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High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.

The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.

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The Commonwealth

The Tanzanian High Commission in London. Tanzania and the United Kingdom are both members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Tanzanian High Commission in London. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Tanzania and the United Kingdom are both members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
Main article: High Commissioner (Commonwealth)

In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat (ranking as an ambassador) in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another. This article deals with the office and title of High Commissioner in the British Empire and Commonwealth Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country

Formerly, in the British Empire, high commissioners were appointed by the British Government and to manage protectorates or groups of territories not fully under the sovereignty of the British Crown. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect

Other (mainly former, colonial) empires & protectorates

In the (post-)colonial sense, some other powers had High Commissioners, or rather the exact equivalent in their language

French

Originally the French word Haut Commissaire, or in full Haut Commissaire de la république 'High Commissioner of the Republic', was rarely used for governatorial functions, rather (Lieutenant-)gouverneur(-général) and various lower titles. Exceptions were:

In the later period of decolonisation, the office of High Commissioner in a colony to become an allied nation was intended to become remarkably analogous to the Commonwealth's 'close relationship diplomats' in President General De Gaulle's project for a French Union to match the Commonwealth, but it soon started to fall apart, so they actually just presided over most of the peaceful decolonisation. Decolonization refers to the undoing of Colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction The French Union (Union française was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial system the " French Empire

While the colonies above were generally artificially carved creations, Haut commissaires also were appointed by Paris to prepare the (de facto) independence of pre-existing monarchies that had formally been French protectorates, such as:

Yet a colony could achieve independence without a High Commissioner, e. g. Guinée (French Guinea). Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea French Guinea (Guinée française was a French protectorate in West Africa.

In one case a French Haut Commissaire was the exact match and colleague of a British High Commissioner: they represented both powers in the south sea condominium (i. e. territory under joint sovereignty) of the New Hebrides, which became the present republic of Vanuatu. Hebrides (disambiguation New Hebrides was the colonial name for an Island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu ( French: République de Vanuatu, Bislama: Ripablik blong Vanuatu) is an Island

A very special category was the Haut Commissaire as 'liquidator' of a gouvernement-général (the colonial echelon grouping several neighbouring colonies under a Governor-general), notably:

Another use for the title was found in the rare remaining insulara (formerly no longer colonial) overseas possessions, in these cases still functioning:

Greek

On 30 July 1922, the Hellenic kingdom (Greece) declared Smyrna (the Anatolian Izmir district, occupied by Greece since 12 May 1919) a protectorate. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This article is on the Ancient Greek city of Smyrna principally in connection with the ruins remaining to this day Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Until on 9 September 1922 Greece restores Smyrna to Turkey after defeat of Greek forces, it had a Greek High Commissioner (21 May 1919 - 8 September 1922): Aristeidis Stergiadis (b. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 1861 - d. 1950)

Italian

Portuguese

The title Alto Comissário da República (High Comissioner of the Republic) or, simply Alto Comissário, was given to some portuguese colonial governors to who were given, excepcional, enlarged executive and legislative powers, superiors to those of common Governors. In the Monarchy, before 1910, they were known as Comissários Régios (Royal Comissioners). Had been nominated Altos Comissários or Comissários Régios for:

Spanish

Alto comisario was the Spanish title of the official exercing the functions of a governor in the following colonial possessions:

The title Alto Comisario was also used for the representative of Spain in its protectorate zone within the Sherifan sultanate of Morocco (most of the country was under French protectorate), known as el Jalifato after the khalifa (Jalifa in Spanish), the Sultan's fully mandated, princely Viceroy in this protectorate, to which the High Commissioner was formally accredited, but whose senior he was in reality. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa In 1934 - 1956 the Governors of the Western Sahara (which from 27 November 1912 were also Governors-general of Spanish West Africa) were subordinated to him. Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Spanish West Africa ((Territorios de África Occidental Española is a former possession in the western Sahara Desert that Spain ruled after giving much of its former The office itself was however filled by the governors of Spanish West Africa from 1939 to 1956.

United States

High Commissioners as Extraordinary Government Agents

In many cases, a political vacuum created by war, occupation or other events discontinuing a country's constitutional government has been filled by those able to do so, one nation or often an alliance, installing a transitional (often minimal) governance administered by, or under supervision of, one or more High Commissioners representing it/them. For example:

Domestic High Commissioners

In France, a high commissioner, in French haut-commissaire, is a civil servant appointed by the President of France to some high level position within France:

Multilaterally mandated

Representing an international alliance

Often the main/locally concerned members of an alliance would not set up a joint occupation authority (as in Italy after the Nazi defeat) but simply each appoint one for each of the zones into which they physically divided amongst themselves an occupied state or territory, e. g. after World War II:

Emancipatory administrators under International law

These 'guardianships' most often were simply awarded to the former colonial power or if that was a loser in the preceding World War, to the 'liberating' Allied victor(s).

League of Nations - Mandate territories

United Nations

UN Trust Territories

Other UN administration

Representing the world universally

At the United Nations and affiliated global organisations, a High Commissioner serves as the permanent chief executive of a commission composed of representatives of various member nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security A committee (some of which are titled instead as a "Commission" or other terms discussed below in) is a type of small Deliberative assembly that is usually intended A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered

See also

References

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR (established December 14, 1950) is a Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR (established December 14, 1950) is a Lord High Commissioner is the style of High Commissioners ie direct representatives of the Monarch, in three cases in the Kingdom of Scotland and the
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