The Honourable Arnold Foote speaking at the WCC 2012 Gala Banquet.It is my distinct honour and pleasure to welcome you this morning to the 10th General Assembly of the World Federation of Consuls in beautiful Monaco.

I am particularly grateful to the president, Hon. Moustapha El-Solh, and members of the Association of Honorary Consuls of Monaco and the chairman of the Organising Committee of the FICAC World Congress 2012, Hon. Takis Touliatos, who have all worked assiduously to ensure that the 10th World Congress of Consuls would be a resounding success.

I would now like to place on record my deep appreciation and thanks to all the directors who worked as a team in a very positive manner bringing successful results. I speak of:

• Hon. Amarkai Amarteifio, Vice President and Chairman of our Africa Region and member of the FICAC Legal Committee,
• Hon. Aykut Eken, Secretary General and Treasurer and Chairman of our Events Committee,
• Hon. K. L. Ganju, Chairman of our Consular Privileges Protection Committee,
• Hon. Dr. Virachai Techavijit, Chairman of our Membership and Education Committees,
• Hon. Nikos Margaropoulos, Chairman of the FICAC Legal Committee,
• Hon. Costas Lefkaritis, Chairman of our International Relations Committee,
• Hon. Kartar Bhalla, Chairman of South Asia Region, Chairman of our Vienna Convention Review Committee and Chairman of our Advisory Committee,
• Hon. Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Chairman of our Public Relations Committee,
• Hon. Takis Touliatos, Chairman of the FICAC WCC 2012 Organizing Committee and member of the FICAC Legal Committee,
• Hon. Vince Carlos, Chairman of our East Asia Region,
• Hon. Lamartine Hollanda Jr., Chairman of the South America Region,
• Hon. Paulina Biggs Sparkuhl, Chairperson of FICAC North America Region

The Izmir Declaration of World Congress 2009, marking the successful conclusion of the General Assembly, resolved:

• To take FICAC to all countries to strengthen the Consular Movement
• To bring all consuls of the world under the banner of FICAC
• To work towards the establishment of new member associations and their affiliation with FICAC
• To bring estranged states and consuls back to FICAC
• To work for removal of disparities between career consuls and honorary consuls
• To intensify efforts to improve the status of honorary consuls and create an ambiance in which they can discharge their functions with dignity
• To expand the role of honorary consuls to encompass the full range of economic, trade, cultural, political and diplomatic relations
• To call upon directors and chairmen of regional and subject committees to enhance the status and standing of the World Federation of Consuls in all regions and countries

Honourable Arnold Foote and Hon. Moustapha El-Solh escort His Serene Highness Prince Albert II to the Congress at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte Carlo where the Prince gave a keynote address. World Congress 2012 was held recently on Monaco under the distinguished patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II.

The General Assembly of the 9th World Congress gave us a powerful mandate. In order for our Federation to fulfill the mandate given, I reviewed all operations and structure and proposed changes and adjustments which I believed were necessary to improve and maintain an efficient and effective organisation in this ever-changing global environment.

As a result, “The Way Forward” programme was created.

Let me first deal with the Permanent Secretariat.

As you know, the Board appointed Director Hon. Aykut Eken, as Secretary General and Treasurer, combining the functions. As this may not be the case in the future, I have dealt with the functions separately.

The Permanent Secretariat is located at the offices of the Secretary General in Brussels, Belgium, and has overall responsibility for the secretarial work of our Federation. The Secretary General will work in consultation with the President and the Vice President.

FICAC directors with His Serene Highness Prince Albert II at WCC 2012. The World Congress was held under the distinguished patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II.

The functions of the Secretariat are:

• Organising the work of the Secretariat
• Preparing draft work programmes for consideration by the directors
• Supervising the implementation of work programmes and their coordination
• Conducting the everyday activities of FICAC
• Preparing an annual statement of membership of the Federation for circulation to all member associations.

In addition, the Secretariat is responsible for maintaining the files, archives, accounts and other records of FICAC and safeguarding those records.

The office of the Treasurer is an honorary position selected by the President and the Board tri-annually. Any support staff is the responsibility of the Treasurer.

Directors of the World Federation of Consuls and Hon. Moustapha El-Solh, president of the Association of Honorary Consuls of Monaco, leading a session at the WCC 2012.

All functions that have to be carried out by the Treasurer are in consultation with the President, Vice President and the Secretary General. These functions are;

• Submitting a triennial budgetary proposal, reviewed by the Board, and approved by the General Assembly
• Submitting the annual budget for approval of the Board
• Keeping, preparing and presenting statements of account
• Keeping the Board informed of the financial status of FICAC
• Collecting member’s fees and taking all measures in connection therewith
• Safeguarding the assets of the Federation and discharging its liabilities
• Depositing funds of the Federation in a bank
• Performing such other functions that the Board or the President may assign him

In addition, the Treasurer will prepare annual financial statements for audit on a timely basis for presentation to the Board of Directors.Honourable Arnold Foote makes a point during session of the World Congress held recently on Monaco.

I now move to the issue of the FICAC regions and the Central Committees.

I increased the number of regions to widen our coverage and service and to enhance our membership. The regions are based on the United Nations categorization. The FICAC regions are:

• East Asia – Chairman Hon. Vince Carlos of the Philippines
• South Asia – Chairman Hon. Kartar Bhalla of India
• Middle East – Chairman Hon. Khaled Miqdadi of Jordan
• Eastern Africa – Chairman Hon. Amarkai Amarteifio of Ghana
• Western Africa – Chairman Hon. Dimitri Avraam of Ghana
• Northern Africa – Chairman Hon. Dr. Ali Benkirane
• Southern Africa – Chairman Hon. Amarkai Amarteifio of Ghana
• Eastern Europe – Chairman Hon. Marko Smole of Slovenia
• Northern Europe – Chairman Hon. Aykut Eken of Turkey
• Western Europe – Chairman Hon. Count Niccolo Caissotti di Chuisano of Monaco
• Southern Europe – Chairman Hon. Nikolaos Margaropoulos of Greece
• South America – Chairman Hon. Lamartine Hollanda Jr. of Brazil
• North America – Chairman Hon. Paulina Biggs Sparkuhl of USA
• Caribbean – Chairman Hon. Antonio Alma of the Dominican Republic

Each committee of the Federation has been defined as to its purpose and how it is expected to operate at the FICAC level. Most of these committees are replicated at the regional level.

Committees have been set up to deal with specific issues of FICAC. Each committee is chaired either by a Board member or a Regional Chairman, and populated by choice of the Chair to include Deans and members who have specific interest in the topic.

The intention is for each region to have a similar organisational structure to the Federation, that is a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Board comprising of Deans of the region and appropriate committees.

Each region is managed by a Regional Chairman who attends Board meetings and reports on the progress of his or her region. It is expected that each region supports a regional secretariat located at the offices of the Regional Chairman, and that the Regional Chairman reports to the Secretary General on a monthly basis as prescribed by him.

The functions of the Regional Committees are similar to those of the Federation overall and they are as follows:

• To project the work of the World Federation by communicating on a regular basis with member countries
• Develop membership within the region – make special visits to countries which are not members
• Develop FICAC programmes within the region
• Visit member countries and encourage the work of the member corps – advising on projects and liaising with Chairmen of FICAC Committees
• Project each member positively in the receiving state by interacting with media, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and through the FICAC programmes etc.
• Promote annual trade expos in each country of the region
• Organise FICAC/UNICEF fundraising banquets in each country of the region
• Encourage educational programmes and work with FICAC Committees for recommending the appropriate programmes
• Create a better understanding of FICAC services – invite FICAC directors to the region.

There are 17 Central Committees supported by similar committees at the regional level.

1. Trade Development
2. Legal
3. Membership
4. Education
5. Consular Privilege Protection
6. International Relations
7. Public Relations
8. FICAC/UNICEF
9. Cultural Relations
10. Events
11. Vienna Convention Review
12. Communications – FICAC News and website
13. Economic Advisory
14. Environment and Climate Change
15. Fundraising
16. Benefits
17. Advisory

TRADE DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this committee is to promote cross border business, trade development and networking amongst members. The operation is to organize and host trade expos and missions amongst members.

The development of trade and its promotion is one of the main functions of the Consul, and it is also an integral part of the objectives of this administration.

Our Federation includes a high proportion of persons with considerable business expertise and they are therefore ideally suited for trade promotion.

International Trade Expos and Trade Fairs have been organized by members successfully. The member Corps that are doing this on an annual basis have seen the image and status of the Consular Corps involved, grow considerably. They have earned the respect of the Government of the country and, in particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

The Consular Corps who have organised FICAC International Trade Expos, have made a profit on it, which cleared all their annual expenses.

LEGAL

The purpose of the Legal Committee is to protect FICAC from lawsuits, develop policies and procedures for dealing with legal issues, review constitution and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 from legal perspective.

MEMBERSHIP

The Membership Committee’s purpose is to develop the membership base of the World Federation of Consuls. Its operation is to activate recruitment methodology including visits, consultations and presentations.

EDUCATION

The Education Committee’s purpose is to advise members on available educational programmes which satisfy their needs to increase effectiveness of the Consular duties and enhance their knowledge in specific areas.

We Honorary Consuls must become more relevant to the global struggle for peace, security and sustainable development.

The World Federation of Consuls has developed an International Relations and Diplomacy course for its members to constantly update the theory and practice the craft.

This International Relations and Diplomacy Course will provide you with an invaluable tool; the understanding of the relationship between states and how they impact on each other. It will help you to develop an analytical approach to international news, and will assist you to bring a fresh view to whatever your area of business or interest.

Courses are available that inform on other areas of our activities. Lectures on International Relations and Diplomacy and other topics can be arranged through our Secretariat.

CONSULAR PRIVILEGE PROTECTION

The FICAC Consular Privilege Protection Committee will work with members to ensure the enactment of the privileges in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963.

The Consular Privileges Protection Committee informed the Board of Directors that in the last four months, all the Consular Corps around the world were once again requested to send in the latest information regarding privileges, facilities and immunities being enjoyed by them. It is very encouraging to note that a large number of our members have responded and provided the latest information. As soon as this exercise is complete, all members will be informed.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The purpose of the International Relations Committee is to manage relationships between Governments, private sector associations, members and international agencies. This Committee is to ensure the highest class of membership for our Federation in international organisations.

Its operation is to develop working partnerships within member countries and between international agencies, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the United Nations, WTO and the World Bank/IFC. It is also to develop relationships with the Diplomatic Corps to assist with FICAC projects.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

The purpose of this Committee is to create international media awareness of FICAC by managing relationships with media, Governments and private sectors. Its operation is to maintain a working group in each region responsible for press releases relating to FICAC member activities.

This committee has to improve and make our communications more effective with our members, Governments and especially the international press. Even though we have shown improvement internationally, we have a far way to go, because the day has passed when institutions can afford anonymity – for institutions communicate by default just as surely as by design.

FICAC UNICEF COMMITTEE

We created our humanitarian outreach programme with UNICEF. The theme of our programme is “Consuls turning caring into action”.

The purpose of this Committee is to raise funds for the UNICEF programme which is designed to help underprivileged children living with HIV/AIDS.

Several FICAC member corps have already made significant contributions to the lives of underprivileged children of the world and in particular those who carry the additional burden of HIV/AIDS.

We must continue to work together on this important outreach programme

CULTURAL EXCHANGE COMMITTEE

The purpose of this Committee is to bring cultures of the world to member countries and present them to the general population of the Receiving State free of cost.

Its operation is to organise cultural exchange groups funded by the member countries.

EVENTS

The purpose of the Events Committee is to organise and stage events of the World Federation of Consuls such as awards ceremonies, annual meetings, FICAC Forum of the Americas, FICAC European Forum, FICAC Forum of Asia, FICAC African Forum etc. Its operation is to plan and execute these events.

VIENNA CONVENTION REVIEW

The purpose of this Committee is to review the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963.

The FICAC Regional Conference held in Monaco in February 2009 identified five disparities between career consuls and honorary consuls in the discharge of their functions and felt that the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 needs to be reviewed and the disparities removed.

These disparities, which do not appear to be fair or justified, tend to discriminate against honorary consuls, who are persons of high business standing, reputable professionals and do exactly the same work as career consuls of the same rank.

A petition giving detailed background and the Resolution of the FICAC Board of Directors with specific suggestions for the removal of disparities was sent to the UN Secretary General, Foreign Ministers of all countries, the UN Law Commission and the President of ECOSOC. There is still more work to be done in this area and the matter is being pursued.

COMMUNICATIONS

The purpose of this Committee is to gather news from members for FICAC publications and for the Federation’s website www.ficacworld.org. The operation of this Committee is to work with Regional Chairmen to ensure that a process is in place to gather news, manage the Federation’s website and publish the FICAC News.

ECONOMIC ADVISORY

The purpose of this Committee is to gather, collate and disseminate information relating to the economies of member countries. Its operation is to make information available on request.

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The purpose of this Committee is to promote awareness of the effects of climate change. Its operation is to create regional and international awareness of the programme.

On September 17th, 2010, FICAC signed a Partnership Agreement with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation for cooperation in energy and the environment.

These issues are of global concern as climate change, loss of biodiversity and ozone layer depletion cannot be addressed by countries acting alone.

Climate change is potentially the biggest risk factor facing humanity, and it is played out in the political, social and economic spheres vital to the security and viability of countries.

H. E. Bernard Fautrier, Executive Vice President of the Prince Albert II Foundation, in his opening remarks said, and I quote:

“I am proud to sign an agreement with the World Federation of Consuls which set up an Environmental and Climate Change Committee since 2009.”

A special programme has been developed by the FICAC Environment and Climate Change Committee for presentation to the Prince Albert II Foundation for their consideration

FUNDRAISING

The purpose of this Committee is to raise funds required to operate our Federation by developing and implementing fundraising programmes and sponsorships.

FICAC MEMBER BENEFITS COMMITTEE

The purpose of this Committee is to negotiate preferential treatment and deals for members. This Committee should meet with international companies and organize deals that are beneficial to both parties, including special prices, discounts, endorsements etc.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Its purpose is to provide a source of constitutional knowledge and experience of members. This Committee will advise the President and Board members on request.

The Way Forward programme was prepared by me, and presented to the Board of Directors at a meeting held in Dubai on 4th February 2010. The Board of Directors approved The Way Forward programme unanimously.

Regional Conferences and Directors’ Meetings

Dubai

The Dubai Consular Conference was hosted by the Consular Corps of Sindh Karachi Pakistan and the Consular Corps of Punjab Lahore Pakistan. It was an excellent event which was addressed by Dr. Moazzam Mekam of the World Bank in Dubai.

It was very well organized, including an excellent awards banquet and wonderful entertainment. Special mention and thanks must be given to Hon. Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig and Hon. Mian Tajammal Hussain for the wonderful job they did in making this event a success.

Dominican Republic

The first Caribbean Regional Conference was held in the Dominican Republic in April 2010. The keynote speaker was His Excellency Carlos Troncoso, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, who gave a very informative address to the diplomatic community.

His Excellency Minister Troncoso received the FICAC Award of Distinction at the conference.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hon. Rosendo Alvarez for organising this event.

Milan, Italy

A FICAC directors meeting and luncheon was held at the Atahotel Executive in Milan. At this meeting, Hon. Stelio Campanale, dean of the Corpo Consolare di Puglia Basilicata et Molise with 46 members was introduced to the directors.

The Board of Directors of FICAC, at its meeting held in Milan on 21^st May 2010, agreed unanimously to the “Guidelines for Honorary Consuls” prepared by Hon. Kartar Bhalla.

A copy of the Guidelines for Honorary Consuls can be obtained from our Secretariat and on the website.

Brussels

The FICAC European Consular Forum was held in the European Parliament building on 29^th September, 2010.

At this conference, His Excellency Herman van Rompuy, president of the European Council, was awarded the FICAC Gold Star, the highest honour given only to distinguished world leaders.

This was a historic occasion and special mention must be made of the excellent work done by our Secretary General, Hon. Aykut Eken. Well done, Aykut.

Philippines

On 19–21 November 2010, the FICAC East Asia Regional Conference was held in Manila.

This international event was held at the Peninsula Hotel in Manila and was hosted by the Consular Corps of the Philippines, headed by Dean Hon. Amelia Ablaza, Honorary Consul for Guatemala.

I would like to say a special thank you to the chairman of the FICAC East Asia Region, Hon. Vince Carlos, Dean Amelia Ablaza and the Consular Corps of the Philippines, who did a fantastic job in making the conference a huge success.

Philippines president, Benigno S. Aquino III, received the FICAC Gold Star, the highest honour of the World Federation of Consuls given only to distinguished world leaders.

Israel – January 2011

At the invitation of the Consular Corps of Israel and the Honorary Life President of FICAC, Hon. Peter Gad Naschitz, I was the keynote speaker at their Diplomatic banquet. My address was well received and they were very interested in the Federation’s work, especially the International Trade Expos.

I wrote thanking Hon. Peter Gad Naschitz for the kind hospitality extended to my wife and myself during our stay in Tel Aviv. In his reply he said, and I quote:

“I am confident that your visit strengthened the already strong bonds between the Israel Consular Corps and the World Federation of Consul under your leadership and we shall all work together to fulfill the mutual aims.”

Bangladesh – February 6, 2011

The occasion for this conference was the inauguration of the Forum of Consuls in Bangladesh. The president of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, His Excellency Md Zillur Rahman, made the keynote address at the inaugural ceremony of the Forum of Consuls in Bangladesh and declared the Forum open.

The graciousness and the kind hospitality extended to us by members of the Consular Corps of Bangladesh will never be forgotten.

India – February 15, 2011

The FICAC South Asia Regional Conference was declared the biggest ever. The keynote address was made by H. E. Tejendra Khanna, Hon. Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, who declared the conference open.

Special mention must be made of Hon. Vivek Burman, president of the Honorary Consular Corps Diplomatique India, Hon. K. L. Ganju, chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Conference, Hon. Kartar Bhalla, chairman of FICAC South Asia Region and members of the Honorary Consular Corps Diplomatique India, who worked very hard as a team to make this a very successful event.

Rome, Italy

A FICAC directors meeting was held at the Marriott Courtyard in Rome on 10th May 2011.

The following day, the directors journeyed to the Vatican where His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI received the President of the World Federation of Consuls, and the Secretary General, Hon. Aykut Eken. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI was presented with the FICAC Gold Star and Citation. The FICAC Gold Star is the highest honour of the World Federation of Consuls given only to world leaders.

The Gold Star was presented to His Holiness on behalf of all the members of the World Federation by its President and Secretary General.

Directors of the World Federation of Consuls who were present at the Vatican for the audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI are:
Hon. Costas Lefkaritis – Cyprus
Hon. Paulina Biggs Sparkuhl – USA
Hon. Takis Touliatos – Monaco
Hon. Nikos Margaropoulos – Greece
Hon. K.L. Ganju – India
Hon. Dr. Virachai Techavijit – Thailand
Hon. Lamartine Hollanda Jr. – Brazil

We would like to place on record our profound gratitude to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for honouring us by allowing us to honour him.

This is the highest recognition ever given to the World Federation of Consuls

Monaco

On 12^th May, a meeting was held with the Association of Honorary Consuls of Monaco who agreed to host the FICAC World Congress 2012. It was the first World Congress of Consuls Organising Committee meeting held in Monaco.

I was accompanied by Hon. Aykut Eken who was honoured for his excellent work with the Vatican.

The following day, I met with Mr. Henri Fissore, Ambassadeur en Mission, auprès du Ministre d’Etat, the chairman, Hon. Takis Touliatos and some members of the WCC 2012 Organising Committee, and the proposed World Congress programme was discussed in detail.

Jamaica

The second FICAC Caribbean Consular Conference was held in Jamaica on 25th July 2011.

Hon. Antonio Alma of the Dominican Republic was named the new chairman of the region.

The meeting was addressed by Hon. Dr. Kenneth Baugh, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade of Jamaica, who congratulated the World Federation of Consuls on its international work and achievements. The World Federation of Consuls’ Award of Distinction was conferred on Hon. Dr. Baugh for the excellent support given to the Consular Corps of Jamaica, a member of FICAC, and his work in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Turkey

The 2nd FICAC Race Cup was held on 21^st September 2011. The Race Cup, organised by Hon. Aykut Eken, has proved to be a very successful event as dignitaries from Turkey and Europe attend annually. The first Race Cup was held in 2009. Another successful Race Cup took place in Turkey on 21^st September 2012.

On 22^nd September 2011, members of FICAC Board of Directors, had the privilege of being received by His All Holiness Bartholomeos I, Ecumenical Patriarch.

His All Holiness expressed his appreciation for the visit of the FICAC directors in a letter to our Secretary General which was received shortly after he met with the delegation.

The 8^th Directors Meeting of the World Federation of Consuls took place on 22nd September 2011 in the beautiful city of Istanbul Turkey after the meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Before starting the Directors Meeting, I had the unpleasant task of informing our members of the passing of Hon. Vagn Jespersen, founder and first president of the World Federation of Consuls. Hon. Jespersen died at 93 years old but he will always be remembered by members of our Federation for his vision and hard work in creating the World Federation of Consuls and leading it for over 13 years.

He was a great man and we must make certain that his work and achievements will never be forgotten in the Consular Community of the world.

I also informed the directors that my wife and I would be traveling to Copenhagen the same day to represent the members of the World Federation of Consuls at the funeral of Hon. Vagn Jespersen. This we did and our visit was much appreciated by the Jespersen family and their friends.

I am now going to ask you, my colleagues, my friends, to stand for one minute in silence, as a mark of respect for our Founder, the late Hon. Vagn Jespersen.

Washington, DC

On 18^th January 2012, our Secretary General Hon. Aykut Eken, Hon. Costas Lefkaritis and I met in Washington, where we represented FICAC in meetings with United States Congressmen and Congresswomen. We had meetings with Congressman Dan Burton, Congressman Alcee Hastings, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.

At our meeting with Congressman Dan Burton, who is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Europe and Eurasia, and a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the business of the World Federation of Consuls was discussed. Congressman Burton was impressed with our Federation, the large number of countries that are members and the extent of its activities worldwide.

At the end of the meeting, I thanked the Congressman for receiving the FICAC delegation and invited him to be the keynote speaker at the FICAC European Regional Consular Conference scheduled to take place in Brussels at the Chateau Sainte-Anne, February 23, 2012. Congressman Burton graciously accepted our invitation.

The meetings with Congressman Hastings, Congresswoman Foxx and Congresswoman Clarke went extremely well and we discussed a wide range of subjects, including the possibility of Congresswoman Virginia Foxx addressing one of our conferences next year.

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and Congressman Alcee Hastings offered our Federation their full support.

This was the first time that our Federation had meetings with US Congressmen and Congresswomen in Washington. This was a historic occasion for FICAC.

I would like to place on record our sincere thanks and appreciation to our Secretary General, Hon. Aykut Eken, for arranging the meetings, and Hon. Costas Lefkaritis for his excellent support.

Brussels, Belgium

On 23^rd February 2012, the FICAC European Consular Conference was held at the Château Sainte-Anne in Brussels. At this conference, our keynote speaker was Congressman Dan Burton, Republican Representative of the 5th district of Indiana in the US Congress, a member of the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Oversight and Government Reform.

Congressman Dan Burton praised the international work of the World Federation of Consuls. This was the first time in the history of FICAC that a United States Congressman addressed one of our conferences.

On Thursday, 31^st May, the 10^th meeting of the Board of Directors was held at the Secretariat in Brussels Belgium. This meeting, for the most part, dealt with World Congress 2012 and congratulations were in order for Chairman, Hon. Takis Touliatos, and members of the Organising Committee of the World Congress 2012.

Thessaloniki, Greece

On Wednesday 19^th September 2012 our Board of Directors meeting was held at the Met Hotel in Thessaloniki. At this meeting, the paper proposing amendments to the constitution of FICAC, dated 4th June 2012, was discussed. The section where it proposed that the president be given the authority to appoint three additional vice presidents from among the elected directors was objected to by the president.

I reminded the Board that the General Assembly, which is the supreme body of our Federation, has the authority to elect one vice president only. I went on to state that it is in my opinion that no president of our Federation must ever be given more authority than the General Assembly, no matter how temporary it may be.

I also stated that the positions that the new vice presidents would occupy are currently covered by regional chairmen, and that these regional chairmen can carry out their responsibilities in an efficient and productive manner.

I asked the Board of Directors to withdraw the amendment to the constitution and send it to the Legal Committee for further consideration. It was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.

Thessaloniki 100^th Anniversary

Hon. Nikos Margaropoulos organised and hosted this Directors Meeting in Thessaloniki, and a special meeting with His Worship the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Hon. Yiannis Boutaris was arranged. It was an excellent event as we were able to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Thessaloniki’s independence from the Ottoman Empire.

I had the honour of addressing the meeting and presenting the Mayor with a FICAC Medal of Appreciation to mark the occasion.

FICAC Website

I am pleased to report that the FICAC website continues to do a good job for our Federation.

The average visit to www.ficacworld.org in terms of time spent on the site is 25:11 (Twenty-five minutes 11 seconds).

The average number of pages viewed on www.ficacworld.org per visit by each unique visitor is 13 pages. For the period of January 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012, the www.ficacworld.org domain has had a total of fifty thousand, two hundred and ninety-seven (50,297) unique visitors at an average monthly rate of six thousand, two hundred and fifty three (6,253.44) visitors each month.

The statistics show a low of 5,676 visitors in May and a high of 7,439 in August. This indicates a high volume of viewership over the period in review with consistent levels of visits from Sweden, Russia, Germany, South Africa, Singapore, Ukraine, India, The Czech Republic, Brazil, Romania, Canada, China, Belgium and Mexico.

Interest in the website has been varied and extensive, with all pages enjoying an unprecedented level of interest. In February of 2012, over 12,890 page views were recorded and this represents the largest number of the period. The most popular pages remain the main page, the news and the ever-popular FICAC News magazine, which is now produced in a flash enhanced version.

Over the same period, visitors to the website have visited on average 12 pages and spent an average of 21 minutes perusing the pages of the site.

‘FICAC Who’s Who’

The first publication of the FICAC Who’s Who was presented at the World Congress of Consuls held in Izmir, Turkey in 2009. The second publication of the FICAC Who’s Who has been presented at the World Congress of Consuls 2012 in Monaco.

I must place on record my sincere appreciation and thanks to Hon. Kartar Bhalla of India for his hard work in collecting material from Consuls, editing their CVs and bringing out an impressive Who’s Who.

It is planned that the Who’s Who should be published every three years and the second Who’s Who has been published in that time frame.

Congratulations Hon. Kartar Bhalla. Well done.

Information and Networking

FICAC members are actively networking with each other and the sourcing of goods and services is one of the more frequent requests from members. The communication between consuls from member countries has improved and will continue to improve.

Membership

Membership has improved considerably and we now have our Federation represented in every region of the world. This increase in membership makes our Federation a very important organisation for our members to use for lobbying purposes, and from reports I have received, our lobbying has brought positive results.

I would like to thank the chairman of our Membership Committee, Hon. Dr. Virachai Techavijit, the members of his Committee and the regional chairmen for their work in expanding their regions considerably.

30th Anniversary

Our 30^th Anniversary Committee, under the chairmanship of Hon. K. L. Ganju, organised an excellent 30th Anniversary Awards programme last night and I would like to again congratulate Hon. Ganju, his committee and all the awardees for the excellent work they have done in the countries in which they have the honour to serve.

Several member corps have had successful 30th Anniversary celebrations and I am personally very pleased with our awards programme and how it has developed.

General

As I close my report, I would again like to thank all the directors, chairmen and members of the World Federation of Consuls for the excellent contribution they made during the term of office of this administration.

My administration has put many measures in place to serve you better, and there is no doubt that in the last three years, the World Federation of Consuls has become a strong source of influence worldwide.

I am very proud of what has been achieved so far and thank you all for making it possible and for giving me the honour of serving you as your president from 2009 – 2012.