The global threat of rogue diplomacy November 14, 2022 Serdar Vardar | Pelin Ünkern Source https://p.dw.com/p/4JW0K Honorary consuls, a class of voluntary diplomat, are among the least-regulated actors in international diplomacy. A joint investigation by DW and partners reveals how it is abused by criminals and even terrorists. Diplomatic passports allow title holders numerous perks and clear financial advantages.
Shadow Diplomats shines light on one of the least-examined roles in international diplomacy: the honorary consul. These volunteer diplomats work from their home countries to promote the interests of foreign governments, typically in places without an embassy or consulate.
Many honorary consuls provide valuable services. But the system, intended to leverage the experience and connections of upstanding citizens, has empowered unscrupulous operators and imperiled vulnerable communities around the world.
The Shadow Diplomats investigation marks the first collaboration between the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and ProPublica. One hundred and sixty journalists from 46 countries joined the reporting.
ICIJ, ProPublica and media partners identified at least 500 current and former honorary consuls who have been accused of crimes or embroiled in controversy. Some were convicted of serious offenses or caught exploiting their status for personal gain; others drew criticism for their support of authoritarian regimes.
Consuls have stood accused of hiding cash and contraband in their offices and pouches. They’ve invoked diplomatic credentials to avoid searches and arrests. They’ve denounced sanctions against Russia, and publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine.
The numbers are almost certainly an undercount.
Seventy-eight countries do not make public the names of their honorary consuls. The lack of transparency and accountability fuel the controversies at the heart of this investigation
Before the investigation was published, questions from reporters working on the project prompted impact in two countries. Germany and Austria announced the dismissal of one consul in Brazil. Another consul in Switzerland announced his resignation.
Scattered references to honorary consuls have surfaced for years
Leakedeak documents are at the center of multiple investigations by ICIJ and its partners into the world of offshore wealth. ICIJ reporter Will Fitzgibbon and ProPublica’s Debbie Cenziper began pulling together narratives and case studies chronicling the abuses perpetrated by honorary consuls. Media partners around the world, as well as student journalists from Northwestern University’s Medill Investigative Lab, led by Cenziper, were instrumental to this effort.
The team at ICIJ and ProPublica collected the names of honorary consuls
tincluding those who had abused their positions. The names of consuls — or sometimes simply their titles — came up in news clips, government investigations, sanctions lists and other reports. Reporters searched court databases in Brazil, France, Ukraine, Spain, Germany and submitted public information requests in Croatia, Finland, El Salvador and Honduras, among other countries.
Patterns started to emerge. The team identified accused operatives from the terrorist group Hezbollah who have had honorary consul status — reporting featured prominently in ICIJ and ProPublica’s lead story.
The team also identified consuls sanctioned by the United States and other governments, including members of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. Those findings will feature in a forthcoming story that examines Russia’s use of the honorary consul system
Empowered Unscrupulous Operators and Imperiled Vulnerable
Transparency challenges
There is no international database of honorary consuls, and many countries maintain poor records, or release no information at all. ICIJ’s data team contacted the foreign ministries of countries that failed to make the names of their consuls public. Reporters requested the names of their consuls and for other information about them; most failed to reply.
Governments have failed to oversee the troubled system
Using information from public records’ requests and lists of consuls published online, the team created an index to assess the transparency of countries and their honorary consul appointments. That index is available here and the findings will be part of a forthcoming story about how governments have failed to oversee the troubled system of international diplomacy.
WWW.JCIJ.ORG
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Inc., is an independent global network of 280 investigative journalists and over 140 media organizations spanning ``more than 100 countries. It is based in Washington, D.C., with personnel in Australia, France, Spain, Hungary, Serbia, Belgium and Ireland.
Date founded: 1997
Parent organization: Center for Public Integrity
Founder: Charles Lewis
Abbreviation: ICIJ
Director: Gerard Ryle
Location: Washington, D.C.
Petrus Regoutplein 1F02
6211XX Maastricht
The Netherlands
+31 43 325 40 30
info@ejc.net