Diplomatic courier

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Diplomatic couriers inspecting the unloading of diplomatic bags A Diplomatic courier ensures that palletized U.S. Diplomatic pouch material is properly unloaded from an aircraft at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, VA, June 8, 2009. (43045277335).jpg
Diplomatic couriers inspecting the unloading of diplomatic bags

A diplomatic courier is an official who secures and transports diplomatic bags. Countries have utilized diplomatic couriers to handle important documents, artifacts and supplies between different countries since the 12th century. Following the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, couriers are placed under diplomatic immunity while performing their work. Couriers are usually hired by a specific country and are tasked with protecting and managing bags from being opened. Some couriers are assigned on an ad hoc basis, but in those cases they are released from immunity once their bags have been delivered. The original definition of a diplomatic courier focuses on handling bags, but couriers today also deal with logistical affairs and digital communications. [1]

Contents

History

The first appearance of a diplomatic courier was in the 12th century, when English kings created the King's Messengers to relay secret information or deliveries. [2] King's Messengers were used during the reign of Richard III, he used the King's Messengers four couriers to deliver private papers in 1485. [3] After continued frustrations with postal systems in the 1500s, some Italian states hired independent freelance messengers to deliver documents between countries, and hiring them as full time couriers. [4] Countries like Spain and France adopted the practice soon after. Couriers in the 1500s were generally assigned to a specific route, such as delivering messages from Paris to London to communicate across the English Channel. [4]

Article 27 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations formalized the diplomatic courier, declaring "A diplomatic bag must never be opened, even on suspicion of abuse, and a diplomatic courier must never be arrested or detained." [5] Despite diplomatic immunity, the position has been abused and couriers have been stopped on occasion for issues regarding their bags. Dutch, Swiss and American couriers were detained in China following disputes over their corresponding bags in 1981. [6] Other countries have abused the legal position of couriers for non-diplomatic reasons, such as in Russia to arrest the wife of a defecting official. [7]

United Kingdom

During the turn of the 19th century, the King's Messengers were moved under the Foreign Office, now taking on the modern role of accompanying packages and prevent external tampering of those packages. [8] [9] [10] Although there are still King's Messengers today, most packages today are handled under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, transported unaccompanied by the FCDOS Secure Logistics service. [11] [12]

United States

In 1916, the United States established the Diplomatic Security Service, inspired by the King's Messengers. President Wilson created the organization, tasked with delivering and securing diplomatic documents during World War I. [13] The first courier was Amos J. Peaslee, tasked with sending confidential documents from Paris to Washington, D.C. [14] After the war, courier deliveries were transferred to the State Department, creating the Diplomatic Courier Service which continued to deliver important documents and materials into World War II. [15]

By the 1950s, diplomatic couriers became common during the Cold War to deliver information across the Iron Curtain. [16] Allied countries would sometimes coordinate travel with other couriers from allied countries traveling towards the same destination, such as on the Orient Express, with some in the same sleeping arrangements to save on travel time and for security reasons to keep payloads intact. [16]

As of 2022, American diplomatic couriers are also involved in logistical affairs, [17] [18] from flight planning to resource management. [19] Couriers are stationed around the world, acting as diplomatic liaisons and security guards for various operations, [18] for example aiding in moving supplies during the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. [19] The Diplomatic Courier Service transported 116,351 items weighing approximately 5,353,000 pounds in 2017. The service's only incident involving an item that failed to reach its destination occurred in 1919, when a baby grand piano was lost during transit aboard the Orient Express. [20] Couriers are trained for roughly twelve to fourteen weeks in Washington, D.C., and during their careers may be assigned to one of various offices around the world.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diplomatic immunity</span> Form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments and tribunals

Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country. It allows diplomats safe passage and freedom of travel in a host country and affords almost total protection from local lawsuits and prosecution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diplomatic mission</span> Representatives of one state in another

A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes an embassy or high commission, which is the main office of a country's diplomatic representatives to another country; it is usually, but not necessarily, based in the receiving state's capital city. Consulates, on the other hand, are smaller diplomatic missions that are normally located in major cities of the receiving state. As well as being a diplomatic mission to the country in which it is situated, an embassy may also be a nonresident permanent mission to one or more other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuncio</span> Papal ambassador

An apostolic nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is appointed by and represents the Holy See, and is the head of the diplomatic mission, called an apostolic nunciature, which is the equivalent of an embassy. The Holy See is legally distinct from the Vatican City or the Catholic Church. In modern times, a nuncio is usually an archbishop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations</span> 1961 international treaty

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries. Its aim is to facilitate "the development of friendly relations" among governments through a uniform set of practices and principles; most notably, it codifies the longstanding custom of diplomatic immunity, in which diplomatic missions are granted privileges that enable diplomats to perform their functions without fear of coercion or harassment by the host country. The Vienna Convention is a cornerstone of modern international relations and international law and is almost universally ratified and observed; it is considered one of the most successful legal instruments drafted under the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mail</span> System for transporting documents and other small packages

The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal systems have generally been established as a government monopoly, with a fee on the article prepaid. Proof of payment is usually in the form of an adhesive postage stamp, but a postage meter is also used for bulk mailing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office</span> Ministerial department of the UK Government

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID). The FCO was itself created in 1968 by the merger of the Foreign Office (FO) and the Commonwealth Office. The department in its various forms is responsible for representing and promoting British interests worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diplomat</span> Person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization

A diplomat is a person appointed by a state, intergovernmental, or nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or international organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Parcel Service</span> American package delivery company

United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) is an American multinational shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company specializing in telegraphs, UPS has grown to become a Fortune 500 company and one of the world's largest shipping couriers. UPS today is primarily known for its ground shipping services as well as the UPS Store, a retail chain which assists UPS shipments and provides tools for small businesses. UPS offers air shipping on an overnight or two-day basis and delivers to post office boxes through UPS Mail Innovations and UPS SurePost, two services that pass on packages to the United States Postal Service for last-mile delivery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Package delivery</span> Type of delivery service

Package delivery or parcel delivery is the delivery of shipping containers, parcels, or high-value mail as single shipments. The service is provided by most postal systems, express mail, private courier companies, and less-than-truckload shipping carriers. Package delivery is different in each country, and how packages are delivered is closely connected with the cost for delivering to that country as well as population. In 2019, China, The United States, and Japan were the leaders in package delivery while Latvia, Macau, and Iceland were the bottom three. The population of the bottom three barely totals 2 million while the population of the top three tops totals more than 2 billion. Package delivery is an every day occurrence in the US while many other countries do not have this luxury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle messenger</span> People who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle

Bicycle messengers are people who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas. Courier companies use bike messengers because bicycle travel is less subject to unexpected holdups in city traffic jams, and is not deterred by parking limitations, fees or fines in high-density development that can hinder or prevent delivery by motor vehicle, thereby offering a predictable delivery time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cargo</span> Goods or produce transported

In transportation, freight refers to goods conveyed by land, water or air, while cargo refers specifically to freight when conveyed via water or air. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in case of goods in the cold-chain, because the perishable inventory is always in transit towards a final end-use, even when it is held in cold storage or other similar climate-controlled facilities, including warehouses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courier</span> Person or company delivering items

A courier is a person or organization that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are government or state agency employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diplomatic bag</span> Transported package of a diplomatic mission, exempt from inspection or seizure

A diplomatic bag, also known as a diplomatic pouch, is a container with certain legal protections used for carrying official correspondence or other items between a diplomatic mission and its home government or other diplomatic, consular, or otherwise official entity. The physical concept of a "diplomatic bag" is flexible and it can take many forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Messenger</span> UK government courier

The Corps of King's Messengers are couriers employed by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They hand-carry secret and important documents to British embassies, high commissions, and consulates around the world. Many King’s Messengers were retired Army personnel. Messengers generally travel in plain clothes in business class on scheduled airlines with their consignment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna Convention on Consular Relations</span> 1963 international treaty

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is an international treaty that defines a framework for consular relations between sovereign states. It codifies many consular practices that originated from state custom and various bilateral agreements between states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consul (representative)</span> Diplomatic rank

A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Diplomatic law is that area of international law that governs permanent and temporary diplomatic missions. A fundamental concept of diplomatic law is that of diplomatic immunity, which derives from state immunity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consulate</span> Official office of one country in another country

A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country, usually an embassy. The term "consulate" may refer not only to the office of a consul, but also to the building occupied by the consul and the consul's staff. The consulate may share premises with the embassy itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protecting power</span> Country that represents a second country to a third country

A protecting power is a country that represents another sovereign state in a country where it lacks its own diplomatic representation. It is common for protecting powers to be appointed when two countries break off diplomatic relations with each other. The protecting power is responsible for looking after the protected power's diplomatic property and citizens in the hosting state. If diplomatic relations were broken by the outbreak of war, the protecting power will also inquire into the welfare of prisoners of war and look after the interests of civilians in enemy-occupied territory.

Consular immunity privileges are described in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 (VCCR). Consular immunity offers protections similar to diplomatic immunity, but these protections are not as extensive, given the functional differences between consular and diplomatic officers. For example, consular officers are not accorded absolute immunity from a host country’s criminal jurisdiction, they may be tried for certain local crimes upon action by a local court, and are immune from local jurisdiction only in cases directly relating to consular functions.

References

  1. ↑ "Ensuring delivery and retrieval of sensitive U.S. diplomatic materials". Washington Post. May 22, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Our history". FCDO Services. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  3. ↑ "The Silver Greyhound - The Messenger Service - History of government". history.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  4. 1 2 Allen, E. John B. (1972). Post and Courier Service in the Diplomacy of Early Modern Europe. doi:10.1007/978-94-010-2847-9. ISBN   978-90-247-1496-4.
  5. ↑ Bruns, Kai (2014). A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy: Britain and the Negotiation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Bloomsbury. ISBN   978-1-62892-154-0.
  6. ↑ Wren, Christopher S.; Times, Special To the New York (1981-12-06). "CHINA TAKES ISSUE WITH DIPLOMATIC NICETIES". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  7. ↑ "A picture in time: Evdokia Petrov in the hands of Soviet 'couriers' at Sydney airport". The Guardian. 2022-04-19. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  8. ↑ "Our history". FCDO Services. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  9. ↑ "The Silver Greyhound - The Messenger Service - History of government". history.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  10. ↑ "The King's Messengers - Part of FCDO Services". FCDO Services. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  11. ↑ "Secure logistics".
  12. ↑ "BBC News | UK | Diplomatic bag: The inside story". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  13. ↑ Hughes, Trevor (April 12, 2018). "100 years of secrecy: The story of America's first swashbuckling diplomatic couriers". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Diplomatic Couriers - History". U.S. Department of State.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Diplomatic Couriers: A Historic Timeline". afsa.org. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  16. 1 2 "Behind the Iron Curtain - U.S. Diplomatic Couriers - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  17. ↑ "Ensuring delivery and retrieval of sensitive U.S. diplomatic materials". Washington Post. May 22, 2012.
  18. 1 2 Adams, Eric. "Riding With the Diplomatic Couriers Who Deliver America's Secret Mail". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  19. 1 2 Martel, Patrick. "Diplomatic Couriers support final operations in Afghanistan." State Magazine, November 2021, 1b+. Gale Academic OneFile (accessed February 15, 2023). https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/apps/doc/A683063534/AONE?u=mlin_b_bumml&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=e7e64e7c.
  20. ↑ Adams, Eric (9 January 2018). "Riding With the Diplomatic Couriers Who Deliver America's Secret Mail". Wired. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
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