Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and
social rank used in the world of
diplomacy
Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...
and
international relation
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...
s. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the
order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...
at official processions,
table seatings at state dinners, the person to whom
diplomatic credentials should be presented, and the title by which the diplomat should be addressed.
International diplomacy
Ranks
The current system of diplomatic ranks was established by the
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries. Its aim is to facilitate "the development of friendly relations" among government ...
(1961).
There are three top ranks, two of which remain in use:
* ''
Ambassador''. An ambassador is a
head of mission who is accredited to the receiving country's
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
. They head a
diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
known as an
embassy
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
, headquartered in a
chancery usually in the receiving state's
capital.
** A
papal nuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...
is considered to have ambassadorial rank, and presides over a
nunciature.
**
Commonwealth countries
The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies.
No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others, as is the case in a p ...
send a
high commissioner who presides over a
high commission and has the same diplomatic rank as an ambassador.
* ''
Minister''. A minister was a
head of mission who was accredited to the receiving country's government. A minister headed a
legation rather than an embassy. After World War II, the embassy became the standard form of diplomatic mission, and the rank of minister is now obsolete. Many countries use the title minister-counsellor to refer to the deputy head of a mission,
but does not hold the rank of minister.
** An envoy or an
internuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international o ...
is also considered to have the rank of minister.
* ''
Chargé d'affaires'':
** A chargé d'affaires ''en pied'' is a permanent
head of mission who is accredited by their country's
foreign minister to the receiving nation's foreign minister, in cases where the two governments have not reached an agreement to exchange ambassadors.
** A chargé d'affaires ''ad interim'' is a diplomat who temporarily heads a diplomatic mission in the absence of an ambassador.
The body of diplomats accredited to a country form the
diplomatic corps
The diplomatic corps (french: corps diplomatique) is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body.
The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission ( ...
. Ambassadors have precedence over chargés, and precedence within each rank is determined by the date on which
diplomatic credentials were presented. The longest-serving ambassador is the
dean of the diplomatic corps
The diplomatic corps (french: corps diplomatique) is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body.
The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission (amb ...
, who speaks for the entire diplomatic corps on matters of diplomatic privilege and protocol. In many Catholic countries, the
papal nuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...
is always considered the dean of the diplomatic corps.
Historical ranks, 1815–1961
The ranks established by the Vienna Convention (1961) modify a more elaborate system of ranks that was established by the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
(1815):
* ''
Ambassadors'', legates and nuncios were personal representatives of their sovereign.
* ''
Envoys'' and ministers represented their government and were accredited to the receiving sovereign.
* ''
Ministers resident'' formed an intermediate class between ministers and chargés. This rank was created by the
Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818)
The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle, held in the autumn of 1818, was a high-level diplomatic meeting of France and the four allied powers Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia which had defeated it in 1814. The purpose was to decide the withdrawal of ...
* ''
Chargés d'affaires'' were accredited by their foreign minister to the receiving foreign minister.
The rank of ''envoy'' was short for "envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary", and was more commonly known as "minister".
For example, the "envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States to the French Empire" was known as the "
United States Minister to France
The United States ambassador to France is the official representative of the president of the United States to the president of France. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with France since the American Revolution. Relations we ...
" and addressed as "Monsieur le Ministre".
An Ambassador was regarded as the personal representative of his sovereign as well as his government. Only major monarchies would exchange Ambassadors with each other, while smaller monarchies and republics only sent Ministers. Because of diplomatic reciprocity,
Great Power
A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...
s would only send a minister to a smaller monarchy or a republic.
For example, in the waning years of the
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the Second and the Third Republic of France.
Historians in the 1930 ...
, the United Kingdom sent an ambassador to Paris, while
Sweden-Norway
Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway ( sv, Svensk-norska unionen; no, Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Sweden ...
and the United States sent ministers.
The rule that only monarchies could send ambassadors was more honored in the breach than the observance. This had been true even before the Congress of Vienna, as England continued to appoint ambassadors after becoming
a republic in 1649.
Countries that overthrew their monarchs proved to be unwilling to accept the lower rank accorded to a republic. After the
Franco-Prussian War, the
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 19 ...
continued to send and receive ambassadors.
The rule became increasingly untenable as the United States grew into a Great Power. The United States followed the French precedent in 1893, and began to exchange ambassadors with other Great Powers.
Historically, the
order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...
had been a matter of great dispute. European powers agreed that the
papal nuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...
and
imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Imperial, Texa ...
ambassador would have precedence, but could not agree on the relative precedence of the kingdoms and smaller countries. In 1768, the French and Russian ambassadors to Great Britain even fought a
duel over who had the right to sit next to the imperial ambassador at a court ball. After several diplomatic incidents between their ambassadors, France and Spain agreed in 1761 to let the date of arrival determine their precedence. In 1760, Portugal attempted to apply seniority to all ambassadors, but the rule was rejected by the other European courts.
The Congress of Vienna finally put an end to these disputes over precedence. After an initial attempt to divide countries into three ranks faltered on the question of which country should be in each rank, the Congress instead decided to divide ''diplomats'' into three ranks. A fourth rank was added by the
Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818)
The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle, held in the autumn of 1818, was a high-level diplomatic meeting of France and the four allied powers Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia which had defeated it in 1814. The purpose was to decide the withdrawal of ...
. Each diplomatic rank had precedence over the lower ranks, and precedence within each rank was determined by the date that their
credentials were presented. The papal nuncio could be given a different precedence than the other ambassadors. The
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
had ceased to exist in 1806, so the Austrian ambassador would accumulate seniority along with the other ambassadors.
Bilateral diplomacy
![Diplomatic hierarchy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Diplomatic_hierarchy.png)
In modern diplomatic practice, there are a number of diplomatic ranks below Ambassador. Since most missions are now headed by an ambassador, these ranks now rarely indicate 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:
*
Ambassador (
High Commissioner in
Commonwealth missions to other Commonwealth countries);
ambassador at large
*Minister
*Minister-counsellor
*Counsellor
*First secretary
*Second secretary
*Third secretary
*
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 accord ...
*Assistant attaché
The term ''
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 accord ...
'' is used for any diplomatic agent who does not fit in the standard diplomatic ranks, often because they are not (or were not traditionally) members of the sending country's diplomatic service or
foreign ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
, and were therefore only "attached" to the diplomatic mission. The most frequent use is for
military attachés, but the diplomatic title may be used for any specific individual or position as required, generally related to a specific or technical field. Since administrative and technical staff benefit from only limited
diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country. , 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 lowest diplomatic rank of a career diplomat). Note that many traditional functionary roles, such as
press attaché
In marketing, publicity is the public visibility or awareness for any product, service, person or organization (company, charity, etc.). It may also refer to the movement of information from its source to the general public, often (but not always) ...
or
cultural attaché
A cultural attaché is a diplomat with varying responsibilities, depending on the sending state of the attaché. Historically, such posts were filled by writers and artists, giving them a steady income, and allowing them to develop their own crea ...
, are not formal titles in diplomatic practice, although they may be used as a matter of custom.
Multilateral diplomacy
Furthermore, outside this traditional pattern of bilateral diplomacy, as a rule on a permanent residency basis (though sometimes doubling elsewhere), certain ranks and positions were created specifically for multilateral diplomacy:
*An
ambassador-at-large is equivalent to an ambassador and assigned specific tasks or region in which they are assigned various assignments aimed at multi track diplomacy.
*A
permanent representative
A permanent representative is a diplomat who is the head of a country’s diplomatic mission to an international organisation.
Organizations that receive permanent representatives from their member states include the United Nations, the World Tr ...
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 also a member of the diplomatic corps, but is below the rank of ambassador. A representative is accredited by an international organization (generally a United Nations agency, or a
Bretton Woods Bretton Woods can refer to:
*Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, a village in the United States
**Bretton Woods Mountain Resort, a ski resort located in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
*The 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, also known as the "United Nations Mo ...
institution) to a country's government. The resident representative typically heads the country office of that international organization within that country.
*A ''special ambassador or honorary ambassador'' 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 envoy
Special envoys have been created ''ad hoc'' by individual countries, treaties and international organizations including the United Nations. A few examples are provided below:
* Belgium: In 2005, former cabinet member Pierre Chevalier served as ''Special Envoy of the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, pro ...
presidency'' to mediate in the
Gazprom natural gas-pipeline crisis involving Russia, Ukraine, and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
. In addition,
Princess Astrid of Belgium
Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pri ...
has served as ''Special Envoy of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention or
Ottawa Treaty
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of 1997, known informally as the Ottawa Treaty, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or often simply the Mine ...
,'' to promote the formal prohibition of
landmines and the rights of the survivors of said weapons.
* India: During the
2006 democracy movement in Nepal
The 2006 Democracy Movement ( ne, text=लोकतन्त्र आन्दोलन, translit=Loktantra Āndolan) is a name given to the political agitations against the direct and undemocratic rule of King Gyanendra of Nepal. The movement ...
, India sent on April 18
Karan Singh
Karan Singh (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher. He is the son of the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh. He was the prince regent of Jammu and Kashmir until 1952. From 1 ...
, 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. Another instance was during the 2009 Copenhagen climate change summit, India appointed senior diplomat
Shyam Saran
Shyam Saran (born 4 September 1946) is an Indian career diplomat. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1970 and rose to become the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India. Prior to his appointment as the Foreign Secretary he served as ...
as a special envoy to coordinate the negotiating position of the
BASIC countries
The BASIC countries (also Basic countries or BASIC) are a bloc of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China – formed by an agreement on 28 November 2009. The four committed to act jointly at the C ...
.
* United Kingdom: Appointed special envoys from time to time.
* European Union: appointed 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''.
* Pakistan: Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pak ...
appointed ambassador
Javed Malik
Javed Malik is a diplomat, noted media personality and the President of the Diplomat Business Club based in London and Dubai. Malik served as Pakistan's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain between 2015 and 2018, and the Prime Minister's Spe ...
as Pakistan's special envoy for trade and investment based in the
GCC Gulf region with a diplomatic rank of an ambassador
* United States: appointed numerous special envoys including a
special envoy for Northern Ireland with the diplomatic rank of ambassador to help with the
Northern Ireland peace process
The Northern Ireland peace process includes the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and subsequent political developm ...
. Special envoys have also been appointed for
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
, Sudan, Syria,
Middle East peace, Eurasian energy, climate change, and human rights in North Korea. Other posts include special representative, special advisor, and special coordinator.
* The
Secretary-General of the United Nations
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
The role of the secretary-g ...
personally mandates special envoys for a particular field, including:
**
United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa The United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/ AIDS in Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adja ...
**
United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change
Three United Nations Special Envoys on Climate Change were appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on May 1, 2007. The envoys will be engaging in consultations with Governments and other organizations in order to assist the Secretary-General t ...
**
United Nations Special Envoy for Kosovo
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
**
United Nations Special Envoy for Darfur
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
**
United Nations Special Envoy for Refugees
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
* The
director-general of UNESCO appoints special envoys who can use their talents and renown to further the organization's ideals and action. Envoys include:
** Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education
Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned ( ar, موزا بنت ناصر المسند; born 8 August 1959) is one of the three consorts of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, former Emir of the State of Qatar. She is co-founder and chairperson of the ...
of Qatar
** Special Envoy for Water Prince
Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud
Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, طلال بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''Ṭalāl bin ʿAbdulʿazīz Āl Saʿūd''; 15 August 1931 – 22 December 2018), formerly also called The Red Prince, was a Saudi Arabian politician, dissident, b ...
** Special Envoy on Literacy for Development
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands (née Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst; born 25 May 1966) is the wife of Prince Constantijn and sister-in-law of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
Early life
Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst was born in ...
* A ''
sui generis'' case is the
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were created in 1995 immediately after the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the 1992–1995 Bos ...
* The Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains a variety of
special interest ambassador and envoy positions including the ambassador for counter-terrorism and the ambassador for the environment.
* The
Niue
Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...
Government appoints special envoys to expand Niue's presence internationally. Envoys include
** Special Envoy to
Niue
Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...
for COP26
2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference
** Special Envoy to
Niue
Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...
for the 2022 Japan State Funeral for the former Japan Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
Usage worldwide
Most countries worldwide have some form of internal rank, roughly parallel to the diplomatic ranks, which are used in their
foreign service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...
or
civil service in general. The correspondence is not exact, however, for various reasons, including the fact that according to diplomatic usage, all Ambassadors are of equal rank, but Ambassadors of more senior rank are typically sent to more important postings. Some countries may make specific links or comparisons to
military rank
Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a ...
s.
Australia
Officers from the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are graded into four broad bands (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 Senior Executive Service, although in smaller posts the head of mission may be a BB4 officer. Generally speaking (and there are variations in ranking and nomenclature between posts and positions), Counsellors are represented 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
Australian missions an SES officer who is not the head of mission could be posted with the rank of Minister.
Brazil
The Brazilian Foreign Service (''Serviço Exterior Brasileiro'') is made up of three careers: the Diplomat Career, the Chancery Officer Career and the Chancery Assistant Career.
* Assistente de Chancelaria (''Chancery Assistants / Attaché'') are career civil servants with a minimum high-school degree who provide technical and administrative support in Brazil and in Brazilian representations abroad.
* Oficial de Chancelaria (''Chancery Officers / Attaché'') are career civil servants with a minimum university degree who contribute for the formulation, implementation and execution of acts of technical analysis and administrative management, necessary for the development of Brazilian foreign policy.
* Diplomata (''Diplomat'') are career civil servants responsible for diplomatic and consular activities, in their specific aspects of representation, negotiation, information and protection of Brazilian interests in the international field.
There are no ranks in the Chancery Assistant or Chancery Officer careers, nor a hierarchy between careers. However, when working abroad, it is common for Chancery Assistants and Chancery Officers to be assigned to sensitive functions, such as the Vice-Consul, and/or as Head of Sectors such as administration, accounting, communications, processing of political, commercial, diplomatic or consular information.
There are six ranks in the Diplomat career, in hierarchical order:
* ' ("Third secretary")
* ' ("Second secretary")
* ' ("First secretary")
* ' ("Counsellor")
* ' ("Minister, second class")
* ' ("Minister, first class", usually referred to as 'Ambassador')
' is the honorary dignity conceded permanently when a Minister of First Class assumes a Post overseas. It can also be a temporary assignment, when carried on by a lower-rank diplomat or Brazilian politician of high level.
China
The ranks of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China are defined by the Law on Diplomatic Personnel Stationed Abroad, passed in 2009 by the
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China.
With 2,9 ...
:
* Attaché (
Simplified Chinese
Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to:
Mathematics
Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example
* Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...
: 随员;
Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally writte ...
: ''suíyuán'')
* Third Secretary (三等秘书; ''sānděng mìshū'')
* Second Secretary (二等秘书; ''èrděng mìshū'')
* First Secretary (一等秘书; ''yīděng mìshū'')
* Counselor (参赞; ''cānzàn'')
* Minister (公使; ''gōngshǐ'')
* Ambassador (大使; ''dàshǐ'')
Egypt
The following ranks are used in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
* Diplomatic Attaché
* Third Secretary
* Second Secretary
* First Secretary
* Counselor
* Minister Plenipotentiary
* Ambassador
France
There are five ranks in the French Diplomatic Service:
(in ascending order)
* '
* ' (''du cadre général'' or else ''du cadre d'Orient'')
* ' (''du cadre général'' or else ''du cadre d'Orient'')
* ', the most common rank for
heads of mission, but it also applies to some ministers-counsellors in important embassies
* ', an honorary dignity
There are two additional ranks for ICT specialists (also in ascending order):
* '
* '
Germany
The German Foreign Service uses a rank system that is connected to that of the rest of the civil administration and to military ranks through a common pay table. All ranks also occur in female form.
Hungary
The ranks at the Hungarian Foreign Service are the following.:
* Segédattasé – Assistant Attaché
*Attasé – Attaché
*III. osztályú titkár- Third Secretary
* II. osztályú titkár – Second Secretary
*I. osztályú titkár – First Secretary
*II. osztály tanácsos – Second Counsellor
*I. osztályú tanácsos – First Counsellor
*Rendkívüli követ és meghatalmazott miniszter – Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
* Nagykövet - Ambassador
Italy
In
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, ranks and functions are not exactly connected: each rank can cover several functions. Moreover, several exceptions apply.
* ' ("Secretary of Legation in probation period"): 9-month training period at the beginning of the career (no other functions)
* ' ("Secretary of Legation"): second secretary at an embassy, head of vice-consulate, vice-consul
* ' ("Counsellor of Legation"): counsellor at an embassy, consul (head of a first-class general consulate)
* ' ("Counsellor of Embassy"): first counsellor at an embassy, consul
* ' ("Minister Plenipotentiary"): ambassador (as for functions), minister-counsellor at an embassy, head of a Directorate at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* ' ("Ambassador"): ambassador (thus both as for the rank and for the functions), General Secretary or head of a Directorate at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
There are about 30 people who hold the rank of Ambassador. Therefore, most of the about 150 Italian embassies or permanent representations are held by a Minister Plenipotentiary: traditionally, ambassadors are appointed to the most important representations, such as
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
,
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
and
Peking
}
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 ...
embassies and representations to the
UN in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and the
EU in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
.
Mexico
After the merger of the Consular and Diplomatic Corps, the current grades of Mexican career diplomats are (in ascending order)
* ' ("Diplomatic Attaché"): title held during the one-year training program at the Diplomatic School and an internship in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
* ' ("Embassy Secretary, Third Secretary").
* ' ("Embassy Secretary, Second Secretary").
* ' ("Embassy Secretary, First Secretary").
* ' ("Counsellor").
* ' ("Minister").
* ' ("Ambassador").
There are additional ranks for Administrative specialists and Staff, this civil servants are also part of the Mexican Foreign Service.
* ' ("Administrative Coordinator")
* ' ("Administrative Attache A").
* ' ("Administrative Attache B").
* ' ("Administrative Attache C").
* ' ("Administrative Attache D").
Portugal
In ascending order, the five ranks of the Portuguese diplomatic career are, as defined in the Statute of the Diplomatic Career (''Estatuto da Carreira Diplomática''):
* ' ("Embassy Attaché")
* ' ("Embassy Secretary")
* ' ("Embassy Counsellor")
* ' ("Minister Plenipotentiary")
* ' ("Ambassador")
Ministers Plenipotentiary who have been in that rank for three or more years are called "Minister Plenipotentiary, First Class" (''ministro plenipotenciário de 1.ª classe''), those who have been in the rank for less than three years are called "Minister Plenipotentiary, Second Class" (''ministro plenipotenciário de 2.ª classe''). Embassy Secretaries who have been in that rank for six years or more and in the diplomatic career for eight years or more are called "First Embassy Secretary" (''primeiro-secretário de embaixada''), those who have been in the rank for three years or more and for five years or more in the diplomatic career are called "Second Embassy Secretary" (''segundo-secretário de embaixada''), and those who have been in that rank for less than three years are called "Third Embassy Secretary" (''terceiro-secretário de embaixada'').
Russia
The
diplomatic ranks in the Russian Federation
Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents: especially, historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, ...
were introduced with enactment of the Federal Law of 27 July 2010 No.205-FZ. Diplomatic ranks are not to be confused with diplomatic positions (posts).
Singapore
Foreign Service
Singapore's Foreign Service has a merged Consular and Diplomatic Corps due to its small size. Its Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) are typically appointed to the rank of Second Secretary / Vice-Consul or higher, while Foreign Service Administration Specialists (FSASes) are posted according to their substantive grades (typically ranging from Mission Support Officer to Attache - although in very rare cases some senior FSASes may be promoted up to the rank of First/Second Secretary or Consul/Vice-Consul). [
Note: FSOs and FSASes are on discrete career tracks. Hence, even the rare FSAS who rises up the ranks, will not hold a similar substantive grade to that of an FSO. FSOs are typically the diplomats, while FSASes serve as support staff.]
Regardless of rank, personnel are typically split across three tracks: (a) Political, (b) Administration and Consular, (c) Administration and Technical. Officers on the Political track take precedence over the rest, and are usually the ones holding the appointments of Head of Mission (HOM) or Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM).
Note: The Political track is reserved for FSOs.">u>Note: The Political track is reserved for FSOs.
Other ministries and agencies
Personnel seconded from other government agencies receive different protocol-based suffixes and titles from those in the Foreign Service, which differ from wider public and military services' ranks/grades and titles. For instance, a First Secretary (Economic) would represent an officer/middle-manager from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. While such persons may hold diplomatic status temporarily, they are not considered to be part of the Foreign Service.
Spain
After the merger of the Consular and Diplomatic Corps, the current eight grades of Spanish career diplomats are (in ascending order):
* ' ("Trainee Diplomat"): title held during the one-year training program at the Diplomatic School.
* ' ("Embassy Secretary, Third Class") or Secretary.
* ' ("Embassy Secretary, Second Class")
* '. ("Embassy Secretary, First Class")
* ' or ', lowest grade to be appointed Consul-General.
* ' ("Minister Plenipotentiary, Third Class") commonly known as Minister, lowest grade to be appointed Ambassador.
* '. ("Minister Plenipotentiary, Second Class")
* '. ("Minister Plenipotentiary, First Class")
* ' ("Ambassador of Spain"): not all Spanish Ambassadors hold this grade, which is limited by law to 3% of the total Corps.
United Kingdom
His Majesty's Diplomatic Service
His Majesty's Diplomatic Service (HMDS) is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dealing with foreign affairs and representing British interests overseas, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which ...
differentiates between officers in the "Senior Management Structure" (SMS; equivalent to the Senior Civil Service grades of the
Home Civil Service
His Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as His Majesty's Civil Service, the Home Civil Service, or colloquially as the Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of Crown employees that supports His Majesty's Government, whic ...
) and those in the "delegated grades".
SMS officers are classified into four pay-bands, and will serve in the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreig ...
in London as (in descending order of seniority)
Permanent Under-Secretary
A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior civil servant of a department or ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are the non-political civil ...
(O-10), Directors-General (O-9), Directors (O-8), and Heads of department or deputy directors (O-7).
Overseas Ambassadors and High Commissioners (in Commonwealth countries) are generally drawn from all four SMS bands (and the D7 delegated grade) depending on the size and importance of the mission, as are Consuls-General, Deputy Heads of Mission, and Counsellors in larger posts. (Deputy Heads of Mission at the most significant Embassies, for example those
in Washington and
in 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 (A1 and A2; B3; C4 and C5; and D6 and D7).
Overseas, A2 grade officers hold the title of Attache; B3‑grade officers are Third Secretaries; C4s are Second Secretaries; and C5s and D6s are First Secretaries. D7 officers are usually Counsellors in larger posts, Deputy Heads of Mission in medium-sized posts, or Heads of Mission in small posts.
United States
In the
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is the primary personnel system used by the diplomatic service of the United States federal government, under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of over 13,000 professionals carry ...
, the personnel system under which most U.S. diplomatic personnel are assigned, a system of personal ranks is applied which roughly corresponds to these diplomatic ranks. Personal ranks are differentiated as "
Senior Foreign Service The Senior Foreign Service (SFS) comprises the top four ranks of the United States Foreign Service. These ranks were created by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and Executive Order 12293 in order to provide the Foreign Service with senior grades eq ...
" (SFS) or "Member of the Foreign Service". Officers at these ranks may serve as ambassadors and occupy the most senior positions in diplomatic missions. The SFS ranks, in order from highest to lowest, are:
Members of the Foreign Service consist of five groups, including
Foreign Service Officers and
Foreign Service Specialists Foreign Service Specialists are direct-hire career employees of the United States Department of State and other foreign affairs agencies. They are members of the United States Foreign Service who provide important technical, support or administrati ...
. Like officers in the U.S. military, Foreign Service Officers are members of the Foreign Service who are commissioned by the President. Foreign Service Specialists are technical leaders and experts, commissioned by the Secretary of State. Ranks descend from the highest, FS‑1,
equivalent
Equivalence or Equivalent may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Album-equivalent unit, a measurement unit in the music industry
* Equivalence class (music)
*'' Equivalent VIII'', or ''The Bricks'', a minimalist sculpture by Carl Andre
*''Equiva ...
to a full
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
in the military, to FS‑9, the lowest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service personnel system.
(Most entry-level Foreign Service members 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 appointment to a particular diplomatic or consular mission.
In a large mission, several Senior Diplomats may serve under the Ambassador as Minister-Counselors, Counselors, and First Secretaries; in a small mission, a diplomat may serve as the lone Counselor of Embassy.
Consular counterpart
Most countries' consular corps are composed of career diplomats who are simply posted to Consulates/Consulates-General. In such situations, these career diplomats will hold consular ranks instead (ranking in descending order: consul-general, consul, vice-consul, consular agent; equivalents with
consular immunity
Consular immunity privileges are described in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 (VCCR).http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_2_1963.pdf Consular immunity offers protections similar to diplomatic immunity ...
limited to official acts only include honorary consul-general, honorary consul, and honorary vice-consul. Other titles, including "vice consul-general", have existed in the past.) – although they are usually also given a diplomatic rank by the country. Consular ranks and responsibilities differ from country to country, and may also be used concurrently with diplomatic titles if the individual is assigned to an embassy. Diplomatic immunity is generally more limited for consular officials without other diplomatic accreditation, and is broadly limited to immunity with respect to their official duties.
While in the past, consular officials have often been more distant from the politically sensitive aspects of diplomacy, this is no longer necessarily the case, and career diplomats in consulates often perform the same roles as those in an embassy would. Some countries also routinely provide their embassy officials with
consular commission
A Consular Commission is a document that a government issues to nominate an honorary consul in a different country. The consular commission is usually issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or comparable department) of the state nominating the ...
s, including those without formal consular responsibilities, since a consular commission allows the individual to legalize documents, sign certain documents, and undertake certain other necessary functions.
Depending on the practice of the individual country, "consular services" may be limited to services provided for citizens or residents of the sending country, or extended to include, for example, visa services for nationals of the host country.
Sending nations may also designate incumbents of certain positions as holding consulary authority by virtue of their office, while lacking individual accreditation, immunity and inviolability. For example, 10 U.S.C. §§ 936 and 1044a identify various U.S. military officers (and authorize the service secretaries to identify others) who hold general authority as a notary and consul of the United States for, respectively, purposes of military administration and those entitled to military legal assistance. A nation may also declare that its senior merchant sea captain in a given foreign
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
—or its merchant sea captains generally—has consulary authority for merchant seamen.
See also
*
Agricultural attaché
An agricultural attaché is a diplomat who collects, analyzes, and acts on information on agriculture, agribusiness, food, and other related spheres in a foreign country or countries. Agricultural attachés may be directly employed by the sending c ...
*
Apocrisiary
*
Commissioner
*
Consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...
*
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
*
Diplomatic service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...
*
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...
*
Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a publ ...
*
Internuncio
An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international o ...
,
Nuncio
*
Minister–Secretary of State for Finland
The Minister–Secretary of State for Finland (in Finnish ''ministerivaltiosihteeri''; in Swedish ''ministerstatssekreterare'') represented interests of the Grand Duchy of Finland in the Imperial Court in Saint Petersburg from 1809 to 1917. Before ...
*
Legate
Legate may refer to:
*Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class
:*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period
*A member of a legation
*A representative, ...
References
External ink
{{Personal names