Information AboutConsulate General |
|
The title Consul has been used for official representatives of a state, outside its (metropolitan) territory, looking after its interests (a task normally largely transferred to the formal diplomacy) and, especially, those of its subjects, individuals as well as enterprises. EARLY HISTORY A precursor in classical Antiquity was the Greek ''proxenos'', an individual who represented a bond of friendship between two Greek cities. The title was awarded to one who rendered services to a city; for example, king Alexander of Macedon ia was the Macedonian ''proxenos'' to Athens because his realm supplied the Athenians with timber. The title was also sometimes used to describe agents or spies who provided information to the enemies of their home City-state . PRESENT CONSULAR SYSTEM In modern usage, a consul is a representative of a sovereign state, posted to a foreign territory, in charge of matters related to individual people and businesses, in other words issues outside inter-governmental Diplomacy . The office of a consul is known as a '''consulate'''. Consulates are more numerous than diplomatic missions (e.g. Embassies ), since the latter are posted only in a foreign nation's capital (exceptionally even outside the country, in case of a multiple mandate, e.g. a minor power may well accredit a single Ambassador with several neighbouring states of modest relative importance that are not considered important allies), while consular ones are also posted in various cities throughout the country, especially centres of economic activity, or wherever there is a significant population of its citizens ( Expatriate s) in residence. In large foreign cities a sovereign state may be represented by a senior consul known as a consul-general, who typically has several '''consuls''' and '''vice consuls''' working under him/her. The office of a consul-general is known as a '''consulate-general'''. Consulates-general need not be in the capital city, but instead in the most appropriate cities. In the United States , for example, many countries base their consul general in New York City . Consulates are subordinate posts of their home country's diplomatic mission (usually an Embassy ), which is located in the capital city of the host country. Diplomatic missions are established in International Law under the Vienna Convention On Diplomatic Relations , while consulates-general and consulates are established in international law under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (see external link below). Formally the consular career (ranking in descending order: Consul-General, Consul, Vice-Consul, Honorary Consul) forms a different hierarchy from the diplomats. However it is not uncommon for individuals to be transferred from one hierarchy to the other, and for consular officials to serve in a capital carrying out strictly consular duties within the 'consular section' of a diplomatic post, e.g. within an embassy. Activities of a consulate include protecting the interests of their citizens temporarily or permanently resident in the host country; issuing Passport s; issuing Visas to foreigners; and Public Diplomacy . However, the principal role of a consulate lies historically in promoting trade - assisting companies to invest and to import and export goods and services both inwardly to their home country and outward to their host country. And although it is never admitted publicly, consulates, like embassies, also gather Intelligence information from the assigned country. This is especially important if the consulate is located in a Port city. Between countries in the Commonwealth Of Nations , both diplomatic and consular activities may be undertaken by a High Commission . The larger Commonwealth nations generally have consulates and consulates-general between one another, as is the case elsewhere. However, the senior envoys in these missions are usually known as Commissioner s instead of consuls (general) but this is not always the case: for example, British consulates (-general) in Canada, Australia and New Zealand are headed by consuls (-general). Some consuls are not career diplomats; some are locally-engaged staff with the nationality of the sending country; (see Chapter 1,Section 1,Article 22 of convention), and in smaller cities, or in cities that are very distant from full-time diplomatic missions, a foreign government may decide that some form of representation is nevertheless desirable, and may appoint a person who has not hitherto been part of their diplomatic service to fulfill this role. This person may well combine the job with their own (often commercial) private activities, in which case they are usually given the title of honorary consul. Many members of the public are not aware that honorary consuls are not full-time diplomats. Graham Greene used this position as the title of his 1973 novel The Honorary Consul . COLONIAL AND SIMILAR ROLES Under certain historical circumstances, a major power's consular representation would take on various degrees of administrative roles, not unlike a colonial Resident Minister . This would often occur in territories without a formal state government (thus warranting a full diplomatic mission, such as an embassy) or in relatively insignificant "backwaters." ''The following case lists are probably not exhaustive'' Protectorates When a state falls under the "amical" Protection of a stronger (often colonial) power, the latter is usually represented by a high ranking diplomatic and/or gubernatorial officer, such as a Resident General , Resident Minister or High Commissioner . However, if there is no such representation (in modern terms often at ambassadorial level), the task may fall to the only available 'diplomatic' alternative: consular representation.
This arrangement lasted until 1 March 1900 , when the archipelago was annexed by Germany, with the exception of the eastern islands, which remained under U.S. control and became the territory of American Samoa ).
Concessions and Extraterritoriality Even within another state, a foreign power often has extraterrorial rights over its official representation (such as a consulate). If such concessions are obtained, they are often justified as protection of the foreign religion (especially in the case of Christians in a Muslim state, such as in the so-called Capitulation s by the Ottoman Sultan to European powers) and extend to the foreign power's expatriate citizens. In some cases, the foreign power actually took control of certain aspects of the local administration in order to see to the rights of expatriate citizens. A few examples:
In other cases a part of a weaker state is complete handed over (without the formal surrender of 'naked' Sovereignty ) to be administered as a Concession (territory) , including the autochthonous local population:
Occupied territories under similar control
''Similar functions have been performed elswhere by consular officers of other ranks: Consular Agent , Vice Consul , Honorary Consul and Consul General .'' SOURCES AND REFERENCES
EXTERNAL LINK SEE ALSO |