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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 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 (1961).[1] There are three top ranks, two of which remain in use:

The body of diplomats accredited to a country form the diplomatic corps. Ambassadors have precedence over chargés, and precedence within each rank is determined by the date on which diplomatic credentials were presented.[4] The longest-serving ambassador is the dean of the diplomatic corps, who speaks for the entire diplomatic corps on matters of diplomatic privilege and protocol. In many Catholic countries, the papal nuncio 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 (1815):[5]

The rank of envoy was short for "envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary", and was more commonly known as "minister".[2] 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" and addressed as "Monsieur le Ministre".[7][8]

An Ambassador was regarded as the personal representative of his sovereign as well as his government.[9] Only major monarchies would exchange Ambassadors with each other, while smaller monarchies and republics only sent Ministers. Because of diplomatic reciprocity, Great Powers would only send a minister to a smaller monarchy or a republic.[10] For example, in the waning years of the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom sent an ambassador to Paris, while Sweden-Norway and the United States sent ministers.[11]

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.[12] 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 continued to send and receive ambassadors.[8] 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.[2]

Historically, the order of precedence had been a matter of great dispute. European powers agreed that the papal nuncio and imperial 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.[12]

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). 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 had ceased to exist in 1806, so the Austrian ambassador would accumulate seniority along with the other ambassadors.[12][13]

Bilateral diplomacy

The distinction between managers and officers is not necessarily as apparent. Senior officers (such as first and second secretaries) often manage junior diplomats and locally hired staff.

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:

The term attaché 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, 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, 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 or cultural attaché, 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:

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:

Usage worldwide

Most countries worldwide have some form of internal rank, roughly parallel to the diplomatic ranks, which are used in their foreign service 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 ranks.

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.[20][21]


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:


Embaixador / Embaixadora 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:[22]

Egypt

The following ranks are used in the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

France

There are five ranks in the French Diplomatic Service:[23] (in ascending order)

There are two additional ranks for ICT specialists (also in ascending order):

Germany

The German Foreign Service uses a rank system[24] 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.

Diplomatic rank in: Foreign Office, embassies, consulates Pay grade Military rank equivalent
Konsulatssekretäranwärter aspirant officer candidate
Konsulatssekretär A 9 2nd lieutenant
Konsulatssekretär 1. Klasse A 10 1st lieutenant
Regierungsamtmann, Kanzler A 11 Captain
Amtsrat, Kanzler 1. Klasse A 12
Oberamtsrat, Kanzler 1. Klasse, Konsul A 13 Stabshauptmann
Attaché aspirant -
Legationsrat A 13 Major
Legationsrat Erster Klasse, Konsul Ester Klasse A 14 Lieutenant colonel
Vortragender Legationsrat, Botschaftsrat A 15
Vortragender Legationsrat Erster Klasse, Botschaftsrat Erster Klasse A 16 - B 3 Colonel
Generalkonsul A 16 - B 6 according to importance Colonel - Brigadier general
Botschafter A 15 - B 9 according to importance Lieutenant colonel - Lieutenant general

Hungary

The ranks at the Hungarian Foreign Service are the following.:

Italy

In Italy, ranks and functions are not exactly connected: each rank can cover several functions. Moreover, several exceptions apply.

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, Paris, Washington, New Delhi and Peking embassies and representations to the UN in New York City and the EU in Brussels.

Mexico

After the merger of the Consular and Diplomatic Corps, the current grades of Mexican career diplomats are (in ascending order)

There are additional ranks for Administrative specialists and Staff, this civil servants are also part of the Mexican Foreign Service.

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):[25]

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).[25]

Russia

The diplomatic ranks in Russian Federation were introduced with enactment of the Federal Law of 27 July 2010 No.205-FZ.[26] Diplomatic ranks are not to be confused with diplomatic positions (posts).

Singapore

The Singapore Foreign Service also has a merged Diplomatic and Consular Corps.

Its career diplomats and diplomatic support staff are split across two discrete career schemes, namely: (a) Foreign Service Officers; and (b) Foreign Service Administration Specialists.

Foreign Service Officers (FSOs)

FSOs are selected through multiple rounds of highly competitive written and observational psychometric and neuropsychological evaluations. Being one of the most exclusive and sought-after roles in the entire Singapore Civil Service, FSO candidates are typically drawn from graduates of the world's top universities. This is especially the case for candidates vying to be emplaced on the extremely competitive Political Track, of which only around 20 are recruited nationwide annually. Regardless, most candidates who are eventually selected, possess degrees with First Class Honours either from either top universities globally (particularly the likes of Oxford/Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, or any of the Ivy League institutions in the United States) or from Singapore's two most prestigious universities (i.e. the National University of Singapore/Nanyang Technological University - which are consistently ranked in the world's top 20 universities).

Foreign Service Administration Specialists (FSASes)

FSASes, on the other hand, while still selected through some manner of written and observational assessments, are typically those bearing more conventional educational qualifications. While a number are still degree-holders, they are usually candidates from mainstream universities, or top university graduates who did so without "good" Honours. The FSAS class also include Polytechnic graduates (who possess Diplomas).

Given the above, FSOs typically occupy the managerial positions, while FSASes generally perform more operational roles. [Note: FSOs are typically the diplomats, while FSASes serve as support staff.]

Officials from both schemes occupy billets at both the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Singapore's Overseas Missions (Embassies/High Commissions/Consulates-General/Consulates) - which number over 50.

FSOs are appointed to the rank of Second Secretary or higher, while 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 Third/Second/First Secretary). [Note: FSOs and FSASes are on discrete career tracks. Hence, even the rare FSAS who holds a senior diplomatic rank on post, will not enjoy a similar substantive grade or pay to that of an FSO.]

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, as all Heads of Mission (HOMs) or Deputy Chiefs of Mission (DCMs) are generally Political Officers. [Note: The Political track is solely 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 the 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.

Diplomatic rank Consular Rank Military rank equivalent (by protocol) Notes
Ambassador / High Commissioner [Note: An Ambassador / High Commissioner / Consul-General in his country of post would take precedence over any Singapore military officer, by protocol.]
Consul-General Major General (MG)
Minister-Counsellor Brigadier General (BG) Political-Track FSOs of this rank usually concurrently hold the DCM appointment in larger Missions.
Counsellor Colonel (COL)
First Secretary Consul Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC)/Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Political-Track FSOs of this rank usually concurrently hold the DCM appointment in smaller Missions (e.g. Consulates-General or Consulates).
Second Secretary Vice-Consul Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)/Major (MAJ)
Third Secretary Vice-Consul Captain (CPT)
Attache Attache Lieutenant / 2nd Lieutenant (LTA/2LT)
Support staff rank Notes
Mission Support Officer
Assistant Mission Support Officer
Personal Assistant
Consular Officer Usually seconded from the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
Consular Agent

Spain

After the merger of the Consular and Diplomatic Corps, the current eight grades of Spanish career diplomats are (in ascending order):

United Kingdom

His Majesty's Diplomatic Service differentiates between officers 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 four pay-bands, and will serve in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London as (in descending order of seniority) Permanent Under-Secretary (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 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" (SFS) or "Member of the Foreign Service".[27] 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:

SFS rank Equivalent military rank Notes
Career Ambassador (FE-CA) Four-star rank (O-10) Awarded to career diplomats with extensive and distinguished service
Career Minister (FE-CM) Three-star rank (O-9) The highest regular senior rank
Minister Counselor (FE-MC) Two-star rank (O-8)
Counselor (FE-OC) One-star rank (O-7)

Members of the Foreign Service consist of five groups, including Foreign Service Officers and Foreign Service Specialists.[28] Like officers in the U.S. military, Foreign Service Officers are members of the Foreign Service who are commissioned by the President.[29] Foreign Service Specialists are technical leaders and experts, commissioned by the Secretary of State.[30] Ranks descend from the highest, FS‑01, equivalent to a full Colonel in the military, to FS‑09, the lowest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service personnel system.[31] (Most entry-level Foreign Service members begin at the FS‑05 or FS‑06 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.

Foreign Service Officer rank Equivalent military rank
FS-01 Colonel (O-6)
FS-02 Lieutenant Colonel (O-5)
FS-03 Major (O-4)
FS-04 Captain (O-3)
FS-05 First Lieutenant (O-2)
FS-06 Second Lieutenant (O-1)

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 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 commissions, 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—or its merchant sea captains generally—has consulary authority for merchant seamen.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations" (PDF). 18 April 1961.
  2. ^ a b c Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State (2014). "Ambassadors vs. Ministers". HistoryAtState.
  3. ^ "Glossary of Diplomatic Terms – e Diplomat". www.ediplomat.com.
  4. ^ "Diplomatic List: Order of Precedence and Date of Presentation of Credentials". Office of the Chief of Protocol, U.S. Department of State. 11 March 2005. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Regulation of Vienna on the classification of diplomatic agents" (PDF). Yearbook of the International Law Commission (in French). Vol. II. 1957. p. 135.
  6. ^ "Protocol signed at Aix-la-Chapelle on 21 November 1818" (PDF). Yearbook of the International Law Commission (in French). Vol. II. 1957. p. 136.
  7. ^ Washburne, E. B. (1887). Recollections of a Minister to France, Volume I. New York: Scribner.
  8. ^ a b Washburne, E. B. (1887). Recollections of a Minister to France, Volume II. New York: Scribner.
  9. ^ "Ministers, Foreign". The popular encyclopedia; or, 'Conversations Lexicon'. Glasgow: W. G. Blackie. Those of the first class, to whom in France the title of ambassadeurs is restricted, are not merely the agents of their government, but represent their sovereign personally, and receive honours and enjoy privileges accordingly. They can be sent out only by such states as possess royal honours.
  10. ^ Allen, Debra J. (2012). Historical Dictionary of U.S. Diplomacy from the Revolution to Secession. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 84. ISBN 9780810878952. Basically, because of diplomatic protocol, a receiving state would not dispatch a representative with a higher rank than it has received, so when the U.S. sent ministers, it also received ministers, not ambassadors. ... The U.S. adjusted its ranking system in 1893 and began to send and receive ambassadors.
  11. ^ Chambers's handy guide to Paris. London and Edinburgh: W. & R. Chambers. 1867. p. 167.
  12. ^ a b c Satow, Ernest Mason (1932). A Guide to Diplomatic Practice. London: Longmans.
  13. ^ "British and Foreign History". The New Annual Register, Or General Repository of History, Politics, and Literature, for the Year 1816. London: William Stockdale. 1816. p. 268. The 17th particular act annexed to the general treaty of Vienna, containing regulations concerning the precedence of diplomatic agents, may at first sight seem of little comparative moment: but it will not be thus regarded by those who recollect how often disputes concerning precedency among ambassadors have assumed a very serious and alarming aspect, and somewhat a strong tendency to produce hostilities. The fourth article of this act is well calculated to do away all future disputes on this head.
  14. ^ "PRINCESS ASTRID OF BELGIUM TO SERVE AS SPECIAL ENVOY OF THE CONVENTION". Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  15. ^ "Meeting Shyam Saran | Worldwatch Institute". Worldwatch.org. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  16. ^ "Ministerial Policy Advisers: 14 Jul 2008: Hansard Written Answers". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  17. ^ "Bureaus/Offices Reporting Directly to the Secretary". State.gov. 2009-01-20. Archived from the original on 2015-10-24. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  18. ^ "UNESCO Special Envoys". unesco.org. 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  19. ^ "Dr. Dean Rex is Niue's Special Envoy to COP26". NiueTV. 2021-11-12.
  20. ^ "LEI Nº 11.440, DE 29 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2006".
  21. ^ "O Itamaraty e as carreiras do Serviço Exterior". Archived from the original on 2021-05-21.
  22. ^ Law of the People's Republic of China on Diplomatic Personnel Stationed Abroad (Chapter III Functions & Ranks). 31 October 2009.
  23. ^ "Légifrance – legifrance". journal-officiel.legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  24. ^ de:Liste der Amtsbezeichnungen im auswärtigen Dienst
  25. ^ a b "Estatuto da Carreira Diplomática (Decreto-Lei n.º 40-A/98)". Diário da República Eletrónico. 27 February 1998. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  26. ^ Об особенностях прохождения федеральной государственной гражданской службы в системе Министерства иностранных дел Российской Федерации (Federal Law 205-FZ) (in Russian). State Duma. 27 July 2010.
  27. ^ "3 FAM 2230 Appointments – Categories of Foreign Service Personnel" (PDF). State.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  28. ^ "Worldwide/Foreign Service – U.S. Department of State". Careers.state.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  29. ^ "3 FAH-1 H-2430 Commissions, Titles and Rank" (PDF). State.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  30. ^ "3 FAM 2230 Categories of Foreign Service Personnel" (PDF). State.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  31. ^ "15 FAM 260 Guidelines for Allocating Residential Space" (PDF). State.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-13.

External links

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