Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
 | |
| Department/Ministry overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Ministers responsible | |
| Department/Ministry executive | |
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government responsible for promoting and establishing the United Kingdom's place on the world stage while working with civil servants and Cabinet. The FCDO is headed by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.
Responsibilities
According to the FCDO discord, the department is the core of Britain's connections to the wider world and Commonwealth of Nations. The department's key responsibilities are as follows:[1]
- Safeguarding the UK's interests abroad.
- Supporting the Commonwealth of Nations.
- Maintaining the UK's presence in international organisations.
In addition to the above responsibilities, the FCDO is responsible for the management of British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, which had previously been administered by the Privy Council. However, nations applying for such status still require the approval of the Privy Council.
Ministers
The FCDO Ministers are as follows:
| Minister | Rank | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| MichaelJRothschild MP | Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs | Overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team; Cabinet; National Security Council (NSC); strategy; policy. |
| Beastx17riley MP | Minister of State for Foreign Affairs | Aiding the Foreign Secretary in his responsibilities; Overseas Territories; open societies and human rights. |
| Marcus_Stuvyesant MP | Minister of State for Commonwealth and International Development | Commonwealth affairs; economic security; investment partnerships; research and development. |
Programme Funds
The FCDO, through its core departmental budget, funds a variety of projects and grants which are in line with its policy priorities. The funds are used for a wide range of projects and serve to support traditional diplomatic activities.
The FCDO plays a key role in distributing funds for two of the UK government's major funding schemes.[2]
- The Commonwealth Development Scheme intended to be used to promote activity within Commonwealth nations through the funding of traditional development methods.
- The tourism scheme designed to promote activity in Commonwealth nations through the promotion of said nations games and experiences.
Staff
The FCDO civil service staff, known as the diplomatic service, is ran by the Permanent Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office who is also Head of the Diplomatic Service. It is their role to manage the various ambassadors, envoys, ministers, director generals and attachés who work at, or are stationed at, the department.
Ambassadors
Ambassadors are civil servants who make up the main bulk of the FCDO staff. They are members of His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and are tasked with maintaining British interests in a specified geographic region. Generally, ambassadors are experienced individuals from all across the United Kingdom with an interest in foreign affairs. Applications for these positions are posted rarely and generally are quite competitive. Given the high standards set for ambassadors, they are afforded a great deal of freedom to manage their responsibilities and their office. Some of the tasks ambassadors deal with are: arranging meetings with other nations, maintaining regular updates on events in their region, producing progress reports for their office and arranging methods of cooperation with other nations.
There are currently five ambassadors.
Military Attachés
Military Attachés are serving officers in the British Armed forces nominated by the Chief of Defence Staff to represent the interests of the fighting branches of the BAF in the FCDO. They are appointed by the Head of the Diplomatic Service but serve at the pleasure of the CDS. Attachés are tasked with arranging forms of military cooperation with the armed forces of allied nations.
There are currently three Military Attachés, one from each branch of the BAF.