Consular Diplomacy

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Consular diplomacy has recently experienced a dramatic surge in status in foreign ministries as overseas flows of tourists and migrants multiply, and the public becomes more concerned with foreign affairs and consular protection.
   
This course provides comprehensive insight into all dimensions of consular diplomacy and its connections with interstate diplomacy.  At heart, consular diplomacy deals with two sets of people: first, one’s own citizens who need documents, protection and assistance in differing situations while resident abroad or in transit, whether in a legal or undocumented status; and second, foreign citizens coming to one’s country who need visas to enter, and issues arising from that.

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

  • describe the international law basis of consular diplomacy and the elements of consular diplomacy in practice, including the use of honorary consuls;
  • explain how practical dimensions of consular work relate to theory and the evolution of this genre of diplomacy, including its relationship to other branches of diplomatic work;
  • explain and provide examples of how consular diplomacy connects to related subjects, including outreach to a diaspora, migration, labour affairs services to own citizens working abroad, and emergency management in delivering consular services;
  • effectively organise and plan work at a consular post in a mission abroad;
  • explain and justify the potential and value of this branch of diplomatic work.

 

Excerpt from Consular Diplomacy Course Materials

In 1964 in China… I saw this [the value of consular diplomacy as a key public service for citizens] clearly. At the time, India-China relations were very low…; other than officials, no one travelled between the countries and a handful of Indian students had also left. Among three or four old residents who had clung on, an Indian businessman was serving a six-year prison sentence in Shanghai on a bogus charge. Every six months or so someone from the embassy in Beijing made the 18-hour train journey to meet him, taking some Indian foodstuff and a handful of magazines. His pitiable isolation in that grim prison, and his tearful gratitude at meeting a compatriot, brought home the human dimension of what could be called a routine consular function; that left an indelible memory.


Course Outline

  1. Consular Diplomacy: The Basics: relationship with other segments of diplomacy; why it has now gained in prominence; the home and foreign dimension of consular diplomacy; link with diaspora diplomacy; different offices that perform related functions.
  2. The Working of Consulates: typical needs; relationship with the other segments of diplomacy; role in sub-state diplomacy; mobile posts and virtual outposts; application of technology; diplomatic role following severance of diplomatic relations.
  3. Migration and Diplomacy: the economics and social circumstances of migration; demographic compulsions; the handling of undocumented aliens, the political, social and other dimensions; world trends.
  4. Diaspora Diplomacy: the importance of diasporas; home role of diasporas; political, economic and other impact in relationship building; evolution over generation change; case studies; best practices; hazards of this form of diplomacy, such as overstepping diplomatic norms.
  5. The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR): key provisions of the VCCR; strengths and limitations of the legal provisions; consular agreements; comparison with Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations; other international agreements; role of bilateral accords.
  6. Visa: the rationale of visas, visa agreements; range of visa issues, management of services, current trends; restrictions resulting from the global threat of terrorism; application of technology and outsourcing.
  7. Protection of Citizens: different elements of protection, circumstances in which protection is available; movement of people and the context for labour protection; emergency help, repatriation of distressed citizens, return of last remains; typical problem issues; disaster assistance.
  8. Honorary Consuls: their legal position, rights, duties and privileges; typical tasks today; case studies; methods for getting the maximum returns; practical problems in selection and operation of the system.

 

Who Should Apply

This course will be of interest to:

  • practising diplomats, civil servants, and others working in international relations who want to refresh or expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced practitioners and academics;
  • post-graduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to study topics not offered through their university programmes or diplomatic academies and to gain deeper insight through interaction with practising diplomats;
  • post-graduate students or practitioners in other fields seeking an entry point into the world of diplomacy;
  • journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people and others who interact with diplomats and wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics.

 

Structure and Methodology

This course is conducted entirely online over a period of ten weeks. Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through an online classroom. Each week, participants read the provided lecture text, adding questions, comments and references in the form of hypertext entries. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these entries, creating interaction based on the lecture text. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (for example, further discussion via blogs or forums, quizzes, group tasks, simulations or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in a chat room to discuss the week’s topic. To complete the course successfully, participants must write several essay assignments. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction.

 


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Lecturer(s)

Ambassador Kishan S Rana, Professor Emeritus
Bilateral Diplomacy, 21st Century Diplomacy, Public Diplomacy, Consular Diplomacy

Ambassador Kishan S Rana: BA (Hon) and MA in economics, St Stephens College Delhi. Indian Foreign Service (1960-95); Ambassador/High Commissioner: Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Kenya, Mauritius, and Germany. Professor Emeritus, DiploFoundation, Malta and Geneva; Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi; Archives By-Fellow, Churchill College, Cambridge; Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Centre, Washington DC; Distinguished Fellow, Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations, Kuala Lumpur; Commonwealth Adviser, Namibia Foreign Ministry, 2000-01. Author: Inside Diplomacy (2000); Managing Corporate Culture (co-author, 2000); Bilateral Diplomacy (2002); The 21st Century Ambassador (2004); Asian Diplomacy (2007). Foreign languages: Chinese, French.

 

Ambassador Paramjit S Sahai
Consular Diplomacy

Ambassador Paramjit (Pummy) S. Sahai served in the Indian Foreign Service (1963 – 2000) as India’s Ambassador/High Commissioner to Malawi, Lesotho, Yemen Democratic Republic, Sweden and Malaysia; and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow at the time of the split of the Soviet Union in 1991. He was extensively involved with Consular Work and Indian Diaspora and Migration Issues as Head of the Consular, Passport, and Visa Division, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi (1981-84). He was responsible for the drafting and passage of the Indian Emigration Act (1983) and led the Indian delegation at the UN Working Group (1982-84) for drafting the UN Convention on Migrant Workers and their Families. He has published papers dealing with cultural diplomacy, media, diaspora, migration and India’s relationship with South, South-East and Central Asia, ASEAN and SAARC, including a paper on out-migration from India (published in a book by ILO, 2004). He edited the book India-Eurasia: The Way Ahead (2008).

 

Prerequisites

Applicants must have:

  • an undergraduate university degree; OR three years work experience and appropriate professional qualifications in diplomacy or international relations;
  • sufficient ability in English language to undertake postgraduate level studies (including reading academic texts, discussing complex concepts with other course participants, and submitting written essay assignments of up to 2500 words in length);
  • unrestricted access to the Internet using Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers (please contact us for more details if you are in doubt about your level of access).

 

Fees

Course fees depend on whether you wish to obtain university credit for the course:

  • 755 euros (University of Malta Accredited Course)
  • 575 euros (Diplo Certificate Course)

Applicants must pay full fees upon official acceptance into the course. The fee includes:

  • University of Malta application fee (for University of Malta Accredited Courses only);
  • full tuition;
  • course orientation pack where applicable (optional readings);
  • access to all course materials online, via Diplo’s online classroom;
  • access, via the Internet, to the University of Malta e-journal collection (University of Malta Accredited Courses only);
  • personal interaction via the online classroom with course lecturers, staff and other participants;
  • online technical support;
  • for Diplo Certificate Courses, postgraduate level certificate issued by DiploFoundation on successful completion of course requirements (interaction and participation, all assignments).

 

Financial Assistance

Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats from developing countries. To apply for a scholarship please include your CV or resume, and a letter outlining your interest in the course and financial need, with your application package.

 

How to Apply

A number of routes for application are available, depending on the needs of the applicant: