Legislation Details
- Full Title: Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Law Type: Federal Decree-Law
- Law Number: (8) of 2022
- Issued Date: 05 Sep 2022
- Effective Date: 16 Sep 2022
- Official Gazette: No. 735
- Sector: Government Affairs
- Status: Active
- Number of Articles: 60
- Chapters/Parts: 0
- Amendments: 2
Summary
This Federal Decree-Law regulates the organization and competences of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It defines the Ministry's role in formulating and implementing the UAE's foreign policy, managing diplomatic and consular relations, and coordinating with other government entities on international affairs. The law establishes the structure and leadership of the Ministry, including the Minister, Assistant Ministers, Undersecretary, and various organizational units. It also outlines the Ministry's specific responsibilities, such as issuing diplomatic passports, authenticating documents, and overseeing the UAE's representative missions abroad. This legislation is crucial for businesses and individuals in the UAE who engage in international activities, as it governs the Ministry's role in facilitating and regulating these interactions. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Arts. 1-30)
What is the scope and purpose of this law?
The purpose of this Federal Decree-Law is to regulate the organization and competences of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It defines the Ministry's role in formulating and implementing the UAE's foreign policy, managing diplomatic and consular relations, and coordinating with other government entities on international affairs. The law applies to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its organizational units, personnel, and the UAE's representative missions abroad. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Arts. 1-2)
What are the key definitions under this law?
The law provides the following key definitions:
- State: United Arab Emirates
- Ministry: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Minister: Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry Council: Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Corps Council: Council of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps
- Representative Mission: Embassies, consulates, and representative offices of the UAE in foreign countries, and the UAE's permanent delegations to regional and international organizations, authorities, and agencies
(Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 1)
What are the main obligations and requirements?
The law outlines the following key obligations and requirements for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 1. Formulate proposals for planning the UAE's foreign policy and supervise its implementation. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 2) 2. Protect the interests of the UAE and its nationals abroad. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 2) 3. Supervise the UAE's relations with other countries and manage diplomatic and consular representation. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 2) 4. Supervise the UAE's relations with regional and international organizations. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 2) 5. Participate in negotiations relating to foreign relations. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 2)
Which authorities or bodies are responsible for enforcement?
The key authorities and bodies responsible for the enforcement and governance of this law include: 1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is the principal advisor to the UAE President on foreign affairs and represents the Ministry before higher state authorities. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 3) 2. The Assistant Ministers, who assist the Minister in managing the Ministry's departments and implementing its approved policy. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 5) 3. The Undersecretary, who is responsible for proposing administrative systems, supervising financial and administrative affairs, and exercising delegated competences from the Minister. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 6) 4. The Ministry Council, which is responsible for advising the Minister on the Ministry's affairs. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 17) 5. The Corps Council, which oversees matters related to the diplomatic and consular corps. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 19)
How does this law interact with other UAE legislation?
This Federal Decree-Law references and interacts with several other UAE federal laws, including: - Federal Law No. (1) of 1972 Regarding the Competences of the Ministries and the Powers of the Ministers - Federal Law No. (17) of 1972 Regarding Nationality and Passports - Federal Law No. (7) of 1999 Promulgating Pensions and Social Security Law - Federal Decree by Law No. (11) of 2008 Regarding Human Resources in the Federal Government - Federal Law No. (8) of 2011 Regarding the Reorganization of the State Audit Institution - Federal Law No. (5) of 2016 Regarding Diplomatic Decorations and Medals - Federal Law No. (11) of 2018 Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - Federal Law No. (1) of 2019 Regarding the Diplomatic and Consular Corps System - Federal Decree by Law No. (26) of 2019 Regarding Public Finance - Federal Decree by Law No. (14) of 2021 Regarding the Establishment of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security - Federal Decree by Law No. (29) of 2021 Regarding the Entry and Residence of Foreigners - Federal Decree No. (69) of 1999 Regarding the Regulation of Salaries and Additional Allowances for Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Preamble)
When did this law come into effect?
This Federal Decree-Law came into effect on 16 September 2022, as stated in the Effective Date provision. (Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022, Art. 30)
Source Documents
This article analyses Federal Decree by Law Regarding the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for legal research and educational purposes. For the purpose of interpretation and application, reference must be made to the original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text prevails. This does not constitute legal advice.