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In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires (French for “in charge of business”), is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents:

1. Chargés d’affaires (ministres chargés d'affaires), who were placed by the reglement of the Congress of Vienna in the fourth class of diplomatic agents, are heads of permanent missions accredited to countries to which, for some reason, it is not possible or not desirable to send agents of a higher rank (although the countries maintain diplomatic relations). They are distinguished from these latter by the fact that their credentials are addressed by the minister for foreign affairs of the state which they are to represent to the minister for foreign affairs of the receiving state. Though still occasionally accredited, ministers of this class are now rare. They have precedence over the other class of chargés d’affaires.
2. Chargés d’affaires ad interim, or chargés des affaires a.i., are those who are presented as such, either verbally or in writing, by heads of missions of the first, second or third rank to the minister for foreign affairs of the state to which they are accredited, when they leave their post temporarily, or pending the arrival of their successor. It is usual to appoint a counsellor or secretary of legation chargé d’affaires. Some governments are accustomed to give the title of minister to such chargés d’affaires, which ranks them with the other heads of legation. Essentially, chargés d’affaires do not differ from ambassadors, envoys or ministers resident. They represent their nation, and enjoy the same privileges and immunities as other diplomatic agents.

However, there have been rare historical circumstances in which a diplomatic post, formally ranking as chargé d’affaires, was in fact employed in a more significant colonial role, as commonly held by a Resident. Thus, in Annam-Tonkin (most of present Vietnam), the first French chargé d’affaires at Huế, the local ruler’s capital, since 1875; one of them (three terms) was appointed the first Resident-general on 11 June 1884, as they stopped being tributary to the Chinese empire, less than a year after the 25 August 1883 French protectorates over Annam and Tonkin (central and northern regions).

In French usage, chargé d’affaires may be used outside diplomacy either as a specific position, or in general terms to indicate an individual with some more or less temporary responsibility for a specific area of activity.

Chargé d’affaires generally follows French usage: chargé d’affaires is singular, chargés d’affaires for plural. The “d’affaires” is always in the plural form (with the plural “s” at the end), and uncapitalized throughout. Although non-standard and unusual, chargée d’affaires (with the feminine ending) may be seen where the chargé is female.

For temporary chargés, ad interim may or may not be added depending on the context, but is always lower case; it may be italicized or shortened to simply a.i.

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• eDiplomat.com: Glossary of Diplomatic Terms
• WorldStatesmen-Italian states to 1860