The Institution of Honorary Consuls and Its Legal Environment

Abstract

Honorary consuls are recognized in international law and enjoy several privileges and immunities provided by the Vienna Convention on Consular relations. This institution has its roots in the ancient Greek ’proxeny’, who exercised custody of foreign nationals without remuneration. In the present economic setting, the institution of honorary consuls is beginning to be recognized more highly than before, though it still represents a resource that has so far been unexploited. It is built upon the commitment of its participants, who will – in case the appropriate international legal background has been established – eventually become part of an effective mechanism that helps execute the successful strategies of foreign policy and trade. The article provides an overview of the relevant international processes and also offers an insight into the tendencies, along which the restructuring of the scope of honorary consuls has been developed; in this discourse, particular importance will be attached to the contradictory legal framework of the operations of honorary consuls.