The seat of a diplomatic mission

ACCREDITATION TO MORE THAN ONE STATE

Nationality of Members of the Diplomatic Staff

NATIONALITY OF A HEAD OF MISSION

DATE OF ASSUMPTION OF FUNCTIONS

A head of mission of ambassadorial rank is considered to have taken up his functions in the state to which he is accredited when he has presented his credentials to the Head of State. In a few states (notably the UK) he is considered to have taken up functions when he has notified the appropriate ministry (usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of his arrival and has presented them with a working copy (copie d’usage) of his credentials. The ceremonies for the formal acceptance of heads of mission are held strictly in the order that they arrived to take up their functions.

A head of mission will, save in most exceptional circumstances, have the nationality of the state he is representing; but this requirement does not necessarily apply to his wife. In many diplomatic services officers may be given special permission to marry foreign nationals provided the circumstances and the particular nationality involved are such that they do not in any way jeopardise or interfere with the officer’s career. In Arab countries it is a general rule that diplomats may not marry foreigners, though in certain instances the Head of State may authorise marriage to other Arabs.

The members of the diplomatic staff of a mission should in principle be nationals of the state they serve, but in exceptional cases they may be nationals of the state in which the mission is situated; in this event, the specific approval of the host state must be obtained, and it may be withdrawn at any time.

A head of mission may be accredited (and a members of the diplomatic stuff assigned) to more than one state, provided there is no objection on the part of any of the states concerned. In the event of such an arrangement, Chargés d’Affaires ad interim (or in certain circumstances members of the diplomatic staff of lesser standing) may be established in diplomatic missions in those capitals where the head of mission does not have his permanent seat.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: ACCREDITATION OF HEADS OF MISSION

A head of mission (or any member of the diplomatic staff of his mission) may act as representative of his state to any international organization, and in this instance the state to which he is accredited need not be informed, nor may it raise any objection.

A diplomatic mission is established in the capital of a state; additional offices forming part of the mission may only be established in other parts of the state if special permission is given by that state. In a few instances, e.g. the Netherlands, the diplomatic capital is different from the capital of the country.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27