Think Global, Act Local: Honorary Consuls in a Transforming Diplomatic World

Consular diplomacy is taking on an ever increasing importance in the globalized world and economy, and may emerge as the more significant component of diplomatic power when compared to the traditional diplomacy exercised from embassies. Consular diplomacy can be defined as the diplomacy conducted via consulates and consular representatives, focused on the classical activities of visa functions, citizen services, representation, and issues of trade, tourism, and investment promotion between countries, localities, organizations, and individuals. This paper concentrates on the understudied subject of honorary consuls and their conduct of trade, tourism, and investment promotion. It seeks

to highlight how states are using honorary consuls to extend their network for increased consular coverage; overview why localities, regions, and municipal hubs are increasingly more important than national capitals in terms of business and commerce and thus in need of an honorary consular presence; and demonstrate how selected nations are using honorary consuls to develop their economies. 

The conclusion looks at some of the still open research questions concerning the value of honorary consuls to trade and investment promotion, in particular the linkage between assigning honorary consuls the task of trade, tourism, and investment promotion and their actual effectiveness in the role.