Honorary Consuls in Small State Diplomacy: Through Liechtenstein’s Lens

Many governments in Europe and beyond are making cuts in their overseas diplomatic network. Governments will have to be more imaginative in maning most of their embassies, consulates and other types of foreign presence.

That is where the honorary consul comes into the picture. The Netherlands, for instance, has well over 300 honorary consuls. Many states have a traditition of working with such non-career consuls in a variety of ways, and they can benefit from the experiences of other governments.

This paper seeks to extend the limited literature on honorary consuls. The author's examination of the Principality of Liechtenstein's use of honorary consuls in selected bilateral relationships shows the roles they perform outside classical consular functions.