Salt Lake City– Established in 2001 in response to the increased need for local consular representation in connection with the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Utah Consular Corps (UCC) is a professional organization consisting of both career and honorary consuls living in the State of Utah. Even after the Olympics, the UCC continued to actively promote and support Utah-based consuls in their important duties. Currently, the UCC consists of 24 active accredited consular officers representing 24 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Many people are not aware of what consular officers do and what kind of services they provide within the community. Career consuls are full-time members of a country’s Foreign Service that have been appointed by a foreign government to officially represent their country in the State of
Utah and provide consular services to citizens of their countries living in or visiting Utah. Honorary consuls, on the other hand, fulfill many of the same responsibilities but are usually American citizens that are well-connected both in the host country and in the local community. Both career and honorary consuls are formally appointed by the governments of the countries they represent. They are then vetted and accredited by the United States Department of State and granted official diplomatic status. While their positions are official, honorary consuls are not paid for their services–almost all of them serve in a voluntary capacity concurrently with their full-time careers in other sectors. Consuls work to develop economic, academic, scientific, and cultural ties between the countries they represent and the community they serve — in this case, the people of Utah.
Members of the Utah Consular Corps can offer a variety of important services to Utah residents that were born in or have close ties to another country. For example, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions on Consular Relations, foreign nationals who are detained by local law enforcement have the right to meet and consult with a representative of their government. In Utah, that would typically their country’s representative in the Utah Consular Corps. In addition, these consular officers can help facilitate the issuance of visas, passports, birth certificates, and other official documents, act as an official liaison with state and local offices, and provide verification and notarization services for the countries they represent.
One other area where Utah’s honorary consuls can be instrumental is in the development of business relations and opening of new markets between the countries they represent and Utah companies.The group works closely with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the State Legislature, World Trade Center Utah, the Chamber of Commerce as well as several of the state’s universities to host foreign delegations in Utah. These official visits help to increase Utah’s visibility on a global stage, which in turn drives foreign investment, increases new trade opportunities, and helps forge vital relationships. In addition to local outreach. Many UCC members have accompanied Utah government and business leaders on overseas trade missions to their respective countries, thereby further strengthening the bonds with Utah. By working both at home and abroad, consuls help to connect Utah businesses with new opportunities and facilitate strong international connections with Utah’s schools, institutions, and globally-minded individuals.