What is an honorary counsel general ?

Question

I tried looking on the web but there seems to be no definite answer to what is an honorary counsel general and how they're appointed and what do they do. I'll appreciate some clarification on that. Thanks.

Answer 1

Jus like any honorary degree or title, it is a hollow title, which carrys no weight or power. It is nothing more than window dressing.

Answer 2

A Consul General is sort of a "mini" ambassador.  He's the head of a "consulate", which is kind of an embassy on a much smaller basis.

For example...Germany has an embassy in Washington, D.C. because that's where our national capitol is located.  But they also have a consulate in Atlanta (and probably several other cities across the country).  The consul general there serves more or less the same role as the ambassador serves in Washington, D.C....with the exception that the ambassador/embassy deals more with international policy...while the consulate/consul general deals more with trade/public relations issues for his country throughout the area for which his consulate is responsible.  

An ambassador will meet and speak with with Presidents, Prime Ministers,Kings and Queens, national legislatures, etc.  A consul general will usually meet and speak with with trade associations, educational organizations, media organizations, etc.

You might consider an embassy sort of like the national sales office for a big company, whereas the consulate is like a regional sales office.

An honorary consul general is an "honorary" title bestowed on someone generally for long, outstanding service to the nation.  It's not an "ambassador" rank, which would be a little too high to bestow as just an honorary "thank you" for someone's service....but it is a high enough rank to be a rare and distinct honor.

Answer 3

THEY ARE NOT PAID AND do re route informations of the aera where they are based, concerning the people from the country thay represent

Answer 4

A consul general heads a consulate general and is a consul of the highest rank serving at a principal location and usually responsible for other consular offices within a country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consul_gene...

The position is strictly # honorary # and Mr. Kerosky has no visa or passport duties. All passport and visa questions and inquiries should continue to be addressed to the Consulate for the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles located at 12400 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 555, Los Angeles, California 90025; telephone: [phone]. (just an example here )

http://www.youradwokat.com/consul.html

Answer 5

You're right, you've gotten some not-paying-attention answers.

Here you are:

There is no such thing as a honorary consul general.  There are, however, honorary consuls.

Honorary consuls have no official diplomatic status, no diplomatic immunity, no formal credentials, and no fixed length of assignment.  Most of their duties are ceremonial, cultural, commercial or social and are totally voluntary. They are not paid, and receive no benefits from the country they represent; they are expected to earn their own income from the business they already do, or that their consulship generates.  An honorary consul is usually of the nationality of the host nation, not the represented one:  that is, the Austrian Consul General in Boston is an American citizen. To be an honorary consul requires that the applicant request the title from the embassy of the country he wishes to represent.  They send the request their Foreign Office, which decides.

Here is some more useful information:

http://travel.state.gov/law/consular/con...