2 FAM 320
PRECEDENCE
(CT:GEN-529; 10-09-2018)
(Office of Origin: S/CPR)
2 FAM 321 ESTABLISHMENT OF RULES OF
PRECEDENCE
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. Precedence lists establish the order or ranking of a
countrys government, military, and, in some cases, civic leaders for
diplomatic, ceremonial, and social events, at home and abroad. The President,
through the State Departments Office of the Chief of Protocol (S/CPR),
establishes the U.S. Order of Precedence. It is reviewed and revised from time
to time as offices and personnel change. The Chief of Protocol is the
custodian of the U.S. Precedence List.
b. Precedence and rank among U.S. officials abroad may
affect many aspects of the conduct of business and of social intercourse.
Therefore, it is important for host governments and officials of other
embassies in the host country to know the precedence of visiting U.S.
Government officials, as well as the precedence of U.S. representatives at
post.
2 FAM 322 PRECEDENCE OF U.S. OFFICIALS
ABROAD
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. Precedence of U.S. Government officials traveling to
post with the President or Vice President, as members of a delegation
representing the President at an event, to conduct business with the host
government, or on similar occasions, is determined in accordance with the
United States Order of Precedence. You may obtain guidance on precedence for
these persons from the Office of the Chief of Protocol in the Department of
State.
b. Precedence of members of the Foreign Service and
other U.S. officials abroad depends to a large extent on the situation and the
relationships existing at any one time. With this in mind, the following
sections of this chapter deal with six different types of relationships or
situations.
c. The rules of precedence between members of the
Foreign Service and representatives of other U.S. Government agencies abroad
are based on Executive Order 9998, dated September 14, 1948.
2 FAM 323 PRECEDENCE WITHIN THE U.S.
FOREIGN SERVICE
(CT:GEN-325; 02-10-2006)
a. The provisions of this section apply generally only
within the district of assignment abroad. During domestic assignments within
the Department, members of the Foreign Service rank according to the position
held within the Department's organization.
b. Itinerant Foreign Service officers (not within the
district of assignment where they have jurisdiction) rank only according to
their class and the date of appointment to their class, respectively.
2 FAM 323.1 Foreign Service
Officers Holding Diplomatic Titles
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. Within their area of assignment, Foreign Service
officers take precedence according to:
(1) Title;
(2) Foreign Service class;
(3) Salary; and
(4) Date of arrival at post, except as provided below.
b. At a diplomatic mission, the ranking officer of the
Foreign Service, who will take charge in the absence of the chief of mission,
always takes precedence next to the chief of mission.
2 FAM 323.2 Transient U.S.
Officials
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
Among U.S. officials not within the jurisdiction of their
assignments, whether en route to or returning from assignments, rank would be
less determinate. If precedence must be determined among a group of U.S.
officials, military and civilian, salary is probably the best criterion
available. Among officers of the Foreign Service, as indicated, class and date
of appointment to that class are the determinants.
2 FAM 324 PRECEDENCE WITHIN A MISSION
2 FAM 324.1 Chief of Mission
(CT:GEN-298; 11-22-1999)
In the country to which he or she is accredited, the chief
of the diplomatic mission takes precedence over all officers and
representatives of other executive departments and agencies.
2 FAM 324.2 Charg d'Affaires ad Interim
(CT:GEN-298; 11-22-1999)
a. In the absence of the titular head of the mission,
the charg d'affaires ad interim takes precedence over all officers, military
and civilian, and representatives of other federal agencies. When the absence
of the chief of mission and the relinquishment of the charge of his or her
office is temporary and the spouse has remained in the capital, the spouse
continues to be accorded the courtesies and consideration he or she customarily
receives when the chief of mission is present.
b. When the chief of mission is present, the officer
who would become charg d'affaires ad interim takes precedence next in
succession to the chief of mission.
2 FAM 324.3 Career Ministers,
Minister-Counselors, and Counselors (Senior Foreign Service)
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. Career ministers, minister-counselors, and
counselors take precedence after the deputy chief of mission, or in the absence
of the deputy chief of mission, after the officer who would take charge in the
absence of the chief of mission.
b. Officers of the Foreign Service with the title of
minister (usually career ministers or minister-counselors) take precedence over
those officers who have the title of counselor. They rank among themselves in
accordance with the rules of:
(1) Class;
(2) Salary; and
(3) Date of arrival at post.
c. Counselors rank among themselves on the basis of:
(1) Class;
(2) Salary; and
(3) Date of arrival at post.
d. The Office of Career Development and Assignments
(HR/CDA) recommends or determines exceptions when special circumstances exist.
Notification to the local foreign ministry of an officer's title and rank is
made only after the ministry receives the Department's official approval.
2 FAM 324.4 Military Attachs
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. The defense attach and the army, naval, and air
attachs take precedence next in succession after the counselors of embassy or
mission (or senior secretary, if there are no counselors).
b. Army, naval, and air attachs take precedence among
themselves according to their respective grade and seniority.
c. Except as provided in this subchapter, the standing
of a military officer in the order of precedence is not elevated because of
that officers duties as attach at a diplomatic mission.
d. Individual ranking of army, naval, and air attachs
and inclusion in local diplomatic lists follow formal notification by the
Department to the post of diplomatic designations approved for such officers.
2 FAM 324.5 Civilian Attachs Who
Are Not Foreign Service Members
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. Civilian attachs who are not officers of the
Foreign Service take precedence with but after the defense, army, naval, and
air attachs.
b. Civilian attachs who are not officers of the
Foreign Service are ranked among themselves in accordance with their respective
salaries. When their salaries are the same, they are ranked according to the
date of arrival at post. Missions must not transmit the names of civilian
attachs to the foreign ministry of the host country until they have received
from the Office of Career Development and Assignments (HR/CDA) formal
notification of the diplomatic designations approved for such officers.
2 FAM 324.6 Foreign Service
Officers Below Counselor Level
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. Officers of the Foreign Service with titles below
that of counselor (or the senior secretary if no counselors are assigned),
including attachs and assistant attachs, follow the civilian attachs who are
not members of the Foreign Service, in accordance with the rules of title,
class, salary, and date of arrival at post.
b. Officers with the title of attach are ranked among
first and second secretaries on the basis of salary. If their salaries are the
same as those of officers holding the title of first or second secretaries, the
attachs rank after such officers.
c. Officers of the Foreign Service holding the title
of assistant attach rank among third secretaries on the basis of salary. If
their salaries are the same, the assistant attach ranks after the third
secretary. Like third secretaries, assistant attachs of the Foreign Service
rank after assistant attachs of the Armed Forces and assistant civilian
attachs not of the Foreign Service.
d. The Departments Office of Career Development and
Assignments (HR/CDA) recommends or determines exceptions when special
circumstances exist. Post makes formal notification only after approval by the
Department.
2 FAM 324.7 Assistant Military and
Civilian Attachs
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. Assistant army, naval, and air attachs take
precedence after the lowest ranking second secretary. Assistant army, naval,
and air attachs take precedence among themselves according to their respective
grades and seniority.
b. At a post where there are no second secretaries assigned,
assistant army, naval, and air attachs take precedence as a group among the
officers of the Foreign Service of rank equivalent to second secretaries, as
the chief of mission may direct.
c. Civilian assistant attachs who are not members of
the Foreign Service take precedence with but after the assistant army, naval,
and air attachs. The sample list that follows, illustrates diplomatic
precedence among Foreign Service, military, and civilian officers:
|
Rank
|
Grade
|
|
Ambassador
|
FE-MC
|
|
Deputy Chief of Mission
|
FE-OC
|
|
Minister Counselor for USAID
|
FE-MC
|
|
Counselor for Commercial Affairs
|
FE-OC
|
|
Counselor for Public Affairs
|
FE-OC
|
|
Counselor for Political Affairs
|
FE-OC
|
|
Defense Attach
|
Lieutenant Colonel
|
|
Treasury Attach
|
GS-14
|
|
FAA Attach
|
GS-13
|
|
First Secretary
|
FS-01
|
|
Attach
|
FS-01
|
|
Attach
|
FS-01
|
|
Attach
|
FS-02
|
|
First Secretary
|
FS-02
|
|
Second Secretary
|
FS-03
|
|
Assistant Army Attach
|
Lieutenant Colonel
|
|
Assistant Air Attach
|
Major
|
|
Assistant Attach - DHS
|
GS-12
|
|
Assistant Attach - Energy Advisor
|
GS-11
|
|
Third Secretary
|
FS-05
|
General Diplomatic Precedence and Ranking:
All Senior Foreign Service (SFS) officers except the chief
of mission are ranked among themselves in order of (1) salary and (2) arrival
(EOD).
Foreign Service officers below the SFS are ranked from first
through second secretaries; if salaries are the same, attachs then follow,
from military through Foreign Service and then non-FS civilian agencies based
on (1) salary and (2) arrival (EOD).
Assistant attachs of the Armed Forces come before assistant
attachs of the Foreign Service and assistant attachs of non-FS civilian
agencies.
2 FAM 325 PRECEDENCE OF CONSULAR
OFFICERS RELATIVE TO OTHER FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES
2 FAM 325.1 Consular Officers and
Officers of the U.S. Armed Forces
(CT:GEN-298; 11-22-1999)
a. In accordance with Executive Order 9998, in
districts where they are assigned, consuls general take precedence with, but
after, brigadier generals in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps and rear
admirals in the Navy.
b. Consuls take precedence with but after colonels in
the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps and captains in the Navy.
c. Vice consuls take precedence with but after
captains in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps and lieutenants (senior
grade) in the Navy.
d. The following list illustrates precedence among
consular officers and officers of the U.S. Armed Services:
(1) Brigadier Generals and Rear Admirals;
(2) Consuls General;
(3) Colonels and Navy Captains;
(4) Consuls;
(5) Lt. Colonels and Commanders;
(6) Majors and Lt. Commanders;
(7) Captains and Lieutenants (senior grade);
(8) Vice Consuls;
(9) First Lieutenants and Lieutenants (junior grade);
and
(10) Second Lieutenants and Ensigns.
2 FAM 325.2 Consular Officers and
Medical Officers of the U.S. Public Health Service
(CT:GEN-298; 11-22-1999)
a. Consuls general, consuls, and vice consuls take
precedence over medical officers as follows:
(1) Consul general over medical director;
(2) Consul with but after medical director; and
(3) Vice consul with but after senior and assistant
surgeon.
b. The exception to the above is that no medical
officer of any rank takes precedence above that of the consular officer in
charge of a post no matter what the latter's rank.
2 FAM 326 PRECEDENCE WITHIN DELEGATIONS
TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
2 FAM 326.1 Chiefs of Mission
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. By agreement among nations, chiefs of mission rank
as follows according to title:
(1) Papal Nuncios or Legates in Catholic countries;
(2) Ambassador;
(3) Minister;
(4) Charg d'affaires ad hoc or pro tempore;
(5) Charg d'affaires ad interim (of embassy);
(6) Charg d'affaires ad interim (of mission);
(7) Commissioner; and
(8) Diplomatic Agent.
b. Within each of the above categories, chiefs of
mission rank according to the date of the presentation of their letters of
credence. The senior member of the corps according to these rules is known as
"Dean of the Diplomatic Corps."
2 FAM 326.2 Under Chief of Mission
(CT:GEN-298; 11-22-1999)
At very large affairs, each mission may be grouped with
its chief and given its chiefs rank within the assemblage as a whole.
Although precedence among U.S. citizens relative to foreign guests should be
taken into account, U.S. citizens should be interspersed among the foreign
guests so as to allow the most intermingling. However, the chief of mission
must be accorded his or her proper place, because he or she is the person
representing the United States, and, because of that position, there are many
rights the chief of mission cannot personally concede.
2 FAM 326.3 Within the Consular
Corps
(CT:GEN-61; 02-10-1966)
The consular corps always ranks after the diplomatic
corps. Within the consular corps itself, the date of exequatur determines the
seniority among the principal officers, and usually, depending on local
practice, the senior member is the dean of the consular corps.
2 FAM 327 PRECEDENCE AT INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCES
(CT:GEN-384; 10-18-2011)
a. At international conferences, the heads of the
delegations representing the various participating countries generally have no
personal rank or precedence among themselves. At the conference table or at
conference social functions, the conference order of precedence determines the
seating of the heads of delegations. The rules and regulations of the
conference determine the order of precedence in an international conference.
If no rules and regulations exist, the host government is responsible for
establishing a temporary order of precedence (frequently the alphabetical order
of country names in the language of the host country), subject to approval by
the conference.
b. U.S. delegation members, including Foreign Service
personnel, rank among themselves in accordance with the formally approved
delegation list. When a government holds a conference and is host at a social
or ceremonial function to which the local diplomatic corps is invited, it may
accord the officials accredited to that country their customary diplomatic rank
instead of their delegation rank.
c. The Office of International Conferences (IO/C) can
provide further information on rules governing international conferences.
2 FAM 328 AND 329 UNASSIGNED