An ambassador-at-large is a
diplomat, a
secretary, or a
minister of the highest rank who is accredited to represent a country and its people internationally.
Unlike an
ambassador-in-residence, who is usually limited to a country or
embassy, the ambassador-at-large is entrusted to operate in several usually neighboring countries, a region or sometimes hold a seat in an international organization like the
United Nations and the other international organizations. In some cases, an ambassador-at-large may even be specifically assigned a role to advise and assist the state or a government in particular issues. Historically, presidents or prime ministers have designated special diplomatic envoys for specific assignments, primarily overseas but sometimes also within the country as an ambassador-at-large.
Honorific title
According to international protocol, ambassadors and ambassadors-at-large are officially styled and addressed as His/Her Excellency, or Mister/Madam Ambassador. The title may be abbreviated in official correspondence as H.E.[1]
United States ambassadors-at-large
The
US president appointed the first official who specifically bore the title of ambassador-at-large on 12 March 1949 under the authority vested in
Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution to deal with specific foreign policy issues, which have been frequently spelled out in their commissions.
Ambassador-at-large positions in the diplomatic corps of the
US State Department include:
^Milani, Abbas (2008). Eminent Persians: The Men and Women who Made Modern Iran, 1941-1979. Vol. 1. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. pp. 766–767.
ISBN978-0815609070.