Department of Foreign Affairs (Sanctaria)
 Seal of the Sanctarian Department of Foreign Affairs | |
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | November 19, 1974 |
| Jurisdiction | Sanctaria |
| Headquarters | Bruton House, Corpus Street, Sanctus |
| Employees | 45,600 Foreign Service employees 32,700 Civil Service employees 76,000 Foreign Service National employees |
| Annual budget | S£6.4 trillion (2011) |
| Minister responsible | |
The Department of Foreign Affairs (often referred to as DoFA), is the Sanctarian governmental department responsible for international relations of the Divine Republic, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries. The Department was created in 1974, along with all other governmental departments.
The Department is headquartered in Bruton House located in Corpus Street, a few blocks from St.George's Palace in the government district of Sanctus. The Department operates the diplomatic missions of the Divine Republic abroad and is responsible for implementing the foreign policy of Sanctaria and Sanctarian diplomacy efforts.
The Department is led by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, who is nominated by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the House of Deputies, and appointed by the President. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet. The current Secretary for Foreign Affairs is Andrew Silk MP.
Organisation
The Department of Foreign Affairs is headed by the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, also known as the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. The Secretary is aided by several other Deputies, called Ministers, each with their own brief. The Department is solely staff by civil servants, with the exception of the Department and Ministry heads who are elected officials. The Secretary and Minister(s) may employ non civil servants as personal/secretarial assistants. They report back to the Secretary, who in turn reports back to the Cabinet and, indeed, the Parliament.
- Department of Foreign Affairs
Duties and Responsibilities
The Department of Foreign Affairs is the lead Sanctarian foreign affairs agency, and its head, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, is the Prime Minister's principal foreign policy advisor, though other officials or individuals may have more influence on their foreign policy decisions. The Department advances Sanctarian objectives and interests in the world through its primary role in developing and implementing the Prime Minister's foreign policy. It also provides an array of important services to Sanctarian citizens and to foreigners seeking to visit or immigrate to the Divine Republic.
As stated by the Department of Foreign Affairs, its purpose includes, but is not limited to:
- Protecting and assisting Sanctarian citizens living or travelling abroad;
- Assisting Sanctarian businesses in the international marketplace;
- Coordinating and providing support for international activities of other Sanctarian agencies, official visits overseas and at home, and other diplomatic efforts;
- Coordination and management of Sanctaria's membership in international organisations and agencies;
- Keeping the public informed about Sanctarian foreign policy and relations with other countries and providing feedback from the public to administration officials;
- Oversight of Sanctaria's International Aid budget;
- Development and and oversight of trade both regionally and internationally.
The Department of Foreign Affairs conducts these activities with a civilian workforce, and normally uses the Foreign Service personnel system for positions that require service abroad. Employees may be assigned to diplomatic missions abroad to represent Sanctaria, analyze and report on political, economic, and social trends; adjudicate visas; and respond to the needs of Sanctaria citizens abroad. The Divine Republic maintains diplomatic relations with about hundreds of countries and maintains relations with many international organizations. In Sanctaria, about 32,000 professional, technical, and administrative employees work compiling and analyzing reports from overseas, providing logistical support to posts, communicating with the Sanctarian public, formulating and overseeing the budget, issuing passports and travel warnings, and more.