Presidential Protocol
"International protocol consists of drawing a platform on which international relations grow and preserving mutual respect, no matter how big or small the countries may be." – Mr. Lahoud Lahoud, Chief of Protocol at the Presidency of the Republic of Lebanon (and graduate of The Protocol School of Washington). We are pleased, once again, to share another excerpt from An Expert’s Guide to International Protocol: Best Practices in Diplomatic and Corporate Relations co-authored by our friends Gilbert Monod de Froideville and Mark Verheul.
The first rules of Lebanon’s protocol system were laid down in 1944, right after independence, in the aftermath of the French Mandate era, which lasted around a quarter of a century, and they were inspired by the French protocol system. Ever since, the Lebanese protocol system has undergone many amendments that made it more in line and harmony with the specificity of political life in Lebanon.
Lebanon shares many of the world-applicable rules in presidential protocol fundamentals such as the seating precedence, the location of national flags during meetings between high officials, the rules for the exchange of presents, etc. Nevertheless, to us, the major role of protocol remains that of an adjutant to create an exemplary working environment for the president of the republic, whether through his daily activities, internal meetings or through international visits and participation in conferences and multi-faceted meetings.
It is worth noting that one of the basic specificities of the presidential protocol in Lebanon – and more so of the surrounding Arab states - is the typical generous welcome and human rapprochement for which our Arab societies are generally known. This feature particularly stands out during the audiences and meetings with international officials such as presidents and kings, who are quickly overwhelmed with the sense of warm welcome and high appreciation. This atmosphere to which the presidential protocol contributes makes the international political relations more human and open.
Science and experience have shown that the accurate practice of presidential protocol fundamentals requires an accurate awareness of the habits, traditions, social conceptions, intellectual and political backgrounds of many of the states, personalities, and officials. Therefore, we have always worked carefully on the preparations for the president’s meetings and numerous internal and external activities. In fact, protocol rules are not set unilaterally; they must necessarily fit the particularities of the concerned parties. In this context, globalization must not erase differences and specificities, but rather exploit them to enrich political life and communication between officials.
To achieve this, it is indispensable to resort to a specialized team with multiple practical skills, from proficiency in applying protocol fundamentals to competency in political, social, and cultural backgrounds for the activities and meetings that he has the duty to organize. We have always been keen on keeping up with current developments, especially at the level of work technology and the computerization of the work’s daily mechanisms.
After all, international protocol consists of drawing a platform on which international relations grow and preserving mutual respect, no matter how big or small the countries may be.
An Expert’s Guide to International Protocol Best Practices in Diplomatic and Corporate Relations (2016) by Gilbert Monod de Froideville and Mark Verheul, Amsterdam University Press, 300 pp., ISBN: 978-94-6298-105-8.