ПОЧАСНИ КОНЗУЛИ
HONORARУ CONSULS

Summary/Abstract: The institute of honorary consuls, which is older than that of permanent diplomatic missions, was created already at the time of Crusade in the Levant and the Mediterranean. The tasks, the role and status of honorary consuls have not been changed much throughout the entire development since that time. Most important functions are related to economic cooperation, navigation, tourist trade, information and cultural activities, as well as to the protection of interests of the nominating state. In course of time functions of honorary consuls have been narrowed down, which particularly applies to their loosing of judiciary function in matters of their citizens.Consular service of the Dubrovnik Republic has much contributed to the development of the institute, which is true also for the regime of capitulations which was applied between European states and those in the Orient and North Africa. According to that regime consuls have enjoyed privileged position connected to the system of colonialism, which lasted to the beginning of the twentieth century'. The status of honorary consuls is at present regulated by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, as well as by bilateral and multilateral treaties and customary law. Yugoslav practice and theory has entirely accepted the institute, although not so much in practice. However, due to intensive development of international trade, communication, transport, migration etc., many consular offices have been established in recent years. This institute has been accepted primarily by small and medium-size states, which were unable to maintain a wide network of consular offices headed by carrier consular officials. The institute of honorary' consuls has been generally accepted by international community in spite of some shortcomings.

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