Diplomacy
A diplomat is someone who is appointed by a nation state to
represent and protect that nation's interests abroad. The four ranks of
diplomats are determined by international law, and include ambassadors,
envoys, ministers, and charge d'affaires. In modern diplomacy there are a
number of ranks below ambassador. These ranks now rarely show a mission's
importance, but rather show the diplomat's seniority within their own nation's
diplomatic career ladder. This modern ranking system follows a similar, but not
exactly parallel, pattern in different countries, and is as follows:
- Ambassador
(High Commissioner in Commonwealth missions); Ambassador at large
- Minister
- Minister-Counselor
- Counselor
- First
Secretary
- Second
Secretary
- Third
Secretary
- Attache
- Assistant
Attache
What does a
diplomat do?
-Relationship
Building
One of the primary functions of a diplomat is to build and
improve relations with his foreign host country. In this role, a diplomat
offers guidance to his host country on topics that affect the well-being of the
people and governments of both countries. He also works to resolve
disagreements between his home and host countries and negotiates solutions to
political and social differences. He accomplishes these tasks by connecting with
leaders and decision-makers in both governments and local community leaders and
members.
-Reporting
and Policy
A diplomat creates detailed, factual reports about his
observations and thoughts regarding his developments in his host country that
affect his home country's interests. They may become part of recommendations to
his government about how it should act to further its interests and respond to
changes in the world. For example, federal departments in the United States
focused on economic, labor, scientific, military, safety, health, environment,
agriculture, social and other areas use these reports to develop foreign and
domestic policies, draft agreements for trade or investments and handle legal
issues that can occur abroad.
-Consular
Services
In the host country, a diplomat provides general and
emergency support to citizens traveling or living abroad, and foreign nationals
interested in learning more about, visiting or moving to his home country.
General services might include providing document notarization support, citizen
voting-in-absentia and tax filing assistance and foreign national visa issuance
and relocation information and help. Emergency services might include issuing
hazardous region warnings, assisting with and coordinating citizen evacuations,
providing financial aid or re-issuing travel documents to citizens experiencing
hardship abroad, helping with missing, abducted or deceased citizen cases and
resolving requests for asylum from foreign nationals.
-Media
and Publicity
A diplomat also serves as the representative of his country
and uses his public exposure and status to promote his host country’s interests
and policies by interacting with foreign and domestic media entities. He might
speak with his government about developments in his host country or the world
as they arise and issue statements on his country’s behalf to the press. He
might also invite the media to join him at social functions. He could
coordinate and hold online events between representatives of his home and host
countries and invite members of the media and citizens of both countries to
observe and interact.
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