Vatican City

{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="4" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; width:250px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%; clear: right"

Foreign relations

The Holy See is the legal body that conducts diplomatic relations for the Vatican City. It maintains formal diplomatic relations with 174 sovereign states, the European Union, and the Order of Malta; 69 of these maintain permanent resident diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See in Rome. The rest have missions with dual accreditation outside Italy, as the Holy See does not accept dual accreditation with an embassy located in Italy. It also has relations of a special nature with Russia (Mission with an Ambassador) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (Office with a Director). The Holy See maintains 179 permanent diplomatic missions abroad (106 of which are accredited to sovereign states). The diplomatic activities of the Holy See are performed by the Secretariat of State (headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State), through the Section for Relations with States.

Related Topics:
Holy See - European Union - Order of Malta - Russia - Palestine Liberation Organization - Secretariat of State - Cardinal Secretary of State

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Holy See is especially active in international organizations. The Holy See has diplomatic relations with the European Union (EU) in Brussels, it is a permanent observer of the United Nations Organization (UN), Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, Organization of African Unity (OAU), World Tourist Organization (WToO), World Trade Organization (WTO), World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS), Latin Union (LU), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Related Topics:
Brussels - Organization of American States - Washington - Organization of African Unity - World Tourist Organization - World Trade Organization - World Health Organization - World Food Programme - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - United Nations Environment Programme - United Nations International Drug Control Programme - United Nations Centre for Human Settlements - Latin Union - International Organization for Migration - International Labour Organization - International Fund for Agricultural Development - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Holy See is also an observer on an informal basis of the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva (WMO), United Nations Committee of Peaceful Use of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), International Maritime Organization (IMO), African Asian Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Related Topics:
World Meteorological Organization - Geneva - United Nations Committee of Peaceful Use of Outer Space - International Strategy for Disaster Reduction - International Maritime Organization - African Asian Legal Consultative Committee - International Civil Aviation Organization

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Holy See is a member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Telecommunication Satellite Organization (ITSO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), International Grains Council (IGC), International Committee for Military Medicine (ICMM), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

Related Topics:
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - International Telecommunication Union - International Telecommunication Satellite Organization - World Intellectual Property Organization - Universal Postal Union - International Institute for the Unification of Private Law - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development - International Grains Council - International Committee for Military Medicine - International Atomic Energy Agency - Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1971, the Holy See announced the decision to adhere to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in order to "give its moral support to the principles that form the base of the treaty itself." The Holy See is also a participating state in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe: it is a guest of honour to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Related Topics:
Non-Proliferation Treaty - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Furthermore, the Holy See has a delegate to the Arab League in Cairo (AL).

Related Topics:
Arab League - Cairo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~