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One customarily used within a diplomatic or permanent mission to indicate the holder\'s hierarchical place. In order of seniority such ranks are: ambassador, minister (sense 2), minister-counsellor (used only by some states), counsellor, first secretary, second secretary, and third secretary; the rank of attaché may be used at various levels of seniority. It should be noted that different ranks, based on a domestic grading system, are likely to be given to members of a diplomatic service when they serve at home in their foreign ministry. Moreover, there is not necessarily a complete equivalence between the two ranking systems. Thus the head of a small embassy may well hold a domestic rank less senior than that held by the head of a large one. It must also be noted that sometimes, for locally compelling reasons, a diplomatic agent may be given a rank which is senior to that which he or she would normally enjoy. This is known as ‘local rank’. Ranks should not be confused with positions, e.g. head of chancery or deputy chief of mission.
Historically, a synonym for diplomatic prece-dence, as in the statement that ‘heads of mission take rank according to the date of the official notification of their arrival’.
Sometimes the term ‘diplomatic rank’ has also been used as a synonym for diplomatic status. |
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