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48-445: The term embassy is sometimes used interchangeably with chancery , the physical office or site of a diplomatic mission. Consequently, the terms "embassy residence" and "embassy office" are used to distinguish between the ambassador's residence and the chancery. A country may have several different types of diplomatic missions in another country. The head of an embassy is known as an ambassador or high commissioner . The term embassy

96-497: A chargé d'affaires (usually the deputy chief of mission ) who may have limited powers. A chargé d'affaires ad interim also heads the mission during the interim between the end of one chief of mission's term and the beginning of another. Contrary to popular belief, diplomatic missions sometimes do not enjoy full extraterritorial status and are generally not sovereign territory of the represented state. The sending state can give embassies sovereign status but this only happens with

144-540: A Vatican mission is headed by a nuncio ( Latin for "envoy") and consequently known as an apostolic nunciature . Under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi , Libya's missions used the name people's bureau , headed by a secretary. Missions between Commonwealth countries are known as high commissions , and their heads are high commissioners. Generally speaking, ambassadors and high commissioners are regarded as equivalent in status and function, and embassies and high commissions are both deemed to be diplomatic missions. In

192-429: A chancellor . Some nations title the head of foreign affairs a chancellor, and 'chancery' eventually became a common referent to the main building of an embassy. The term "embassy" technically or historically refers to the ambassador 's residence and not their office, although their residence and office was often collocated. Among diplomats the terms "embassy residence" and "embassy office" is used to distinguish between

240-416: A chancery includes facilitating communication between sovereign states , upholding foreign policy, opening cultural connections and exchange as well as many other functions. Chanceries also have other uses which include providing diplomatic asylum to those seeking it as seen in the cases of Julian Assange and Chen Guangcheng . Chanceries are said to be the interaction of diplomacy and architecture with

288-455: A consul or consul-general, respectively. Similar services may also be provided at the embassy (to serve the region of the capital) in what is normally called a consular section. In cases of dispute, it is common for a country to recall its head of mission as a sign of its displeasure. This is less drastic than cutting diplomatic relations completely, and the mission will still continue operating more or less normally, but it will now be headed by

336-430: A framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries . Its aim is to facilitate "the development of friendly relations" among governments through a uniform set of practices and principles; most notably, it codifies the longstanding custom of diplomatic immunity , in which diplomatic missions are granted privileges that enable diplomats to perform their functions without fear of coercion or harassment by

384-548: A minority of countries. Rather, the premises of an embassy remain under the jurisdiction of the host state while being afforded special privileges (such as immunity from most local laws) by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations . Diplomats themselves still retain full diplomatic immunity , and (as an adherent to the Vienna Convention) the authorities of the host country may not enter the premises of

432-539: A nation, and so is designed and carefully curated to align with the state image. Some nations have a uniform design that is used for their chanceries around the world. An example is the interior design of French chanceries in Brazil, Morocco and the US. Their chanceries, designed by Guillermo Jullian de la Fuente , all contain courtyards that allow for more open space and less restrictive diplomatic activities. Another example of

480-586: A place with other functions which are vital to international relations and foreign affairs. When seeking asylum, people are able to do this in chanceries. There are many legal debates on whether embassies or consulates are obligated to grant asylum, although according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 14 states that "everyone has a right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution". There have been many cases of asylum seekers being granted refuge. An example

528-604: A separate mission to the UN agencies , led by its own ambassador , but is located in the compound that houses its embassies to Italy and the Holy See. Several cities host both embassies/consulates and permanent representatives to international organizations, such as New York City ( United Nations ), Washington, D.C. ( Organization of American States ), Jakarta ( ASEAN ) and Brussels ( European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ). In some cases, an embassy or consulate

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576-629: Is Julian Assange , who sought refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London, UK. Assange was charged with sexual assault in Sweden and was due to be extradited. Assange's bid for asylum came following concerns on his role in the leaking of many official documents from the United States. There were also fears of Sweden sending Assange to the United States where he would be persecuted. Assange's stay in

624-528: Is allocated for chanceries. It was established in the early 1960s under the International Chancery Act . US diplomat William Crockett first devised the plan for the ICC. It hosts diplomatic properties such as foreign missions. The allocations for chanceries can be leased to countries who wish to establish a foreign mission in the United States. The ICC was established to address concerns with

672-500: Is also followed multilaterally by the member states of the European Union (EU). European citizens in need of consular help in a country without diplomatic or consular representation of their own country may turn to any consular or diplomatic mission of another EU member state (art. 23 TFEU ). Some cities may host more than one mission from the same country. In Rome , many states maintain separate missions to both Italy and

720-411: Is commonly used also as a section of a building in which the work of the diplomatic mission is carried out, but strictly speaking, it is the diplomatic delegation itself that is the embassy, while the office space and the diplomatic work done is called the chancery . Therefore, the embassy operates in the chancery. The members of a diplomatic mission can reside within or outside the building that holds

768-590: Is divided between multiple locations in the same city. For example, the Bangladeshi Deputy High Commission in Kolkata , has two locations: one at Park Circus and another, opened later, at Mirza Ghalib Street, to reduce overcrowding. Governments of states not recognized by the receiving state and of territories that make no claim to be sovereign states may set up offices abroad that do not have official diplomatic status as defined by

816-579: Is generally expected that an embassy of a Commonwealth country in a non-Commonwealth country will do its best to provide diplomatic services to citizens from other Commonwealth countries if the citizen's country does not have an embassy in that country. Canadian and Australian nationals enjoy even greater cooperation between their respective consular services, as outlined in the Canada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement . The same kind of procedure

864-464: Is primarily believed that the land which the chanceries sit upon belongs to the guest country although this is wrong. This concept is called extraterritoriality which applies to certain situations where there is an exemption from the host country's laws. While chanceries are not fully exempt from the laws of the host country, the VCDR allows them only some exemptions and protections. A protection included

912-454: Is specifically allocated for chanceries. In order to establish a chancery, the host country must first be informed then approve of requests. Then, once requests are approved, a block of land is allocated and building the chancery commences. Sovereign states follow the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) , an international treaty which guides international and diplomatic relations, in establishing chanceries and foreign missions. It

960-430: Is that diplomats are able to freely conduct their business without having to be subjected to local laws. This varies from situation to situation and some host countries may negotiate with the guest country on what they will and will not allow. A chancery's characteristics are important to its functions. The way the chancery is designed and built has a large impact in the thoughts they evoke. A lot of consideration goes into

1008-533: The Chinese Communist Party and its one-child policy . After negotiations with the US government, Chen and his family were granted asylum there and were able to migrate there despite China's vexation with the U.S.'s actions. As mentioned previously, the political importance and prominence of chanceries means that it has a great propensity for attacks, particularly those of a terrorist nature. There have been many notable attacks which have changed

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1056-787: The Congress of Vienna in 1815. This was followed much later by the Convention regarding Diplomatic Officers (Havana, 1928). The present treaty on the treatment of diplomats was the outcome of a draft by the International Law Commission . The treaty was adopted on 18 April 1961, by the United Nations Conference on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities held in Vienna , Austria , and first implemented on 24 April 1964. The same Conference also adopted

1104-652: The Holy See . It is not customary for these missions to share premises nor personnel. At present, only the Iraqi and United States embassies to Italy and the Holy See share premises; however, separate ambassadors are appointed, one to each country. In the case of the UN's Food Agencies , the sending country's ambassador to the Italian Republic is usually accredited as permanent representative . The United States maintains

1152-412: The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations . The Vienna Convention is an extensive document, containing 53 articles. The following is a basic overview of its key provisions. The same year the treaty was adopted, two protocols were added as amendments; countries may ratify the main treaty without necessarily ratifying these optional agreements. As of June 2020 , there are 193 state parties to

1200-469: The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations . A consulate or consulate general is generally a representative of the embassy in locales outside of the capital city. For instance, the Philippines has its embassy to the United States in the latter's capital, Washington, D.C., but also maintains seven consulates-general in major US cities. The person in charge of a consulate or consulate-general is known as

1248-769: The British Embassy in Beijing (1967), the hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran, Iran (1979–1981), and the hostage crisis at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima , Peru (1996–1997). The basic role of a diplomatic mission is to represent and safeguard the interests of the home country and its citizens in the host country. According to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations , which establishes

1296-665: The Optional Protocol concerning Acquisition of Nationality, the Optional Protocol concerning the Compulsory Settlement of Disputes, the Final Act and four resolutions annexed to that Act. One notable aspect which arose from the 1961 treaty was the establishment of the Holy See 's diplomatic immunity status with other nations. Two years later, the United Nations adopted a closely related treaty,

1344-593: The US knew of the incoming attacks, claiming that they had intelligence that showed an impending attack on the US Embassy. The US alleged that the onus was placed on the Kenyan guards and local security. This led to questions on who was responsible on the security of the chancery and thus all chanceries established. The International Chancery Center (ICC) is 47 acres of land in Washington, D.C. , United States, that

1392-524: The Vienna Convention, including all UN member states —with the exceptions of Palau and South Sudan —and the UN observer states of the Holy See and State of Palestine . The Republic of China signed and ratified the convention on 18 April 1961 and 19 December 1969, respectively, prior to the UN granting China's seat to the People's Republic of China . There are no states that have signed

1440-916: The Vienna Convention. Examples are the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices that represent the government of the Republic of China; Somaliland's Representative Offices in London, Addis Ababa , Rome, Taipei , and Washington, D.C. ; the Hong Kong and Macau economic and trade offices that represent the governments of those two territories. Such offices assume some of the non-diplomatic functions of diplomatic posts, such as promoting trade interests and providing assistance to its citizens and residents. They are nevertheless not diplomatic missions, their personnel are not diplomats and do not have diplomatic visas, although there may be legislation providing for personal immunities and tax privileges, as in

1488-455: The ambassador's residence and the chancery. In some cases, an ambassador's residence and the business office is still located in the same building. There is evidence of the existence of chanceries throughout history, playing a key role in the facilitation of diplomacy and bilateralism . Chanceries have persisted into the modern age and still play a key role in the formation of foreign relations and maintenance of diplomacy. The function of

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1536-573: The case of the Hong Kong offices in London and Toronto or the Macau office in Lisbon, for example. Chancery (diplomacy) A chancery is the principal office that houses a diplomatic mission or an embassy . This often includes the associated building and the site. The building can house one or several different nations' missions. The term derives from chancery or chancellery , the office of

1584-492: The centuries, remaining an important element of foreign relations up to the present day. Their function to negotiate agreements between states demands certain special privileges. An envoy from another nation is traditionally treated as a guest, their communications with their home nation treated as confidential, and their freedom from coercion and subjugation by the host nation treated as essential. The first attempt to codify diplomatic immunity into diplomatic law occurred with

1632-724: The chancery meant protection from the Ecuadorian Government, who took his security seriously. A security organisation hired by the Ecuadorian Government monitored British police who guarded the premises or any person that entered the Ecuadorian Embassy. Another notable example is Chinese civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng , who sought refuge following his escape from house arrest at the United States embassy in Beijing , China. The blind civil rights activist feared persecution from China following his criticism of

1680-571: The chancery secure. When countries do not have a diplomatic relationship, and no chancery is established, there is often a disguised embassy in another country instead. This is also known as a de facto embassy . A large establishment of chanceries is the International Chancery Center (ICC) which is the first of its kind. This establishment is 47 acres of land in North-West Washington, D.C. , US which

1728-448: The design of buildings heavily thought-upon. The characteristics of a chancery building, and its location is well-considered in order to achieve national interests . From the exterior appearance to interior design, each play a role in the diplomacy that takes place within its walls. The features of a chancery are also crucial in ensuring that it can withstand attacks and keep its occupants safe and secure. Many precautions are taken to keep

1776-490: The framework of diplomacy among sovereign states: The functions of a diplomatic mission consist, inter alia , in representing the sending State in the receiving State; protecting in the receiving State the interests of the sending State and of its nationals, within the limits permitted by international law; negotiating with the Government of the receiving State; ascertaining by all lawful means conditions and developments in

1824-555: The host country or a third country. For example, North Korean nationals, who would be arrested and deported from China upon discovery, have sought sanctuary at various third-country embassies in China. Once inside the embassy, diplomatic channels can be used to solve the issue and send the refugees to another country. See the list of people who took refuge in a diplomatic mission for a list of some notable cases. Notable violations of embassy extraterritoriality include repeated invasions of

1872-553: The host country. The Vienna Convention is a cornerstone of modern international relations and international law and is almost universally ratified and observed; it is considered one of the most successful legal instruments drafted under the United Nations . Throughout the history of sovereign states , diplomats have enjoyed a special status. The principle of diplomatic immunity dates back to ancient times, when Greek and Roman governments granted special status to envoys. This basic concept has endured and continued to evolve over

1920-621: The importance of design is seen in the chancery of the Embassy of Ireland in Canberra , Australia, which was built in 1980. The modern design was based on traditional cottage homes found in Ireland, with characteristics such as white walls and slate roofs. Due to the political importance of chanceries and its propensity for attacks, they must be secure. The 21st century has seen attacks on chanceries and diplomatic missions making it vital for

1968-410: The interior and exterior appearance. Since the goals of chanceries are to facilitate diplomatic relations between the host and guest nations, artefacts that symbolise their relationship are often used to decorate them. This includes paintings, murals and sculptures. The design of a chancery and its structure also depends on the way the nation wants to be perceived. The chancery is a representation of

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2016-403: The lack of allocated land for diplomatic missions. This area is notable for its scenery and accommodates chanceries for a number of countries. In addition to chanceries and embassies, it can also host headquarters for international organisations. Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines

2064-508: The mission (which means the head of mission's residence) without permission of the represented country, even to put out a fire. International rules designate an attack on an embassy as an attack on the country it represents. The term 'extraterritoriality' is often applied to diplomatic missions, but normally only in this broader sense. As the host country's authorities may not enter the representing country's embassy without permission, embassies are sometimes used by refugees escaping from either

2112-562: The mission's chancery, and their private residences enjoy the same rights as the premises of the mission as regards inviolability and protection. All missions to the United Nations are known simply as permanent missions , while EU member states ' missions to the European Union are known as permanent representations , and the head of such a mission is typically both a permanent representative and an ambassador. European Union missions abroad are known as EU delegations. Some countries have more particular nomenclature for their missions and staff:

2160-474: The past, a diplomatic mission headed by a lower-ranking official (an envoy or minister resident ) was known as a legation . Since the ranks of envoy and minister resident are effectively obsolete, the designation of legation is no longer among the diplomatic ranks used in diplomacy and international relations. A consulate is similar to, but not the same as a diplomatic office, but with focus on dealing with individual persons and businesses, as defined by

2208-465: The premises to keep its occupants safe. Countries have been forced to ensure that their chanceries are fortified enough to withstand a range of attacks. US embassies in the Middle East and North African region have built stronger and higher fences in an effort to eradicate vulnerability. A chancery has many roles. While it primarily acts as a venue for facilitating diplomatic relations, it is also

2256-477: The receiving State, and reporting thereon to the Government of the sending State; promoting friendly relations between the sending State and the receiving State, and developing their economic, cultural and scientific relations. Diplomatic missions between members of the Commonwealth of Nations are not called embassies, but high commissions , for Commonwealth nations share a special diplomatic relationship. It

2304-608: The way in which diplomacy is practiced in chanceries in other countries. A terrorist attack on the United States Embassy in Nairobi , Kenya , occurred in August 1998. A truck was blown up in the premises, killing approximately 200 people and injuring another 5000 people. Following the attacks, there were debates on who was to blame for the occurrence of the attack, with many Kenyans suing the US. Many speculated that

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