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Annex B

Diplomatic Terms

The following words are used in diplomatic parlance with the restricted meaning indicated:
1. agréation- an inquiry, usually informal, addressed by the sending state to the receiving state regarding the acceptability of an individual to be its chief of mission.
2. agrément- official approval by a foreign government of an ambassador-designate or a minister-designate.
3. alternat- the principle whereby each country party to a treaty or other international compact receives precedence in the original instrument retained by it.
4. ambassador-
a. ambassador-designate- a diplomatic agent who has been designated by the head of state, approved by the head of state to whom he will be accredited, but has not presented his credentials.
b. appointed ambassador- a diplomatic agent; the personal representative of a head of state, one who has been received by a secretary of state or minister for foreign affairs prior to presenting his credentials to the head of state.
c. ambassador extraordinary or plenipotentiary- the highest rank of diplomatic agent; the personal representative of the head of one state accredited to the head of another state. (Ambassadors represent the person of the head of state, as well as the state from which they come, and are entitled to ask an audience at any time with the Cief of the state to which they are accredited, although in general practice the request is submitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)
5. ambassador extraordinary- a designation ordinarily given to a non-accredited personal representative of the head of state.
6. asylum, the right of- the competence of every state, inferred from its territorial supremacy, to allow a persecuted alien to enter and to remain on its territory under its protection and thereby to grant an asylum to him. It is generally accepted practice that a political refugee who takes asylum in a foreign country should not be deported back to his own country from which he has escaped. A more difficult question arises when a political refugee takes asylum, not in a foreign country, but in foreign embassy or legation in his own capital.
7. chancery- a term used to designate the actual office of a head of a diplomatic mission, namely, his first, second, and third secretaries, plus the attendant clerks. It is also used to designate the premises in which they exercise their functions.
8. charge d'affaires (de missi)- accredited by letter to the secretary of state or minister for foreign affairs of one country by the secretary of state or minister for foreign affairs of another country, in lieu of a duly accredited ambassador or minister. The complete title is seldom used, being customarily shortened to charge d'affaires.
9. charge d'affaires ad interim- usually the counselor or secretary of an embassy or legation, who automatically assumes charge of a diplomatic mission in the temporary absence of an ambassador or minister. The words "ad interim" should not be omitted from this title except in a salutation. A charge d'affaires ad interim who has the personal rank of minister plenipotentiary is addressed the same as other charges d'affaires ad interim, the ministerial rank being merely personal and having no connection with his diplomatic status of charge d'affaires ad interim. Such a personal ministerial title may follow a name but precede an official diplomatic title. The complimentary title "The Honorable" should be used.
10. charge d'affaires- sometimes ised to describe a person who has been placed in custody of the archives and other property of a mission in a country with which formal diplomatic relations are not maintained.
11. compromis (sometimes called compromis d'arbitrage)- a formal agreement between two or more countries setting forth the terms and conditions of an arbitration between them.
12. convention- a less important form of treaty, namely one which is concluded, not between heads of states but between governments. It generally suggests a multinational agreement. Its scope is usually but not always, restricted to some specific or technical matter. This is the term commonly used by the United Nations to denominate agreements concluded under its auspices.
13. delegation- a group of persons appointed to an international conference, commission, or organization.
14. démarche- a French word traditionally used in a diplomatic sense to describe a formal action or measure, especially one involving a charge of direction or policy, undertaken by an official foreign representative and addressed to the government of the country to which he is accredited.
15. development diplomacy- a major component of Philippine foreign policy, also known as economic diplomacy. It is a general policy objective of seeking to satisfy on maximum terms the country's basic social and development needs. It concerns itself with the promotion of the Philippine exports in both traditional and non-traditional markets, the promotion of tourism, the promotion of foreign investments, transfer of technology, the procurement of economic and technical assistance from other countries and international financial institutions, the protection and advancement of interests of Filipino migrant workers and the reform of the international economic order to ensure more equitable sharing of the world's resources.
16. détente- relaxation, easing of tension.
17. diplomacy- the application of intelligence and tact to the conduct of official relations between the governments of independent states.
18. diplomatic agent- a general term denoting a person who carries on regular diplomatic relations of the state he represents in the country to which he has been appointed; an agent representing a sovereign or state for some special purpose.
19. diplomatic corps- the collective heads of foreign diplomatic missions and their staff within the capital of any country.
20. diplomatic correspondence- official correspondence between the agents authorized by a state to conduct its foreign relations either at home or abroad, or between them and similarly authorized representatives of foreign governments.
21. envoy- a diplomatic agent. A special envoy is one designated for a particular purpose, such as the conduct of special negotiations and attendance at coronations, inaugurations, or other state ceremonies to which special importance is attached. The designation is always of a temporary character.
22. envoy extraordinary- a diplomatic agent.
23. envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary- a diplomatic agent accredited to a government.
24. extradition- the surrender by one state to another state of an individual convicted or accused of having committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the demanding state, for trial and punishment. It usually applies to fugitive criminals.
25. extraterritoriality- special jurisdiction exercised by a nation in other countries, under treaty.
26. final act
(sometimes called protocol de cloture)
- a summary of the proceedings of a diplomatic conference and usually includes a reproduction of the texts of treaties, conventions, recommendations and other acts agreed upon by the plenipotentiaries attending the conference.
27. general act- a summary of the conclusions of a conference or detailed regulations deriving from certain principles embodied in a treaty.
28. good offices- a term applied to the attempt of a third party to bring together two parties to effect a settlement of their disputes. The function of good offices may be performed by states, either singly or acting jointly.
29. immunity- exemption of foreign diplomatic agents or representatives from local jurisdiction.
30. minister-
a. minister-designate- a diplomatic agent who has been designated by his government and approved by the head of government to which he has been accredited but who has not presented his credentials.
b. appointed minister- a diplomatic agent, the representative of his government, who has been received by a secretary of state or minister for foreign affairs prior to presenting his credentials to the head of a government.
c. envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary- a diplomatic agent accredited to a government.
31. minister plenipotentiary- a non-accredited diplomatic agent, the representative of his government.
32. minister resident- a diplomatic agent.
33. mission- a general term for a commission, delegation, embassy, or legation.
34. modus vivendi- a temporary agreement intended to be replaced by a more permanent and detailed agreement.
35. pact- a treaty surrounded by a special atmosphere, formed in part by a mystic sentiment or an intention of guaranty.
36. passport- in international law, an official document issued to a person by his own government certifying to his citizenship and requesting foreign governments to grant him safe and free passage, lawful aid, and protection while under their jurisdiction.
37. persona non grata
(plu. personae non gratae)
- one who is not acceptable.
38. proces-verbal- protocol of deposit - to record formally the deposit of a sufficient number of ratifications to bring a multilateral treaty into force.
39. protocol- a term applied to diplomatic formalities (official ceremonials, precedence, immunities, privileges, courtesies, etc.). It may also refer to an instrument which amends or supplements an existing treaty or convention, but sometimes it is used to designate an altogether independent agreement.
40. rapprochement- establishment or state of cordial relations. Sometimes, it means bringing closer together.
41. treaty- the Vienna Convention defines a treaty as "an international agreement" concluded between states in written form and governed by international law, whether embodied in a single instrument or in two or more related instruments. In its broad sense, it embraces all kinds of international agreements, regardless of the nomenclature used to designate them. In its restricted sense, the term is commonly employed to designate the more important instruments, usually of political or quasi-political character, such as treaties of peace, cession, alliance, friendship and commerce. Treaties are either "bilateral", or concluded between two countries only, or "multilateral", or concluded between several countries. Treaties of "mutual guarantee" are those international compacts which aim at guarateeing each signatory against attack from another.
42. ultimatum- the word "ultimatum" is sometimes regarded as meaning "declaration of war". This is incorrect. It is often merely "the last word" before a negotiation is broken off. It generally takes the form of a written intimation that unless a satisfactory reply is received by a certain hour on a certain date, certain consequences will follow. These consequences are not necessarily war.
43. visa- in international law, an endorsement made on a passport by the proper officials of a foreign country, denoting that it has been examined and that the holder may enter the country; also a document issued permitting entry into a country for permanent residence.
44. voeu (Fr.)- an official expression by an international conference of a wish or a hope; often in the form of a resolution.