Ir312 Understanding Embassies, Consulates Function and Diplomatic Protocol Dr. Jared O. Bell, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Public Administration Faculty of Business and Administration International University of Sarajevo

Quiz Next Week There is a quiz over weeks 1-4 Study!!!! Power points can be found at: https://professorbellreadings.wordpress.com/ir312 -diplomacy/

How do Embassies Function? Let us Refresh, what do embassies do? And what is the Ambassadors Role?

An Embassy and it’s Entirety The  Embassy is (a) almost always located in the capital city, (b) where the Ambassador's  office is located, and (c) USUALLY the seat of all of the other  functional sections, including political and regional affairs, economic  affairs, consular affairs, commercial affairs, cultural and public  affairs, the military attachés' offices, the defense cooperation office,  and many others. Let’s pick these apart, what do you think each aspect does?

Extraterritoriality Contrary to popular belief, most diplomatic missions do not enjoy full extraterritorial status and in those cases are not sovereign territory of the represented state. Rather, the premises of diplomatic missions usually remain under the jurisdiction of the host state while being afforded special privileges (such as immunity from most local laws) by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Rules for Embassy Space International rules do not allow representatives of the host country to enter an embassy without permission. Embassies are sometimes used by refugees refugees/Asylees escaping from either the host country or a third country. 

Embassy or Consulate? The Consulate is established under a different Vienna  Convention, is a subordinate post under the Embassy, and is headed by a Consul or Consul General. 

What do Consulates do? We touched on this in the last class a little, what do consulates do?

Consulate A consulate is a small official office of a country in another country. The main office is called an Embassy, and is in the capital city. Consulates are in other large towns and cities and usually do not do all of the jobs of the embassy. Some countries may not have an embassy in a specific country, but may only have a consulate there. This will occur in the situation where there is no ambassador assigned to the country.

Consulate (Cont.) When states establish diplomatic relations, they automatically also enter into consular relations. But the reverse is not true as noted above; if diplomatic relations are broken—as during outbreak of war between a pair of countries—consular relations do not automatically end, unless a declaration is made to this effect.

What does the Consulate do? Policy advice: from the field, they are expected to provide reports on issues as these develop and offer suggestions on the actions recommended at a national level. Contact with citizens and the diaspora: regular contact with compatriots residing abroad, and now increasingly with noncitizens who have ties of kinship and blood, is more important than ever before. For an embassy this is a mainstream task, personally engaging the ambassador and his team.

What does the Consulate do? Registration of citizens: residents abroad are routinely urged to register with the nearest consular office, and rather few of them do so. In the wake of natural and manmade crisis of recent years, this has become more important than before. Emergency assistance: this is delivered to individuals, groups, and to entire overseas communities, depending on the nature of problems encountered. Because consular work deals with citizens, its efficient handling makes a major contribution to the image of the embassy, the foreignministry, and the country

Counsulars and Consul General People who work in any sort of consulates are called consular officers. The person in charge is called a consul, or consul general. An honorary consul does not work full-time for the government. They are usually in port towns, to speed up issuing documents for trade. An honorary consul might be a citizen of the country he works for, or have another link such as parents or grandparents, or they may have married someone from there. They usually work in an office, which is considered an honorary consulate.

What’s Diplomatic Immunity? This is a term we hear often? What does it mean?

Diplomatic Immunity… is a special law that covers people who work in embassies or consulates. The diplomatic immunity means that although they live and work as a visitor inside a "host country", they are not ruled by the law of that country. They are only ruled by the law of their home country. Top diplomatic officers have full immunity, as do their deputies and families. 

Diplomatic Immunity (Cont). A diplomat can work without interference from the police and government of the country where he works. Diplomatic immunity means that a diplomat can keep the secrets of his own country's government, without the government of the host country being able to find out about them. Police from the host country cannot arrest a diplomat, or search a diplomat's house or office. They cannot even give a diplomat's car a parking ticket without the permission of the diplomat's government.

Diplomatic Immunity (Cont.) Lower-ranking officials have a weaker type of protection called "functional immunity." These officials are covered only for crimes committed within the scope of their regular work responsibilities. Example, a consular official got into a fistfight during a meeting with a U.S. official, he would be protected from prosecution. If the fight occurred at a bar over the weekend, he would not.

What is Diplomatic Protocol What do you think Diplomatic Protocol is?

Diplomatic Protocol In diplomatic services and governmental fields of endeavor protocols are often unwritten guidelines. Protocols specify the proper and generally accepted behavior in matters of state and diplomacy, such as showing appropriate respect to a head of state, ranking diplomats in chronological order of their accreditation at court, and so on. What might be some examples of diplomatic ProtocoL?

What Protocol Does? The protocol department in foreign ministries— which exists in virtually every MFA—lays down the broad protocol regulations in each country. protocol covers the handling of foreign ambassadors and their staff, as well as the general regulations of the host country that are to be followed by other ministries and official agencies, and by that country’s provincial authorities (who usually have their own protocol units).

What Protocol Does? (Cont.1) It establishes precedence among the envoys in a particular capital. The protocol unit maintains the diplomatic list (i.e. the listing of all the diplomat rank offi cials in the embassies, which also gives the precedence among the heads of mission); this is Protocol in International Affairs usually updated at least once a year, and is a public document available to all who need to contact diplomatic missions.

What Protocol Does? (Cont.2) Protocol lays down the flag flying privileges of the foreign envoys; by custom, ambassadors fl y their national flags at their residence (called “the embassy” by strict definition).

Protocol can also include…. Modes of written communication Personal etiquette Intercultural behavior Table plans and seating arrangements Giving and receiving gifts Corporate protocol

Detail is Important in Protocol Protocol work involves mastery of detail, lots of “petty” detail, which nevertheless becomes important, the more so when high state personalities are involved. Example: Over a decade ago, Morocco’s King Hassan kept Queen Elizabeth waiting for 15 minutes during her state visit to Rabat

Expect the Unexpected One should anticipate every conceivable possibility, including things that might go wrong, and figure out a way to deal with this. Why is this important?

Timing and Planning is an Important Aspect to Protocol Typically, the program for a state visit is planned, literally, on a minute-to-minute basis. Travel times from one program venue to another need precise calculation, not by rough estimate, but taking into account ground conditions and the possible availability of facilities from the local host, such as motorcycle outriders.

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