As well as representations exchanged between states of the British Commonwealth.
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Embassy structure
The organizational structure of any embassy follows a long-established pattern, although it depends heavily on the size of the embassy itself, the number of employees, funding, etc.
Head of the Embassy
Usually the position is held by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. His duties include: negotiations on behalf of his state, signing treaties.
Deputy Ambassador (second person)
The second person acts as head of the diplomatic mission in the absence of an ambassador in the country and replaces the ambassador when he is absent. In this case, the second person has all the duties of an ambassador, but without a number of rights and privileges inherent only to ambassadors (for example, “your excellency” cannot address him, in the diplomatic service this appeal is only to the ambassador). In a large embassy, as a rule, the role of the second person is performed by an employee in the position of minister-counselor. In the largest embassies, there may be two or more advisers-envoys, but only one of them is officially the deputy head of the diplomatic mission.
But in small embassies, where there may be only 3-4 diplomats, the post of minister-counselor may not exist, and then the second person is the employee following the ambassador by position. This is usually the councilor or senior adviser, but sometimes even the first secretary. In the Russian diplomatic service, cases when the second person is a diplomat below the adviser are very rare, but in the embassies of other states, especially small ones, this happens quite often.
Embassy staff
It is important to keep in mind that not every embassy employee is a diplomat. In any embassy there is necessarily a large number of auxiliary, technical staff (highly qualified workers, security, employees of the economic department, drivers, in large embassies there are also cooks, etc.). In any embassy there are also several people serving the transmission of encrypted information. Accordingly, diplomats, that is, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who have diplomatic passports and are endowed with diplomatic immunity, usually have no more than a third of the total number of employees in the embassy (not counting, of course, family members). The least responsible technical positions - cleaners, low-skilled workers - can be occupied by both citizens of the host country and family members of employees already hired for this job "on the spot".
Diplomatic positions in the embassy, in accordance with established international practice, are as follows (in descending order of precedence), in addition to the ambassador and the envoy-counselor following him:
- senior adviser.
- adviser.
- first secretary.
- second secretary.
- third secretary.
- attache.
- assistant secretary - does not have a diplomatic passport, but has a diploma. immunity. This is the position in which a young MFA officer often begins his career. In the diplomatic service of most countries, such a position does not exist. In Soviet times, even more junior positions of an assistant on duty and an assistant-translator existed in the diplomatic service of the USSR, but at present they are actually canceled (usually one of the junior diplomats is involved in the translation, there is no special position of translator in Russian embassies).
In the diplomatic service of some states (mostly small and / or underdeveloped) there are often no positions below the second secretary at all.
Groups
Employees of a large embassy are divided, as a rule, into several groups (sometimes called sections), dealing with certain issues of the country in which the embassy is located. As a rule, there are groups:
- foreign policy
- economic issues
- domestic policy
- bilateral relations, that is, the relations of the host country with its own country
- bilateral cultural cooperation
- a consular department that provides services to citizens of its country on the territory of the host country, solving their problems within the framework of the legislation and processing documents (passports, notarial documents, certificates, etc.) and issuing visas. The consular section of an embassy should be distinguished from a consulate, which is a separate entity from the embassy. If the embassy is in the capital, then the consulate is in another major city, but not in the one in which the embassy is located. So, for example, in Canada there is a Russian embassy in Ottawa, which has a consular section, but Russian consulates general are located in Montreal and Toronto. The consular section of an embassy may be located in a separate building, often far from the main embassy building, but even then it is not called a consulate.
The group is led by an employee, usually in the position of senior adviser, adviser or first secretary (again, the diplomatic rank may differ from the position held, for example, the adviser may have the rank of first secretary of the first or second class. When appointed as a group leader, only the position plays a role, and seniority by rank can only be taken into account sometimes, only if there are other employees with the same position). Groups usually include, in addition to the leader, 3-5 employees in various positions, rarely more.
If the embassy is small, with a small number of staff (this usually applies to embassies in small countries that do not have great political and economic significance), then there may be fewer groups, or not at all - in this case, the same employee can deal with the widest circle of questions. However, consular issues are still dealt with, as a rule, by a specially dedicated employee, free from other assignments.
The office of the military attache (military attaché) is also part of the embassy. The general leadership of the military attache is carried out by the ambassador, but the direct control is carried out by the military attache. In this case, attache is the designation of the highest military representative. This position should be distinguished from the diplomatic attache, the lowest diplomatic position (however, the head of the cultural cooperation group in the position of, say, an adviser, may be called a cultural attaché).
permanent missions
In addition to embassies, there is another type of diplomatic missions - permanent missions to large international organizations. So, Russia has a permanent mission to the UN in New York, a permanent mission to international organizations in Vienna, etc.
The structure of permanent missions is generally the same as that of embassies, only they deal with the problems not of the host country, but of the activities of the corresponding international organization. Such a diplomatic mission is headed by a permanent representative of Russia - in practice, as a rule, he is equated with an ambassador.
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was adopted on April 18, 1961 in Vienna at the UN Conference on Diplomatic Relations and Immunities. Entered into force on April 24, 1964.
The Vienna Convention determines the procedure for establishing diplomatic relations, accrediting the head of a diplomatic mission and terminating his functions, notifying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the receiving state of the appointment, arrival and departure of employees of the mission and members of their families, establishes the classes of heads of missions, determines diplomatic privileges and immunities, etc.
China acceded to the Vienna Convention on November 25, 1975, with a reservation under Articles 14 and 16 regarding the question of the diplomatic representation of the Vatican.
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
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The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations was adopted at the UN Conference on Consular Relations in Vienna on April 24, 1963, and entered into force on March 19, 1967.
Following the practice that has developed in international relations, the Vienna Convention provides that the establishment of consular relations between states is carried out by mutual agreement between them.
The Convention defines that consent to the establishment of diplomatic relations means (unless otherwise specified) consent also to the establishment of consular relations. The severance of diplomatic relations does not entail, by virtue of this fact alone, the severance of consular relations. If there are no diplomatic relations, a special agreement between states is required to establish consular relations.
Consular relations with foreign states are regulated by bilateral consular conventions, as well as by the internal laws of states.
The Vienna Convention of 1963 defines the consular functions: protection of the interests of the sending state and its citizens (individuals and legal entities) in the receiving state; promoting the development of trade, economic, scientific and cultural ties between the two states; providing necessary assistance in the performance of official duties to representatives of ministries and organizations and other citizens of their state located in the territory of the receiving state; informing citizens of the sending state about the laws and regulations of the receiving state, as well as about local customs; issuance of visas, performance of notarial acts, consular legalization of documents, registration of citizens of the sending state residing in the receiving state; assistance to emigrants from the sending state, as well as to aircraft and ships and their personnel on the territory of the receiving state, etc.
The Vienna Convention defines four consular classes: consul general, consul, vice consul, consular agent.
Consular posts, consular officers and employees of consular posts shall enjoy consular privileges and immunities.
The Vienna Convention also determines the procedure for the appointment and admission of consular officers, including the issuance of an exequatur, without which it is impossible for them to perform their official functions.
Diplomatic administrative and technical and service personnel operate under the leadership of the ambassador.
Diplomatic staff:
Has diplomatic ranks. Agrement requests are not required upon appointment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is informed about the arrival by note verbale. Inbound visits are requested at the same time. Consent can be revoked at any time.
Embassy staff arrive before the arrival of the ambassador.
The diplomatic staff includes military attachés. They coordinate the attaches in this area + those who are sent to study cultures.
It is important to keep in mind that not every embassy employee is a diplomat.
Diplomatic positions in the embassy, in accordance with established international practice, are as follows (in descending order of precedence), in addition to the ambassador and the envoy-counselor following him:
assistant secretary - does not have a diplomatic passport, but has a diploma. immunity.
senior adviser.
adviser.
first secretary.
second secretary.
third secretary.
This is the position in which a young MFA officer often begins his career. In the diplomatic service of most countries, such a position does not exist. In Soviet times, even more junior positions of an assistant on duty and an assistant-translator existed in the diplomatic service of the USSR, but at present they are actually canceled (usually one of the junior diplomats is involved in the translation, there is no special position of translator in Russian embassies).
In the diplomatic service of some states (mostly small and / or underdeveloped) there are often no positions below the second secretary at all.
In any embassy there is necessarily a large number of auxiliary, technical staff (highly qualified workers, security, employees of the economic unit, drivers, in large embassies there are also cooks, etc.). In any embassy there are also several people serving the transmission of encrypted information. Accordingly, diplomats, i.e. employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who have diplomatic passports and are invested with diplomatic immunity, the embassy usually has no more than a third of the total number of employees (not counting, of course, family members). The least responsible technical positions - cleaners, low-skilled workers - can be occupied by both citizens of the host country and family members of employees already hired for this job "on the spot".
Administrative and technical staff:
It is formed from among the members of the accrediting state.
The Vienna Convention provides for the right to maintain a private house. workers (nanny, driver, etc.).
19. Diplomatic corps.
Under the diplomatic corps in the narrow sense refers to the totality of heads of diplomatic missions accredited in a given country. These include ambassadors and envoys, as well as permanent and temporary chargé d'affaires. In Russia, which maintains diplomatic relations with other countries only at the level of embassies, the diplomatic corps in the narrow sense includes ambassadors and heads of representative offices of the equivalent class, as well as charge d'affaires.
In the broad sense of the word, the diplomatic corps refers not only to the heads of diplomatic missions, but also to all members of the diplomatic staff subordinate to them. In accordance with established practice, it includes persons holding the positions of ministerial advisers, advisers, first, second and third secretaries and attachés. The diplomatic corps in the broad sense of the word also includes other persons enjoying diplomatic status: military, air force and military -marine attaches, their assistants, as well as various kinds of specialists appointed to diplomatic positions in scientific and technical cooperation, culture, agriculture, etc.
The diplomatic corps also includes family members of all the above persons: wives and children, and sons - until they reach adulthood, and unmarried daughters, regardless of age.
The diplomatic corps does not have the status of any political organization or legal entity, but, arising as a result of a common type of activity, it allows you to quickly resolve many protocol and ceremonial issues, contributes to timely information about certain aspects of the political life of the host country, as well as maintaining contacts with official circles and between the missions themselves. No international legal norms establishing the status, regulating the powers and functions of the diplomatic corps does not exist.
The diplomatic corps is headed by a foreman, or doyen. He becomes the head of the diplomatic mission, who began to fulfill his duties earlier than his colleagues. Moreover, they can only be a diplomatic representative of the highest class - an ambassador or a papal nuncio. In some Catholic countries, in accordance with established custom, the doyen, regardless of the time of accreditation, is the papal nuncio.
Although the doyen does not have any rights in relation to other members of the diplomatic corps headed by him and cannot give them his orders, this post has always been considered very honorable. The Doyen holds periodic consultative meetings with the heads of diplomatic missions on certain issues of a protocol or ceremonial nature. These meetings are informal and usually take place during a breakfast or lunch for heads of mission arranged for this purpose. Such breakfasts and dinners, as well as receptions in honor of the departing head of a diplomatic mission, are arranged at the expense of contributions from diplomatic missions.
Doyen often speaks on behalf of the diplomatic corps on the occasion of solemn events in the host country, expresses congratulations to officials or offers condolences. He has the right to take steps to protect the interests of the diplomatic corps or its individual members, if he sees in the actions of the local protocol an infringement of their immunities and privileges or a violation of etiquette. However, the doyen has no right on behalf of the diplomatic corps or on his behalf to make any statements and demarches of a political nature. Such actions of the doyen can be disavowed by any member of the diplomatic corps as not meeting the position of the country he represents.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country periodically publishes lists of the diplomatic corps. The heads of diplomatic missions and members of the diplomatic staff, as well as their spouses, are entered in it in accordance with the sequence presented by each diplomatic mission.
The staff of the diplomatic mission consists of the head of the diplomatic mission, diplomatic, administrative and technical and service personnel.
The embassy is headed by a diplomatic representative who has the class of an ambassador (nuncio - a representative of the Vatican), and the mission is a diplomatic representative who has the class of an envoy (internuncia - a representative of the Vatican). An embassy or a mission may be headed by a charge d'affaires in the absence of an accredited diplomatic representative (in connection with leaving the country of residence on vacation, on a business trip, due to illness and in other cases until the head of state of residence is presented with letters of recall). The same rule exists in the case of the beginning of the activity of the newly opened embassy (or mission) in a given state before the arrival of a diplomatic representative - an ambassador (or envoy).
Members diplomatic staff persons with diplomatic ranks are considered. Persons appointed to the posts of Minister-Counsellors, Counsellors, Secretaries and Attachés fall under this category.
Members administrative and technical staff are persons who provide administrative and technical services to the representative office: usually referents, heads of the office, secretaries, typists and other persons.
To members service personnel include drivers, cooks, cleaners, gardeners, janitors, etc., that is, persons who perform the duties of servicing the representative office.
In addition to the above categories, the head of the diplomatic mission has the right to maintain the so-called "private domestic workers", which may include a personal secretary, doctor, driver, cleaner and other persons.
Members of the staff are not required to obtain an agrément and do not need to present their credentials. Their appointment, in contrast to the head of a diplomatic mission, is carried out according to a simplified scheme. It is customary to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country about the arrival of members of the diplomatic staff (as well as about the departure) by note verbale. But before that, entry visas are requested for them, and the receiving party has the opportunity to express its attitude towards this or that person by issuing such a visa or refusing it.
The structure of the diplomatic mission is determined by the staffing capabilities of the accrediting country and depends on the degree of development of relations between it and the receiving state. However, you can list the issues that all embassies deal with, regardless of which state they represent. These include issues: political, economic, consular, cultural relations, mass media, protocol. They are within the competence of the actual diplomatic staff of the embassies.
2. Diplomatic corps. Diplomatic ranks
The concept of "diplomatic corps" is used in two meanings:
· Diplomatic corps in the narrow sense is a set of independent heads of diplomatic missions, common to which are the host country and the nature of their activities;
· Diplomatic corps in a broad sense includes all employees of embassies and missions, which the host country recognizes as diplomatic personnel, as well as members of their families (wives, minor children and unmarried daughters). In addition, this includes trade representatives (advisers) and their deputies, military attachés and their assistants, special advisers and attachés (on economic issues, culture, agriculture, etc.), as well as members of their families.
The diplomatic corps does not have the status of any political organization or other body based on the norms of international law. It is recognized that the diplomatic corps does not have legal rights and cannot act as a political force.
The diplomatic corps in the host state allows you to more quickly resolve some protocol and ceremonial issues related to all diplomatic missions accredited in a given country, helps to provide them with timely information about certain aspects of the political course of this country, allows you to maintain constant contacts with official circles and between missions .
The doyen (foreman) is at the head of the diplomatic corps. He becomes the head of the diplomatic mission, who took office earlier than his other colleagues. The time of taking office is determined by the moment the head of the diplomatic mission presents his credentials. Doyen can only be a diplomatic representative of the highest class - an ambassador (papal nuncio). In some countries, usually Catholic, in accordance with established custom, the papal nuncio becomes doyen, regardless of the time of his accreditation.
Doyen- an honorary position, but he does not have any rights in relation to other members of the diplomatic corps headed by him. Instructions coming from him personally are not binding, and each diplomatic representative has the right to treat the doyen's statements based on his own considerations or on instructions from his government. The doyen performs some protocol and organizational functions. In order to develop a common position in the diplomatic corps, he periodically organizes consultative meetings with the heads of diplomatic missions, which are informal and are held during breakfast or lunch. Doyen, on behalf of the diplomatic corps, arranges receptions on the occasion of the departure or arrival of one of its members. All these events are carried out at the expense of contributions from diplomatic missions. In addition, the collected funds are spent on some other purposes, for example, on the purchase of gifts for the departing diplomat - the head of the mission or wreaths laid on behalf of the diplomatic corps, etc. Collection of contributions to the cash desk of the diplomatic corps is in charge of the treasurer, elected from among the heads of missions. Periodically, he reports to the diplomatic corps on the expenditure of funds.
On behalf of the diplomatic corps, the doyen often speaks at solemn ceremonies in the host country, makes congratulations or expresses condolences to officials. If necessary, the dean has the right to take steps to protect the interests of the diplomatic corps or its members, if, for example, he sees in the actions of the local protocol an infringement of their privileges or a violation of the norms and rules of diplomatic etiquette.
Diplomatic ranks are special service ranks assigned to the diplomatic staff of the foreign affairs department and diplomatic missions abroad.
The assignment of a personal diplomatic rank is intended to stimulate the professional growth of a diplomatic worker, to develop his professional qualities. The presence of one or another personal rank characterizes his experience as a diplomat, his abilities and the level of acquired knowledge. In addition, persons with diplomatic ranks and working in the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receive cash bonuses to the established official salaries in accordance with their rank. As an exception, a diplomatic rank may be assigned to persons who do not work directly in the central office or in foreign institutions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but who have significant merits in the field of foreign policy and diplomacy.
The current schedule of staff positions and diplomatic ranks, as in Russia, was inherited from the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has not undergone any significant changes. It was formed during the formation of Soviet diplomacy.
Members of the diplomatic staff (diplomatic agents). The nature of their duty is representative, as they are empowered to speak on behalf of the accredited state. Diplomatic agents must be in the diplomatic service of their state and have a diplomatic rank.
Diplomatic rank- the personal service rank of a diplomat, which is assigned to him in accordance with the law and the rules of diplomatic service in his state.
Regulations "on the procedure for assigning and maintaining the diplomatic rank of diplomatic workers of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Russian Federation, territorial representations of the Foreign Ministry bodies on the territory of the Russian Federation" 1999.
First among equals - this is the head of the diplomatic mission (ambassador, envoy or chargé d'affaires) - this is the highest official accredited representative of the state in the host country, he is responsible for the activities of the mission as a whole and diplomatic agents, carries out general management and supervision of the organizations of his state on the territory of the host country.
The process for appointing a head of mission:
1. Selection of candidates.
2. Request agremana - the consent of the country of intended residence to the appointment of a certain person as the head of the diplomatic mission, the reasons for refusal may not be disclosed.
3. Issuance of an act of internal law, formalizing the appointment of a candidate and a message in the media of both countries.
4. Issuance of a letter of credence and its presentation to the head of the host state. The presentation of a letter of credence entails several legal consequences:
a. From this moment begins the diplomatic mission of the head of the mission.
b. The activities of the head of the mission no longer need to be confirmed by any document, since the main meaning of the credentials is to believe all the statements and actions of this ambassador as statements and actions of the state itself.
c. The date and hour of presentation of the credentials determines the position of the ambassador in the diplomatic corps.
The diplomatic corps is the totality of all heads, diplomatic missions accredited in the host country. At the head of the corps is Doyen - the oldest in terms of stay and the first in class head of the diplomatic mission in the host country.
Ambassadors tend to head embassies, similar to envoys. Messengers can also lead missions.
chargé d'affaires unlike ambassadors and envoys, who are accredited to the head of the host state, are appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and present a letter from their minister to the minister of foreign affairs of the host country.
Termination of the functions of diplomatic agents:
1. Upon notification of the accredited state that the functions of a diplomatic agent have been terminated.
2. Notification of the receiving State that it refuses to recognize the diplomatic agent as a member of the mission. Declaring the head and members of the mission persona non grata, and the rest of the staff of the mission are declared persons "not acceptable". The sending State must recall that person.
Members of the administrative and technical staff - translators, stenographers, accountants, etc. They have a service passport and a number of privileges.
Service staff - these are cooks, maids, drivers, a special group of this category are private domestic workers of diplomatic agents employed by the local population.
Assumes the nullity of the treaty for the state.
Updated onWork at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for many people is long-awaited. In this article, I will tell a story that happened to me in 2015. When I myself was convinced that it was not at all difficult to get a job as a teacher at foreign schools of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hot September, the sun was slowly setting. I, passing through a quiet courtyard, returned to the school building. I came to this school quite recently, not even a month had passed since the promotion, when the phone rang, as usual as thousands of calls before it. But looking closely, he noted that the number was somehow strange, as if from Moscow.
A calm male voice rang out: “Hello, my name is Maxim Olegovich, I am from the personnel department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You left an application for the competition for the replacement of pedagogical workers at foreign institutions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We offer you and your spouse to conclude a contract to work at a school with a diplomatic mission in Kuwait. You have a very rare combination of professions, your wife is a teacher of physical education and a foreign language.”
And only after that I remembered that day, quite ordinary like everyone else, when, working as a physical education teacher, I got acquainted with regular telephone messages from the education department. When the secretary suggested, rather even as a joke, knowing my very mobile nature: “Denis, then the questionnaire came through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the formation of a pedagogical reserve, if you want, you can fill it out, suddenly, they will send you to some Africa.
Of course, I laughed, but my eyes lit up, and I already imagined teaching children volleyball in a hot gym overlooking the sands and African palm trees. I gladly took these papers, which I filled out during the week with my wife, discussing the countries in which we would like to work. But all this action was not taken seriously, as a joke, they gave the documents and forgot, this does not happen ...
That call changed everything. I believed in miracles. Of course, I was very alarmed by the aggravation of the conflict in Syria, when ISIS (banned in the Russian Federation) raged there with might and main. However, he immediately said that everything has changed a little since the application form was submitted. A son was born, who at that time was 1.5 years old, a wife who did not go to work in school. Maxim Olegovich said that he would consult with the diplomatic mission and call me back tomorrow.
Shock, blood pounding in my ears, nervous trembling haunted me. I called and told my wife about the call, it became a little easier. But until the end of the evening I walked like I was delirious, not myself, not here ...
Looking forward to the information, it was one of the longest days of the year. Well, here's the call you've been waiting for. Maxim Olegovich said that he was ready to take it with his son, but the spouses would deduct the amount for the maintenance of a nanny for the baby from the salary, respectively, they promised me 2,500 and my wife 2,000 dollars. To my question: dollars? Maxim Olegovich just laughed: "Of course dollars!". The roof was demolished, it was necessary to make a decision in 24 hours, the time has come.
Before making a final decision, I decided to consult with relatives, to open the cards, so to speak. First I called my father-in-law, he was surprised, but he took the information correctly. He said that he did not agree to let us go in view of the current geopolitical situation. I went home, on the way I dropped by to work with a school friend, an accountant. We sat chatting for a long time, told about the idea. She, in turn, said that we must go without hesitation. But the most powerful argument for me was the advice of my classmate, teacher of the Military University of the Ministry of Defense, who said that there was nothing to be afraid of, because the embassy had good security, even gave the phone number of a friend who had recently returned from a business trip from there. And in the evening, the father-in-law also called back, said that he was wrong, changed his mind. In turn, the head of the district education department did not recommend giving in to temptation and going on a business trip.
There was no doubt left, I decided, however, on the graying day, in order to dispel all my doubts, I dared to write a letter to the embassy, probably this letter was a mistake, the second one after consultations ...
Literally the text of the letter don't take such rash steps! And you don’t have to call everyone and tell everyone, make the decision yourself!
“I have two children and they are both with me. Yes, it's hot here (in terms of temperature), it even reaches 50 in summer. All this should be told to you in frames.
Hello, my family and I were offered a job in Kuwait as teachers (through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), I really want to take the risk of going, but I'm worried about the safety of the family (ISIS, as well as the acclimatization of a 1.5-year-old child), I want to clarify whether my risks are justified? If so, does the embassy provide any security guarantees? Sincerely, Denis Vasilyevich Melnikov.
Consular Section
Russian Embassy
Kuwait
The Consular Section
Embassy of Russia in Kuwait
