Editing Head of state (section)

====Diplomatic role====
[[File:Vladimir Putin with Tekiso Hati.jpg|thumb|Tekiso Hati, ambassador of the [[Kingdom of Lesotho]], presenting his credentials to [[President of Russia|Russian president]] [[Vladimir Putin]]]]
[[File:Shapiro presenting credentials to Peres 2011-08-03.jpg|thumb|[[Daniel B. Shapiro]], [[U.S. Ambassador to Israel|U.S. ambassador to Israel]], presents his credentials to [[President of Israel|Israeli president]] [[Shimon Peres]] on 3 August 2011]]
[[File:Juraj Nemeš letter of credence.JPG|thumb|A 1992 [[letter of credence]], written in French, for the Czechoslovakian Ambassador to [[Lithuania]], signed by the [[president of Czechoslovakia]] and addressed to his Lithuanian counterpart]]

Although many constitutions, particularly from the 19th century and earlier, make no explicit mention of a head of state in the generic sense of several present day international treaties, the officeholders corresponding to this position are recognised as such by other countries.<ref name=unprotocol/><ref name="vienna diplomatic"/> In a monarchy, the [[monarch]] is generally understood to be the head of state.<ref name=unprotocol/><ref name=Robertson:221>[[#Robertson|Robertson]]: p. 221.</ref><ref name=Roberts:35–44>[[#Roberts|Roberts]]: pp. 35–44.</ref>
The [[Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations]], which codified longstanding custom, operates under the presumption that the head of a diplomatic mission (i.e. [[ambassador]] or [[nuncio]]) of the sending state is accredited to the head of state of the receiving state.<ref name=Roberts:71–79>[[#Roberts|Roberts]]: pp. 71–79.</ref><ref name="vienna diplomatic">[http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_1_1961.pdf Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817151217/http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_1_1961.pdf |date=17 August 2018 }}, [[International Law Commission]], United Nations. Retrieved on 15 October 2012.</ref> The head of state accredits (i.e. formally validates) their country's [[Ambassador (diplomacy)|ambassador]]s (or rarer equivalent diplomatic mission chiefs, such as [[high commissioner]] or [[papal nuncio]]) through sending formal a [[letter of credence]] (and a Letter of Recall at the end of a tenure) to other heads of state and, conversely, receives the letters of their foreign counterparts.<ref name=Roberts:61-58>[[#Roberts|Roberts]]: pp. 61-68.</ref> Without that accreditation, the chief of the diplomatic mission cannot take up their role and receive the highest diplomatic status. The role of a head of state in this regard, is codified in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations from 1961, which (as of 2017) 191 sovereign states has [[ratification|ratified]].<ref name="vienna diplomatic"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=III-3&chapter=3&clang=_en|work=United Nations Treaty Collection|title=Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations|publisher=United Nations|access-date=27 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315003035/https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=III-3&chapter=3&clang=_en|archive-date=15 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

However, there are provisions in the Vienna Convention that a diplomatic agent of lesser rank, such as a [[chargé d'affaires]], is accredited to the [[minister of foreign affairs]] (or equivalent).<ref name="vienna diplomatic"/>

The head of state is often designated the [[high contracting party]] in international treaties on behalf of the state; signs them either personally or has them signed in his/her name by ministers (government members or diplomats); subsequent [[ratification]], when necessary, may rest with the [[legislature]]. The treaties constituting the [[European Union]] and the [[European Communities]] are noteworthy contemporary cases of multilateral treaties cast in this traditional format, as are the accession agreements of new member states.<ref name=Roberts:542-543>[[#Roberts|Roberts]]: pp. 542-543.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url-status=live |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:306:FULL:EN:PDF |title=Treaty of Lisbon (OJ C 306) |date=17 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316084715/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:306:FULL:EN:PDF |archive-date=16 March 2013 |journal=[[Official Journal of the European Union]] |publisher=[[EUR-Lex]] |access-date=1 November 2012 |volume=50 |issue=C 306 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11992M/htm/11992M.html |title=Treaty on European Union (92/C 191/01) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201191729/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11992M/htm/11992M.html |archive-date=1 February 2009 |work=[[Official Journal of the European Union]] |publisher=[[EUR-Lex]] |access-date=11 November 2012 }}</ref> However, rather than being invariably concluded between two heads of state, it has become common that bilateral treaties are in present times cast in an intergovernmental format, e.g., between the ''Government of X and the Government of Y'', rather than between ''His Majesty the King of X and His Excellency the President of Y''.<ref name=Roberts:542-543/>
* ''Example 1 (parliamentary monarchy):'' Article 8 of the [[Constitution of the Principality of Liechtenstein]] states:
** ''1) The [[Prince of Liechtenstein|Reigning Prince]] shall represent the State in all its relations with foreign countries, without prejudice to the requisite participation of the responsible [[Cabinet of Liechtenstein|Government]].''
** ''2) Treaties by which territory of the State would be ceded, State property alienated, sovereign rights or prerogatives of the State affected, a new burden imposed on the Principality or its citizens, or an obligation assumed that would limit the rights of the citizens of Liechtenstein shall require the assent of [[Landtag of Liechtenstein|Parliament]] to attain legal force.''<ref name=liechtenstein/>
* ''Example 2 (parliamentary republic):'' Article 59 (1) of the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]] states:
** ''The [[President of Germany|Federal President]] shall represent the Federation in its international relations. He shall conclude treaties with foreign states on behalf of the Federation. He shall accredit and receive envoys.''.<ref name=germany/>
* ''Example 3 (semi-presidential republic):'' Title II, Article 14 of the [[French Constitution of 1958]] states:
** ''The [[President of France|President of the Republic]] shall accredit ambassadors and envoys extraordinary to foreign powers; foreign ambassadors and envoys extraordinary shall be accredited to him.''<ref name=france/>
* ''Example 4 (semi-presidential republic):'' Chapter 4, Article 86, Section 4 of the [[Constitution of Russia]] states:
** ''The [[President of the Russian Federation]]:''
*** ''a) shall direct the foreign policy of the Russian Federation;''
*** ''b) shall hold negotiations and sign international treaties of the Russian Federation;''
*** ''c) shall sign instruments of ratification;''
*** ''d) shall receive letters of credence and letters of recall of diplomatic representatives accredited to his (her) office.''<ref name=government.ru/>
* ''Example 5 (single party republic):'' Section 2, Article 81 of the [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China]] states:
** ''The [[President of the People's Republic of China]] receives foreign diplomatic representatives on behalf of the People's Republic of China and, in pursuance of decisions of the [[Standing Committee of the National People's Congress]], appoints and recalls plenipotentiary representatives abroad, and ratifies and abrogates treaties and important agreements concluded with foreign states.''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.gov.cn/2005-08/05/content_20813.htm |title=Constitution |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726154413/http://english.gov.cn/2005-08/05/content_20813.htm |archive-date=26 July 2013 |website=Chinese Government's Official Web portal |access-date=2 November 2012}}</ref>

In [[Canada]], these head of state powers belong to the [[Monarchy of Canada|monarch]] as part of the [[royal prerogative]],<ref>{{Cite book| last=Alston| first=Philip| title=Treaty-making and Australia: globalization versus sovereignty?| publisher=Federation Press| year=1995| location=Annandale| page=254| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_HQYFoPCewC| isbn=978-1-86287-195-3}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last=Bayefsky| first=Anne F.| date=1993| contribution=International Human Rights Law in Canadian Courts| editor-last=Kaplan| editor-first=William| editor2-last=McRae| editor2-first=Donald Malcolm| editor3-last=Cohen| editor3-first=Maxwell| title=Law, policy and international justice: essays in honour of Maxwell Cohen| page=112| location=Montreal| publisher=McGill-Queen's Press| isbn=978-0-7735-1114-9| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_7XwU1EvIsAC| access-date=16 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| last=Flemming| first=Brian| title=Canadian Practice in International Law| journal=The Canadian Yearbook of International Law| volume=III| page=337| publisher=University of British Columbia Press| location=Vancouver| year=1965| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9LPT_7nv8_IC| access-date=16 January 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412225630/https://books.google.com/books?id=9LPT_7nv8_IC&printsec=frontcover| archive-date=12 April 2016| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=GeoVI>{{Citation| last=George VI| author-link=George VI| date=1 October 1947| title=Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor General of Canada| location=Ottawa| publisher=King's Printer for Canada| url=http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/LettersPatent.html| access-date=29 May 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924103619/http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/LettersPatent.html| archive-date=24 September 2015| url-status=live}}</ref> but the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] has been permitted to exercise them since 1947 and has done so since the 1970s.<ref name=GeoVI /><ref>{{cite web| url=http://archive.gg.ca/gg/fgg/bios/03/02e_e.asp| last=Office of the Governor General of Canada| author-link=Governor General of Canada| title=The Governor General - the evolution of Canada's oldest public institution| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| access-date=16 January 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613180418/http://archive.gg.ca/gg/fgg/bios/03/02e_e.asp| archive-date=13 June 2011| url-status=dead}}</ref>