsibility for the correctness of the information it contains rests jointly with the host government (in practice with the Department of Protocol) and the heads of diplomatic missions: both have a vested interest in the accuracy of the List, if only because it is used for reference by both parties, and because it is prima facie evidence of the right to diplomatic status.

The List does not normally have any security rating, and in some countries it is on sale to the public. It is issued free to all foreign missions and diplomats, and to ministers and officials of the host government who may need to refer to it, e.g. customs and immigration officials, police and mayors, as well as to the heads of the issuing government’s missions abroad.

In certain instances a combined Diplomatic and Consular List is issued containing, in addition, details of career and honorary consular officers; otherwise a separate Consular List is sometimes issued, depending on need.

 

 

 

CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATION

BETWEEN DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS AND THE

HOST GOVERNMENT

 

All formal communications between a diplomatic mission and the foreign government in whose capital it is situated are made (a) by or on behalf of the head of mission, and (b) to the Ministry of Foreign Affair; (or its equivalent), except where special permission has been given for dealing with another department, or in the case of specialist attachés who are by custom permitted to deal direct with the relevant department on technical (but not policy) matters. In practice, the complexity of modem diplomacy has reduced the strict formalities in many) countries.

 

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

 

The Minister for Foreign Affairs is customarily accessible to heads of mission, and appointments are usually made by telephone. Such top-level approaches are normally limited to matters of special importance; those of lesser importance are best dealt with by the head of mission or a member of the diplomatic staff of the mission arranging (once again by telephone) to see an appropriate member of the ministry staff. Ministers and ministry officials are normally very busy people, and tend to be sympathetic to visiting diplomats who, after the initial courtesies, are brief and to the point, and take their leave when there is no further business to conduct.

 

 

WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE

 

1. The Official Note in the third person

The customary method of correspondence between a diplomatic mission and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Official Note. The note is typed in a recognised international language on official paper headed with the national crest and address, and begins as follows:

 

The ……………………………Embassy presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has the honour to inform them that.……. [or] to bring to their attention the following matter... …..

 

The substance of the note then follows, and the document terminates with a formula on the following lines:

 

The Embassy takes [or avails itself of] this opportunity of assuring the Ministry of its highest

consideration.

 

Date  [sender’s initials and Embassy stamp]

 

In some countries (e.g. the United States of America) this final courtesy is omitted.

The Official Note is also the standard form of communication between Diplomatic Missions.

 

(b) The note verbale

The note verbale is written in the third person and its general form is that of the official note.

 

2. The Official Letter in the first person

A less formal approach to a Minister for Foreign Affairs (by a head of mission) or to an official in the Ministry (by a member of the diplomatic staff of a mission) is the letter in the first person. This is written on correspondence paper with the address and date at the top, and would be on the following lines: