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The order in which diplomatic agents, when present in that capacity, are ranked. Until the early nineteenth century it often gave rise to considerable discord, as states sought the ranking for their diplomats which matched their own conception of their importance. An agreed solution to this problem was reached at the Congress of Vienna (1815) in the shape of the Regulation of Vienna, which received general acceptance. It has been echoed in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). The position is now:
As among heads of diplomatic missions in a particular capital, the order of precedence is divided into three classes, on the basis of the three diplomatic classes into which heads of mission fall. Within each class, heads take precedence in accordance with the date and time at which they took up their functions. This is determined either on the basis of the presentation of their letters of credence or letters of commission to the head of state or the presentation of a working copy of them to the foreign ministry. Each receiving state must determine which of these practices it adopts, apply it uniformly, and arrange for credentials to be presented in the order in which heads of mission arrive. (Equivalent arrangements must be made by Commonwealth states of the Queen\'s Realms in respect of the presentation of letters of introduction.) Thus the ambassador or high commissioner who has been longest in a particular capital will be at the front of the precedence line.
The head of a special mission to a particular state normally takes the same precedence as the head of his or her state\'s diplomatic mission to that state.
The heads of permanent missions to the UN have a different order of precedence each year, in accordance with the arrangements for the order of seating and roll-call voting in the General Assembly. This is decided at the start of each annual Assembly, when a member state is chosen by lot to take the first seat to the left in the front row, and the other members follow in English alphabetical order from left to right in each row of seats. See also alphabetical seating.
As among the staff of a state\'s diplomatic or permanent mission, precedence among diplomats reflects their diplomatic rank (sense 1) and their seniority within that rank; as among temporary diplomats, precedence is determined by the sending state. There are occasions when a sending state may wish to obscure the significance of an individual\'s role within a mission, so that, e.g., a senior intelligence officer may be ‘buried’ well down the list.
Heads of consular posts rank within each class of head according to the date of the grant of the exequatur, or the date of their provisional admission to the exercise of consular functions when it precedes the exequatur.
Honorary consular officers who are heads of consular posts rank in each class after career heads, on the same basis as such heads.
As among consular officers at a state\'s consular post, precedence is determined by the state in question.
A state\'s Order of Precedence refers to many other dignitaries besides diplomats. |
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