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Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of profession-
al and social rank used in the world of dip-
lomacy and international relations. Over time
it has been formalized on an international
basis.
Traditional European
diplomacy
Ranks
Until the early 19th century, each European
nation had its own system of diplomatic rank.
The relative ranks of diplomats from different
nations had been a source of considerable
dispute, made more so by the insistence of
major nations to have their diplomats ranked
higher than those of minor nations, to be re-
flected in such things as table seatings.
In an attempt to resolve the problem, the
Congress of Vienna of 1815 formally estab-
lished an international system of diplomatic
ranks.[1]
The four ranks within the system are:
1. ("Ambassador"). Ambassadors are formal
representatives of the head of state.
Equivalent, and in some traditions primus
inter pares, is the papal nuncio, the
ambassador of the Holy See. In
Commonwealth countries, the equivalent
title that is normally used is High
Commissioner; this person represents the
government rather than the head of state.
• . Ambassadors at Large are diplomats
of the highest rank, or ministers who
are accredited to represent the
country. Most ambassadors are limited
to a single-country diplomatic mission.
By contrast, ambassadors-at-large
operate on a non-single country basis,
working in several, usually neighboring
countries, a region or sometimes an
intergovernmental organizations, such
as the United Nations or European
Union. Alternatively, ambassadors-at-
large may be assigned a particular
issue and tasked with advising and
assisting the head of government and
foreign minister on this issue; one
example is the United States
Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes
Issues. When it is necessary to
distinguish between ambassadors-at-
large and single-country ambassadors,
the term ambassador-in-residence is
used.
2. . Usually just referred to as a Minister, an
Envoy is a diplomatic representative with
plenipotentiary powers (i.e. full authority
to represent the head of state), but
ranking below an Ambassador. While
common before World War II, the title is
now effectively obsolete.
3. or Resident Minister, or simply Minister,
is the, now extremely rare, lowest rank of
full chief of mission, only above chargé
d’affaires (who are considered as
substitutes or acting chiefs of mission).
• Note that both the Envoy (Minister
Plenipotentiary) and the Minister
Resident are diplomatic ministers,
which are not the same thing as
government ministers or religious
ministers. A diplomatic mission headed
by either type of Minister would be
called a Legation. As they formally
represent the head of state, they are
entitled to use the title "His/Her
Excellency", which originally was
reserved for Ambassadors.
4. ("chargé"). This term means "in charge of
affairs" in French. As the title suggests, a
chargé d’affaires is in charge of the affairs
of a diplomatic mission in the usually
temporary absence of a more senior
diplomat A chargé d’affaires ad interim or
simply "a.i." is generally serving as chief
of mission during the temporary absence
of the head of mission, while the chargé
d’affaires e.p. or en pied maintains the
same functions and duties as an
ambassador, and is accredited not to the
head of state but to the foreign minister of
the receiving state.
As it turned out, this system of diplomatic
rank did nothing to solve the problem of the
nations’ precedence. The appropriate diplo-
matic ranks used would be determined by the
precedence among the nations; thus the
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diplomatic rank
1
exchanges of ambassadors (the highest diplo-
matic rank) would be reserved among major
nations, or close allies and related monarch-
ies. In contrast, a major nation would prob-
ably send just an envoy to a minor nation,
who in return would send an envoy to the
major nation. As a result, the United States
did not use the rank of ambassador until
their emergence as a major world power at
the end of the 19th century. Indeed, until the
mid-20th century, the majority of diplomats
in the world were of the rank of envoy.
After World War II, it was no longer con-
sidered acceptable to treat some nations as
inferior to others given the United Nations
doctrine of equality of sovereign states;
therefore most legations were upgraded to
embassies, and the use of the rank of Minis-
ter for diplomatic missions’ highest-ranking
officials gradually ceased. The last U.S. Lega-
tion, in Sofia, Bulgaria, was upgraded to an
Embassy on November 28, 1966. Where
those ranks still exist, their incumbents usu-
ally act as embassy section chiefs or Deputy
Chief of mission.
Notes
• Any diplomat who heads a diplomatic
mission is known as chief of mission or
head of mission. Chiefs of mission in
nearly all cases hold the rank of
ambassador, high commissioner, papal
nuncio, envoy, or minister resident.
• The term deputy chief of mission or
deputy head of mission refers to the chief
deputy to the chief of mission—the
second-highest post at the diplomatic
mission.
• Ambassadors and high commissioners are
given the title "His Excellency" or "Her
Excellency", often abbreviated as H.E.
• A diplomatic mission headed by an
ambassador is known as an embassy. A
diplomatic mission headed by a high
commissioner is called a high commission.
• The body of diplomats and foreign policy
officers maintained by the government of
a country to communicate with the
governments of other countries is referred
to as the diplomatic service or foreign
service.
• All the diplomats that are assigned to a
nation are known collectively as the
diplomatic corps (French: corps
diplomatique). One of these diplomats is
often recognized as the primus inter pares
(first among equals). This diplomat is
referred to as the dean of the diplomatic
corps. Traditionally, this is the most senior
diplomat in the country, as determined by
date of arrival in country or presentation
of credentials, although in some Catholic
nations it is automatically the papal
nuncio.
Modern diplomats
Bilateral diplomacy
The distinction between managers and of-
ficers is not necessarily as apparent. Senior
officers (such as first and second secretaries)
often manage junior diplomats and locally-
hired staff.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diplomatic rank
2
In modern diplomatic practice there are a
number of diplomatic ranks below Ambassad-
or. Since most missions are now headed by
an Ambassador, these ranks now rarely indic-
ate a mission’s (or its host nation’s) relative
importance, but rather reflect the diplomat’s
individual seniority within their own nation’s
diplomatic career path and in the diplomatic
corps in the host nation:
• (High Commissioner in Commonwealth
missions); Ambassador at large
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chargé d’affaires
Chargé d’affaires and chargé d’affaires, ad
interim (or simply a.i.) is a separate title used
when an Ambassador (or other head of mis-
sion) is not present, has not been appointed,
or is otherwise not able to discharge duties in
a specific location. Generally, the ad interim
(temporary) "chargé" (as they are often re-
ferred to) is another staff member (usually
the second-most senior officer) accredited in
the host country for the head of mission’s
temporary absences. In such cases, the diplo-
matic mission advises the local government
(usually the foreign ministry) by means of a
diplomatic note that a specific individual has
been appointed chargé for a specific or indef-
inite period of time. In contrast to an Ambas-
sador, the specific agreement of the host gov-
ernment is not required.
Attaché
The term attaché is used for any diplomatic
agent who does not fit in the standard diplo-
matic ranks, often because they are not (or
were not traditionally) members of the send-
ing country’s diplomatic service or foreign
ministry, and were therefore only "attached"
to the diplomatic mission. The most frequent
use is for military attachés, but the diplomat-
ic title may be used for any specific individual
or position as required. Since administrative
and technical staff benefit from only limited
diplomatic immunity, some countries may
routinely appoint support staff as attachés.
Attaché does not, therefore, denote any rank
or position (except in Soviet and post-Soviet
diplomatic services, where attaché is the low-
est diplomatic rank of a career diplomat).
Note that many traditional functionary roles,
such as press attaché or cultural attaché, are
not formal titles in diplomatic practice, al-
though they may be used as a matter of
custom.
Usage worldwide
Most countries worldwide have some form of
internal rank, roughly parallel to the diplo-
matic ranks, which are used in their foreign
service or civil service in general. The corres-
pondence is not exact, however, for various
reasons, including the fact that according to
diplomatic usage, all Ambassadors are of
equal rank, but clearly Ambassadors of more
senior rank are sent to more important post-
ings. Some countries may make specific links
or comparisons to military ranks.
In the United States Foreign
Service
In the United States Foreign Service, a sys-
tem of personal ranks is applied which
roughly corresponds to these diplomatic
ranks. Personal ranks are differentiated as
"Senior Foreign Service" (SFS) or "Member
of the Foreign Service".[2]
The SFS ranks, in descending order, are:
1. , awarded to career diplomats with
extensive and distinguished service;
2. , the highest regular senior rank;
3. ; and
4. .
In U.S. terms, these correspond to 4-, 3-, 2-
and 1-star General and Flag officers in the
military, respectively. Officers at these ranks
may serve as Ambassadors and occupy the
most senior positions in diplomatic missions.
Members of the Foreign Service consist of
two groups, Foreign Service Officers and
Foreign Service Specialists. Ranks descend
from the highest, FS-1, equivalent to a full
Colonel in the military, to FS-9, the lowest
rank in the U.S. Foreign Service personnel
system.[3] (Most Foreign Service Member Ca-
reer Candidates begin at the FS-5 or FS-6
level.) Personal rank is distinct from and
should not be confused with the diplomatic or
consular rank assigned at the time of ap-
pointment to a particular diplomatic or con-
sular mission.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diplomatic rank
3
In a large mission, several Senior Foreign
Service Officers may serve under the Ambas-
sador as Minister-Counselors, Counselors,
First Secretaries, and Attaches; in a small
mission, an FS-2 may serve as the lone
Minister-Counselor of Embassy.
In the British Diplomatic Service
As in the U.S. Foreign Service, the British
Diplomatic Service differentiates between of-
ficers in the "Senior Management Structure"
(SMS; equivalent to the Senior Civil Service
grades of the Home Civil Service) and those
in the "delegated grades". SMS officers are
classified into three pay-bands, and will serve
in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in
London as (in descending order of seniority)
Permanent Under-Secretary, Directors-Gen-
eral, Directors, or Heads of Group; overseas
they will be Ambassadors (High Commission-
ers in Commonwealth countries), or Consuls-
General, Deputy Heads of Mission or Coun-
sellors for larger posts. (Deputy Heads of
Mission at the historically most significant
Embassies, for example those in Washington
and Paris, are known as Ministers.)
In the "delegated grades", officers are
graded by number from 1 to 7; the grades
are grouped into bands lettered A-D (grades
1 and 2 are in Band A; 3 in B; 4 and 5 in C;
and 6 and 7 in D). Overseas, B3-grade of-
ficers are Third Secretaries; C4s are Second
Secretaries; and C5s and D6s are First Sec-
retaries. D7 officers are usually Deputy
Heads of Mission in medium-sized posts or
Heads of Mission in small posts.
In the Australian Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
As with other Commonwealth public ser-
vants, officers from the Department of For-
eign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are graded in-
to four broadbands (BB1 to BB4), with the
Senior Executive Service (SES Band 1 to SES
Band 3) following above.
Ambassadors, High Commissioners and
Consuls-General usually come from the Seni-
or Executive Service, although in smaller
posts the head of mission may be a BB4 of-
ficer. Generally speaking (and there are vari-
ation in ranking and nomenclature between
posts and positions), Counsellors are repres-
ented by BB4 officers; Consuls and First and
Second Secretaries are BB3 officers and
Third Secretaries and Vice Consuls are BB2
officers. DFAT only posts a limited number of
low level BB1 staff abroad. In large missions
an SES officer who is not the head of mission
could be posted with the rank of Minister.
Multilateral diplomacy
Furthermore, outside this traditional pattern
of bilateral diplomacy, as a rule on a perman-
ent residency basis (though sometimes doub-
ling elsewhere), certain ranks and positions
were created specifically
for multilateral
diplomacy:
• An Ambassador at Large is equivalent of
an Ambassador and assigned specific
tasks or region in which he is assigned
various assignments aimed at multi track
diplomacy.
• A permanent representative is the
equivalent of an ambassador, normally of
that rank, but accredited to an
international body (mainly by
member—and possibly observer states),
not to a head of state.
• A resident representative (or sometimes
simply representative) is the equivalent
— in rank and privileges — of an
ambassador, but accredited by an
international organization (generally a
United Nations agency, or a Bretton
Woods institution) to a country’s
government. The resident representative
typically heads the country office of that
international organization within that
country.
• A is a government’s specialist diplomat in
a particular field, not posted in residence,
but often traveling around the globe.
• The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is
an ambassador of cabinet rank, in charge
of U.S. delegations in multilateral trade
negotiations (since 1962). The USTR’s
Special Agricultural Negotiator also
typically holds an ambassadorial
appointment.
Special envoys
• The Secretary-General of the United
Nations personally mandates Special
Envoys for a particular field. Examples
include:
• United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/
AIDS in Africa (who deals with HIV/AIDS
in Africa)
• United Nations Special Envoy on Climate
Change (who deals with climate change)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diplomatic rank
4
• United Nations Special Envoy for Kosovo
(Special Envoy for the Future Status
Process for Kosovo)
• United Nations Special Envoy for Darfur
Other Special Envoys have been created ad
hoc.
Individual countries, often regional
powers, have done the same:
• To help with the Northern Ireland
peace process, the United States has
appointed a United States Special
Envoy for Northern Ireland with the
diplomatic rank of Ambassador. As of
2008, the position was occupied by
Paula Dobriansky.
• During the 2006 democracy
movement in Nepal, India sent on
April 18 Karan Singh, who is related
to royalty in both predominantly
Hindu countries, as Special Envoy to
neighbouring Nepal where
increasingly violent opposition started
its successful challenge of the king’s
autocratic rule.
• In 2005, Belgium created a former
cabinet member, Pierre Chevalier
Special Envoy of the OSCE
presidency—in fact ahead of its 2006
turn as rotatory Chairman-in-Office of
the organisation; the post was never
formally created—to mediate in the
Gazprom natural gas-pipeline crisis
involving Russia, Ukraine and the EU.
• The EU appoints various Special
Representatives (some regional, some
thematic); e.g. in 2005—as a response to
events in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan—the
Council of the EU appointed Jan Kubis as
its "Special Representative for Central
Asia".
• The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
appointed special envoys from time to
time[4].
• A case sui generis is the High
Representative for Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Consular counterpart
Formally the consular career (ranking in des-
cending order: Consul-General, Consul, Vice-
Consul, Consular Agent; equivalents without
consular immunity include Honorary Consul-
General, Honorary Consul, and Honorary
Vice-Consul)
forms a separate hierarchy.
Many countries do not internally have a
separate consular path or stream, and the
meaning of "consular" responsibilities and
functions will differ from country to country.
Other titles, including "Vice Consul-General",
have existed in the past. Consular titles may
be used concurrently with diplomatic titles if
the individual is assigned to an embassy. Dip-
lomatic immunity is more limited for consular
officials without other diplomatic accredita-
tion, and broadly limited to immunity with re-
spect to their official duties.
At a separate consular post, the official
will have only a consular title. Officials at
consular posts may therefore have consular
titles, but not be involved in traditional con-
sular activities, and actually be responsible
for trade, cultural, or other matters.
Consular officers, being nominally more
distant from the politically sensitive aspects
of diplomacy, can more easily render a wide
range of services to private citizens, enter-
prises, et cetera. They may be more numer-
ous since diplomatic missions are posted only
in a nation’s capital, while consular officials
are stationed in various other cities as well.
However, it is not uncommon for individuals
to be transferred from one hierarchy to the
other, and for consular officials to serve in a
capital carrying out strictly consular duties
within the ’consular section’ of a diplomatic
post, e.g. within an embassy. Some countries
routinely provide their Embassy officials with
consular
commissions,
including
those
without
formal
consular
responsibilities,
since a consular commission allows the indi-
vidual to legalize documents, sign certain
documents, and undertake certain other ne-
cessary functions.
Depending on the practice of the individu-
al country, "consular services" may be limited
to services provided for citizens or residents
of the sending country, or extended to in-
clude, for example, visa services for nationals
of the host country.
FOREIGN
MINISTRY
OVERSEAS
EMBASSIES
FOREIGN
DELEGATIONS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS Secret-
ary General Under Secretary General Golden
Director Ambassador General Delegate Gen-
eral Representative General Silver Director
High Ambassador High Delegate High Rep-
resentative Bronze Director Ambassador
Delegate Representative Golden Executive
Minister General Minister General Minister
General Silver Executive Minister Minister
Minister
Bronze
Executive
Counselor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diplomatic rank
5
Counselor Counselor Golden Manager Consul
General/First Secretary First Secretary First
Secretary Silver Manager Consul/Second
Secretary Silver Delegate Official Second
Secretary Bronze Manager Vice Consul/Third
Secretary Bronze Delegate Official Third Sec-
retary Golden Officer Embassy Official Deleg-
ation Official Diplomatic Official Silver Of-
ficer Bronze Officer
GOLDEN
ESTABLISHMENTS
SILVER
ESTABLISHMENTS
BRONZE
ESTABLISHMENTS Ambassador General/
Delegate General/Representative General
High
Ambassador/Delegate/Representative
Ambassador/Delegate/Representative Minis-
ter General Minister Minister Minister Coun-
selor Counselor Counselor Consul-General/
First Secretary First Secretary First Secret-
ary Consul/Second Secretary Second Secret-
ary Second Secretary Third Secretary Third
Secretary Third Secretary
Ambassadors/Delegates/Representatives
General to 4 nations + 4 organisations+1DG
Sources and references
[1] "Réglement du 19 Mars 1815 sur le Rang
entre les Agents Diplomatiques" (original
French text, English translation (footnote
6 on p. 135)), later appended to the "Acte
du Congrès de Vienne du 9 Juin 1815",
Article 118.17. Amended by a protocol
signed at Aix-la-Chapelle on 21
November 1818 (original French text
(footnote 7 p. 152), English translation
(footnote 7 on p. 136))
[2] 3 FAM 2230 Appointments - Categories
of Foreign Service Personnel
[3] Microsoft Word - 15fam0260.doc
[4] Commons Written Answers: Ministerial
Policy Advisers
• Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Archives and Library (mainly in French)
• Pauly-Wissowa (encyclopaedia in German,
on Antiquity)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomatic_rank"
Categories: Diplomacy
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