Ambassadors - Purpose of An Ambassador

Purpose of An Ambassador

The foreign government that an ambassador is assigned to must first approve the person. In some cases, the foreign government might reverse its approval by declaring the diplomat a persona non grata: an unacceptable person. This kind of declaration usually results in recalling the ambassador to her home nation. In accordance with the Congress of Vienna of 1815 and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the ambassador and embassy staff are granted diplomatic immunity and personal safety while living abroad.

Protect Citizens

Due to the advent of modern travel, today's world is a much smaller place. With this new reality, it is just as important as ever that the nations of the world have at least a small staff, living in foreign capitols, in order to aid travelers and visitors from their home nation. As an officer of the foreign service, an ambassador is expected to protect the citizens of his home country in the host country.

Support Prosperity

Another result of the increase in foreign travel is the growth of trade between nations. For most countries, the national economy is now part of the global economy. This means increased opportunities to sell and trade with other nations. When two nations are conducting a trade, it is usually advantageous to both parties to have an ambassador and perhaps a small staff living in the other land, where they act as an intermediary between cooperative businesses.

Work for Peace

One of the cornerstones of foreign diplomatic missions is to work for peace. This task sometimes grows into a fight against world terrorism, the drug trade, international bribery and human trafficking. These activities are important and sensitive and are usually carried out in coordination with the Defense Ministry of the state and the Head of the Nation i.e. The President or The Prime Minister.