![Charge crop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Charge_crop.jpg)
A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
who serves as an embassy's
chief of mission
In diplomatic usage, head of mission (HOM) or chief of mission (COM) from the French "chef de mission diplomatique" (CMD) is the head of a diplomatic representation, such as an ambassador, high commissioner, nuncio, chargé d'affaires, permanent ...
in the absence of the
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
. The term is
French for "charged with business", meaning they are responsible for the duties of an ambassador. ''Chargé'' is masculine in
gender
Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...
; the feminine form is ''chargée d'affaires''.
A ''chargé'' enjoys the same privileges and immunities as an ambassador under
international law
International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
, and normally these extend to their aides too. However, ''chargés d'affaires'' are
outranked by ambassadors and have lower precedence at formal diplomatic events.
In most cases, a diplomat serves as a ''chargé d'affaires'' on a temporary basis in the absence of the ambassador. In unusual situations, in cases where disputes between the two countries make it impossible or undesirable to send agents of a higher
diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...
, a ''chargé d'affaires'' may be appointed for an indefinite period.
Types of ''chargés''
''Chargés d'affaires'' ''ad interim'' ("a.i.") are those who temporarily head a diplomatic mission in the absence of the accredited head of that mission. It is usual to appoint a minister-counsellor, counsellor, or embassy secretary as ''chargé d'affaires'' ''ad interim'', and that person is presented to the foreign minister of the receiving state. By definition, ''chargés d'affaires'' ''ad interim'' do not possess
diplomatic credentials.
''Chargés d'affaires'' ''en pied'' ("e.p.") are appointed to be permanent heads of mission, in cases where the two countries lack ambassadorial-level relations.
They are appointed by
letters of credence
A letter of credence (french: Lettre de créance) is a formal diplomatic letter that designates a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state. Commonly known as diplomatic credentials, the letter is addressed from one head of state to anot ...
from the foreign minister of the sending state to the foreign minister of the receiving state. ''Chargés d'affaires'' ''en pied'' have
precedence over ''chargés d'affaires'' ''ad interim'', but are outranked by ambassadors. They are sometimes referred to as ''chargés d'affaires'' ''
ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with ''a priori''.)
Com ...
'' or ''en titre''.
Long-term ''chargé''-level relations
In certain cases, a ''chargé d'affaires'' may be appointed for long periods, such as when a mission is headed by a non-resident ambassador who is accredited to multiple countries. In addition, a mission may be downgraded from an ambassadorial to a ''chargé d'affaires'' level to show displeasure, yet avoid taking the extremely serious step of breaking diplomatic relations. For example,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
and
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
did not exchange ambassadors between 1989 and 2022, due to the
Blue Diamond Affair
The Blue Diamond Affair is a series of unresolved crimes and embittered diplomatic relations triggered by the 1989 theft of gems belonging to the House of Saud by a Thai employee. The affair has soured relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand fo ...
. The
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
recalled the ambassador to
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
right after
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (also known as the Resolution on Admitting Peking) was passed in response to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1668 that required any change in China's representation in the UN be ...
ceased to recognize the Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China, and thus ''chargé d'affaires'' becomes the envoy to Taiwan.
Sometimes when diplomatic recognition is extended to a new government, a ''chargé'' may be sent to immediately establish diplomatic representation. However, if a timely exchange of ambassadors does not take place, this may result in a prolonged period of ''chargé''-level relations. For example, the United Kingdom recognized the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in 1950 and posted a ''chargé d'affaires'' in the new capital of
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. However, China was unwilling to exchange ambassadors until the United Kingdom withdrew its consulate from
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
.
Sino-British relations were not upgraded to the ambassadorial level until 1972.
Since a ''chargé d'affaires'' presents his or her
credentials to the foreign minister rather than the head of state, the appointment of a ''chargé'' may avoid a politically sensitive meeting that would imply approval or recognition of that head of state or government. Similarly, the receiving country may decline to receive an ambassador, but still maintain diplomatic relations by accepting a ''chargé''. For example, the
Republic of Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
appoints a number of ''chargés d'affaires'' ''en pied'' to its embassies abroad.
History
In modern use, ''chargés d'affaires'' essentially differ from
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
s in that, like all diplomats, ''chargés'' represent their nation, but unlike an ambassador, they are not personal representatives of their head of state. Apart from
rank and precedence, ''chargés'' enjoy the same privileges and immunities as other diplomatic agents.
However, there have been rare historical circumstances in which the title ''chargé d'affaires'' was in fact employed in a more significant colonial role, as commonly held by a
resident
Resident may refer to:
People and functions
* Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country
* Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training
* Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceuti ...
. Thus, in
Annam-
Tonkin
Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includ ...
(most of present
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
), the first French ''chargé d'affaires'' at
Huế
Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...
, the local ruler's capital, since 1875, one of them (three terms) was appointed the first
resident-general
A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indi ...
on 11 June 1884, as they stopped being tributary to the Chinese Empire, less than a year after the 25 August 1883 French protectorates over Annam and Tonkin (central and northern regions).
In French, ''chargé d'affaires'' may be used outside diplomacy to designate an individual with some more or less temporary responsibility for a specific area of business, understood broadly.
Spelling and grammar
''Chargé d'affaires'' generally follows French usage: ''chargé d'affaires'' is singular, ''chargés d'affaires'' for plural. The ''"d'affaires"'' is always in the plural form, and should be lowercase even if ''Chargé'' is capitalized. Following the French declension, ''chargée d'affaires'' (with the feminine ending) may be seen where the ''chargé'' is female.
For temporary ''chargés'', ''ad interim'' may or may not be added depending on the context, but is always lower case; it may be italicized or shortened to simply a.i.
See also
*
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
*
Attaché
In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accor ...
*
Head of mission
In diplomatic usage, head of mission (HOM) or chief of mission (COM) from the French "chef de mission diplomatique" (CMD) is the head of a diplomatic representation, such as an ambassador, high commissioner, nuncio, chargé d'affaires, permane ...
References
Citations
Sources
*
eDiplomat.com: Glossary of Diplomatic Terms
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charge d'affaires
Diplomatic ranks