Commercial section

Accounts

Local staff

Technical staff and communications

Security

Sections of the mission

Text 5

Text 4

Ex.1 Translate into English:

«Коммерческий и Экономический отделы»

(Р. Дж. Фельтхэм «Настольная Книга Дипломата» стр.33-34)

Secretarial and archives

Members of the secretarial and archives staff who deal with confidential matters are normally of the same nationality as the mission, though non-political sections (e.g. cultural or commercial) may employ local residents provided that they maintain a separate secretarial and archival section. The maintenance of an efficient and well-indexed system of records is a time- consuming occupation, but one of fundamental importance.

The task of the security staff is to ensure that the premises of the mission are not entered unlawfully; that persons entering the building on business are not able to obtain confidential information; and that access to files and documents is restricted to those so entitled. The security staff are almost invariably of the same nationality as the mission.

The technical staff are primarily concerned with communications. They are required to encode and decode, encipher and decipher, and operate and, when necessary, repair wireless transmitters and receivers (in those missions that have been granted permission by the host government to use this means of communication), telex machines, encoding and decoding equipment, etc. Their work is of a confidential nature and they are invariably of the same nationality as the mission.

Local staff are employed in non-confidential duties as part of the administrative and secretarial staff. They can be of immense value on account of their continuity of service and their knowledge of local customs, politics and personalities. They are commonly employed in the commercial, consular and information sections and as translators.

Accounts are unavoidable, and, if neglected, can cause more trouble than all the rest of the functions of the mission put together; a competent book-keeper (usually local staff) is employed where circumstances permit. A good accounting system has the advantage of enabling local bills to be settled promptly; failure to do so often resulting in ill-will that can undo much of the good relations established by the mission.

The task of the member in charge of the commercial section is to foster in every way possible the trading interests of his own country: to assist visiting businessmen, to reply to specific queries, and generally to provide all background information that will enable his country to formulate an appropriate trade policy and its businessmen to assess and take advantage of the local market. He studies the particular changes in the customs tariffs, quotas and import regulations, and the calling for tenders; and advises his head of mission if he should draw the host government’s attention to any acts or changes in policy that might prove detrimental to his country’s interests. While concentrating on his own country’s interests he cannot avoid enquiries in the opposite sense from local businessmen, and there he will do his best to answer in the interests of good relations.

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