Chargé d'affaires

In unusual situations, in cases where disputes between the two countries make it impossible or undesirable to send agents of a higher diplomatic rank, a chargé d'affaires may be appointed for an indefinite period.

It is usual to appoint a minister-counsellor, counsellor, or embassy secretary as chargé d'affaires ad interim, and that person is presented to the foreign minister of the receiving state.

[2][7][4] In certain cases, a chargé d'affaires may be appointed for long periods, such as when a mission is headed by a non-resident ambassador who is accredited to multiple countries.

In addition, a mission may be downgraded from an ambassadorial to a chargé d'affaires level to show displeasure, yet avoid taking the extremely serious step of breaking diplomatic relations.

[9] The Holy See recalled the ambassador to Taipei right after United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 ceased to recognize the Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China, and thus chargé d'affaires becomes the most top-ranked de facto envoy to Taipei since then (the ambassador did not leave his position until 1979).

[3] However, there have been rare historical circumstances in which the title chargé d'affaires was in fact employed in a more significant colonial role, as commonly held by a resident.

[further explanation needed] In French, chargé d'affaires may be used outside diplomacy to designate an individual with some more or less temporary responsibility for a specific area of business, understood broadly.