Federation Diplomatic Corps
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The Federation Diplomatic Corps is comprised of all of the ambassadors, commissioners, and other envoys representing colonies, member worlds, and the Federation itself, as well as all of their staff. While operating under its own chain of command and reporting lines through the Department of the Exterior, the Diplomatic Corps works closely with Starfleet, both for transportation and logistics support and through the direct negotiations that are routinely carried out by Starfleet captains and flag officers on behalf of the Federation.
Diplomatic Missions
A diplomatic mission is a group of officials that represent the interests of one state to another through a standing physical presence within the boundaries of the latter. Embassies, high commissions, and consulates are all examples of diplomatic missions. The specific title, size, and precedence of a diplomatic mission depends on the relationship of the two states.
Within the Federation, member planets and colonies provide both the diplomatic personnel as well as security and logistics support for their diplomatic missions. For diplomatic missions outside of the Federation, logistics support and security are provided by Starfleet. A diplomatic mission, regardless of its status from embassy to commission to consulate, is considered to be the sovereign territory of the government it represents. Unauthorized entry to a diplomatic mission could be considered an act of aggression. As such, the Federation considers the protections of its diplomats to be among its highest priorities, which is why Starfleet itself oversees their security.
Diplomatic Rank
Federation diplomacy relies on a relatively rigid hierarchy which distinguishes diplomatic postings by their relative importance and based on the relationship between the two parties involved. This is necessary for matters of protocol and of consistency, so that representatives from all member worlds, colonies, and foreign powers are treated the same way in all cases.
Ambassador
Ambassador is the highest diplomatic rank, roughly equivalent to the Starfleet rank of Admiral in terms of protocol and authority, serving as the head of an Embassy. Ambassadors typically have several decades of service under their belts and represent the most seasoned and senior members of the Federation Diplomatic Corps. Certain Federation agencies and the Diplomatic Corps itself also may name individuals to ambassadorial rank without a specific duty station or charge.
- United Federation of Planets to Foreign Powers
- e.g. the Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire
- United Federation of Planets to Federation Member Worlds
- e.g. the Federation Ambassador to Vulcan
- Federation Member Worlds to Foreign Powers
- e.g. the Vulcan Ambassador to the Klingon Empire
- Roving Ambassador
- e.g. Ambassador Sarek
High Commissioner
High Commissioners rank behind Ambassadors and head High Commissions. This rank is used for bilateral relationships between Federation member worlds, relationships between self-governing colonies and the Federation, and as a title of general authority for certain Federation governmental agencies.
- Federation Member World to Federation Member World
- e.g. the High Commissioner of Vulcan to Andoria
- United Federation of Planets to Self-Governing Federation Colony
- e.g. the Federation High Commissioner to Mantilles
- Self-Governing Federation Colony to United Federation of Planets
- e.g. the High Commissioner of Mantilles to the United Federation of Planets
- Federation Agency
- e.g. High Commissioner Ferris
Commissioner
Commissioners rank behind High Commissioners and head Commissions. This rank is used for bilateral relationships between member worlds and their colonies, between self-governing colonies and member worlds and each other, and as a title of general authority for certain Federation governmental agencies.
- Federation Member World to Own Dependent Federation Colony
- e.g. the Commissioner of Betazed to Mellstoxx III
- Dependent Federation Colony to Parent Federation Member World
- e.g. the Commissioner of Mellstoxx III to Betazed
- Self-Governing Federation Colony to Federation Member World
- e.g. the Commissioner of Mantilles to Vulcan
- Self-Governing Federation Colony to Self-Governing Federation Colony
- e.g. the Commissioner of Mantilles to Mariposa
- Federation Agency
- e.g. Assistant Commissioner Nancy Hedford
Consul and Consul-General
Consuls are the lowest-ranking officials who routinely lead permanent diplomatic missions, which are known as consulates. Unlike other ranks of diplomats, there may be multiple or even many consuls from one nation to another, typically located on worlds other than the capital world. Their purpose is to provide cultural outreach to the power they operate within and to provide consular services (assistance with immigration, emergency support, and criminal concerns) to Federation citizens abroad. Consulates exist from the Federation itself and from member worlds to foreign powers. A Consul-General heads a Consulate-General, which is a larger form of consulate that coordinates the activities of several smaller consulates within a consular district. Consulates-General are only found within the Federation's largest diplomatic contacts—the Klingon Star Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Romulan Republic—and their purpose is to provide additional administrative support for whole sectors of space. In addition, the Federation and member worlds operate consulates on major starbases to provide consular support to their citizens; the Federation consulates primarily serve to connect citizens with their member world's government in the absence of a direct connection.
- United Federation of Planets to Foreign Powers
- e.g.the Federation Consul to Khitomer (Klingon Empire)
- Federation Member World to Foreign Powers
- e.g. the Vulcan Consul to Khitomer (Klingon Empire)
- United Federation of Planets, internal on a starbase
- e.g. the Federation Consulate on Starbase 38
- Federation Member World, internal on a starbase
- e.g. the Vulcan Consulate on Starbase 38
The Federation Diplomatic Corps In-Play
- There are many, many Federation officials outside of Starfleet who make up the diplomatic arm of the Federation. These officials handle the day-to-day diplomatic business of interstellar relations, especially the minutiae that must take place once first and second contacts are done. They handle things like passports, bilateral proclamations, cultural exchanges, and other activities to grow the bonds between nations.
- Federation captains and flag officers operate with their own diplomatic powers delegated to them by the Federation Council, so a starship need not embark an ambassador to engage in negotiations with a foreign power. However, Starfleet vessels are the logical choice for transportation when the Federation Diplomatic Corps decides that a particular negotiation should be handled by a trained diplomat. In those cases, the captain would defer to the diplomat.
- This article is meant to show the huge web of diplomatic relations that would exist between the Federation, each member world, every colony, and all of the foreign powers we've seen on screen. Most colonies would only have a few diplomatic missions with relevant powers, but Earth, Vulcan, and other founding worlds would have hundreds of such missions.