Protocol service
The Protocol service or protocol service is part of the diplomatic and regulates the flow of diplomatic encounters.
Government institutions maintain departments that deal with the preparation and implementation of international meetings. The term “protocol service” goes back to the fact that the process of receptions and meetings is generally agreed in advance between diplomatic representatives and recorded in a joint protocol . The protocol service then has the task of implementing this protocol. In a broader sense, the Diplomatic Protocol also contains unwritten or generally accepted procedures that must be followed.
The diplomatic protocol also includes so-called “ military honors ” for high-ranking state guests, representative guard functions in public buildings or the representative participation of uniformed forces in state acts and other military ceremonies . For this purpose, many states often maintain special military units, so-called guard regiments (for Germany see “ Guard battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defense ”).