In
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. 1 ...
, a ' (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
: "person not welcome",
plural
The plural (sometimes list of glossing abbreviations, abbreviated pl., pl, or ), in many languages, is one of the values of the grammatical number, grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than the ...
: ') is a status applied by a host country to foreign diplomats to remove their protection of
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. from
arrest and other types of prosecution.
Diplomacy
Under Article 9 of 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 Country, independent countries. Its aim is to facilitate "the development of friendly relations" among gov ...
, a receiving state may "at any time and without having to explain its decision" declare any member of a diplomatic staff '.
A person so declared is considered unacceptable and is usually recalled to his or her home nation. If not recalled, the receiving state "may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the mission". A person can be declared before that person even enters the country.
With the protection of mission staff from prosecution for violating civil and
criminal laws, depending on rank, under Articles 41 and 42 of the Vienna Convention, they are bound to respect national laws and regulations. Breaches of these articles can lead to a declaration being used to punish erring staff. It is also used to expel diplomats suspected of
espionage
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tang ...
, described as "activities incompatible with diplomatic status", or any overt criminal act such as
drug trafficking
A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...
. The declaration may also be a symbolic indication of displeasure.
So-called "
tit for tat" exchanges have occurred (whereby countries involved in a dispute each expel the ambassador of the other country), notably during the
Cold War. A notable occurrence outside of the Cold War was an exchange between the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
and
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...
in 2011: the Ecuadorian government expelled the United States ambassador, as a result of diplomatic cables leaking (
WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks () is an international non-profit organisation that published news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous sources. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activist, is generally described as its founder and director and ...
); the United States responded by expelling the Ecuadorian ambassador.
Other usage
People other than diplomats can be declared ' by a country.
In non-diplomatic usage, referring to someone as ' is to say that the person is not popular or accepted by others.
In the Philippines, local legislatures of provinces, towns, and cities can declare certain people or groups, including non-diplomats and Filipino citizens, as ''
persona non grata'' to express a negative sentiment toward the certain person through a
non-binding resolution. This could be in response to the person breaking local ordinance or laws. This has also happened in Spain.
See also
* '
*
Exile
*
Nonperson
*
Outlaw
*
Refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
*
List of people declared ''persona non grata''
References
External links
*
*
eDiplomat.com: Glossary of Diplomatic TermsText of the Vienna Convention – PDF
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persona Non Grata
Diplomacy
Latin legal terminology
Latin words and phrases
International law
Blacklisting