Director of the Diplomatic Protocol: Mariusz Kazana
Information about the Diplomatic Protocol
The Diplomatic Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays in the Republic of Poland the role of state protocol, which determines the general rules of protocol to be followed by the state and self-government administration in relations with foreign partners, and with the local diplomatic and consular corps.
The Diplomatic Protocol performs the following tasks:
• it prepares the plans and programs of visits of heads of state, heads of government and foreign ministers, and is responsible for their implementation;
• it collaborates with the relevant organizational units in preparing and implementing the programs of visits by the secretary of state, under-secretaries of state and director-general of the foreign service;
• it prepares the audiences of foreign diplomatic representatives with the president of the Republic of Poland, chairman of the Council of Ministers, speakers of the Sejm and Senate, and the minister of foreign affairs;
• as needed, it participates in organizing visits by plenipotentiary representatives of the Republic of Poland to the president of the Republic of Poland, chairman of the Council of Ministers and foreign minister;
• it handles the protocol at diplomatic receptions given by the president, chairman of the Council of Ministers, as well as the minister of foreign affairs, secretary of state, under-secretaries of state and director-general of the foreign service;
• it conducts the protocol correspondence of the president of the Republic of Poland, chairman of the Council of Ministers and the minister of foreign affairs with their counterparts;
• it handles matters pertaining to the accreditation and exequatur of representatives of foreign states to the Republic of Poland and representatives of Poland abroad;
• it deals with matters connected with the establishment and operation of consular offices of foreign states headed by honorary consuls, and with granting them exequatur;
• it ensures the respecting of diplomatic and consular privileges and immunities, with reciprocity, in the Republic of Poland and abroad;
• it keeps the register of the staff of diplomatic missions, consular offices and other persons enjoying diplomatic privileges and immunities in the Republic of Poland; it issues the appropriate documents and grants diplomatic and service visas to this group of persons; it publishes the “Diplomatic and Consular List”;
• it handles matters connected with ensuring that foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices and missions of international organizations and members of their staff can avail themselves of their privileges and immunities, and have favorable conditions of work, and ascertains – for the needs of Polish authorities and institutions – their status and scope of privileges and immunities to which they are entitled;
• it collaborates with the relevant services on matters relating to security of foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices, residences of mission heads and staff members, and other persons entitled to privileges and immunities,
• it initiates, prepares and reviews drafts of international agreements and other legal acts concerning privileges and immunities;
• it deals with customs and tax exemptions applicable to diplomatic missions, consular offices, international organizations entitled to privileges and immunities, and members of their staff;
• it collaborates in the conclusion of agreements concerning visa privileges for holders of diplomatic and service passports, and persons enjoying privileges and immunities on the basis of laws, agreements or universally accepted international practice; it supervises the implementation of such agreements;
• it deals with matters pertaining to schools operated by foreign diplomatic missions in the Republic of Poland;
• it drafts contracts for the employment of dependants of the staff of foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices and international organizations in enterprises and institutions on the territory of the Republic of Poland;
• it ensures that foreign diplomatic and consular staff are provided medical care to which they are entitled under the relevant agreements;
• it facilitates the purchase by the sending states of premises needed by their diplomatic missions and consular offices, and facilitates obtainment of such premises in other ways, and also keeps the records of real estate used and owned in the Republic of Poland by missions of other states;
• it handles matters connected with the granting of Polish state decorations and distinctions to foreigners and Polish citizens residing abroad, and matters connected with receipt by Polish citizens of decorations granted by the top state authorities of other states.
