Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Peru)

History

On August 3, 1821, just six days after proclaiming Peru's independence, José de San Martín created three Secretariats of State (this date is commemorated annually as Diplomat's Day):

• The Secretariat of State and Foreign Affairs (Secretaría de Estado y Relaciones Exteriores), headed by Juan García del Río.
• The Secretariat of War and the Navy, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Bernardo de Monteagudo
• The Secretariat of Finance, headed by Dr. Hipólito Unanue.

Two years later, Peru's first Political Constitution, promulgated on November 12, 1823, consolidated the existence of these three secretariats, giving them the name "ministry" (ministerio).

On March 21, 1824, Simón Bolívar issued a decree in Trujillo reducing the three ministries to a single one, which would become the General Secretariat of Affairs of the Peruvian Republic (Secretaría General de los Negocios de la República Peruana), under Colonel José Gabriel Pérez. However, shortly thereafter, the Governing Junta repealed the decree, reestablishing the three ministries.

On June 1, 1826, José de la Mar, following Bolívar's orders, decreed the creation of six Secretariats of State: Foreign Affairs; Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs; Interior; Treasury; War, and Navy. These six secretariats were to be distributed among four Ministries: Foreign Affairs and Interior; Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs; Treasury; and War and Navy. At the end of that same year, Bolívar drafted his Lifetime Constitution, which was sworn in on December 9 and changed the names of the ministries to Secretariat Offices (Secretarías de Despacho).

After Bolívar left Peru, La Mar issued a new Constitution. Under this Constitution, only three Ministries of State were established: one of Government and Foreign Affairs; another of War and Navy; and another of Finance. This Constitution was replaced in 1834, and during the government of General Luis José de Orbegoso, the administration of the three Ministries was to be consolidated into a General Secretariat. Later, during the brief administration of General Felipe Salaverry, the three Ministries created by San Martín in 1821 were reinstated.

Once the Peru–Bolivian Confederation was established, Andrés de Santa Cruz ordered these three Ministries to be in charge of the Confederation's affairs. Following the fall of the Confederation, the Constitution of 1839 was enacted, and a fourth Ministry was added: the Ministry of Public Instruction, Charity, and Ecclesiastical Affairs. In the following years, a General Ministry was once again created, but it was abolished in August 1844, reestablishing only two Ministries: the Ministry of Government and Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance.

In April 1845, during the government of Ramón Castilla, four ministries were reestablished: Foreign Affairs; Government; War and Navy; and Finance. By Decree No. 90 of July 31, 1846, Castilla created the Peruvian Diplomatic Service (Servicio Diplomático del Perú). In June 1855, the Ministry was organized as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Education. The following year, in November 1856, the Constitution established that there would normally be five Ministries: Foreign Affairs; Government, Worship, and Public Works; Justice, Education, and Charity; War and Navy; and Finance and Commerce.

In March 1857, the Foreign Ministry was internally organized into two sections: the Overseas and Continental sections. In April 1878, during Mariano Ignacio Prado's second administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was reorganised. Under this arrangement, the Ministry was divided into two sections: the Diplomatic Section, and the Consulates, Chancery, and Accounting Sections, replacing the Overseas and Continental sections, respectively.

Following the aforementioned modifications, a series of measures were enacted from 1903 to 2006 regarding the internal organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

By Supreme Decree 025-2007-Re of April 20, 2007, the Peruvian Antarctic Institute became part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Organisation

According to the Organization and Functions Regulation, the Ministry has the following directorates:

• Directorate-General of Foreign Policy Studies and Strategies
• Directorate-General of America
• Directorate-General of Sovereignty, Limits and Antarctic Affairs
• Directorate-General of Europe
• Directorate-General of Asia and Oceania
• Directorate-General of Africa, Middle East and Gulf countries
• Directorate-General for Multilateral and Global Affairs
• Directorate-General for Economic Affairs
• Directorate-General of Economic Promotion
• Directorate-General of Peruvian Communities Abroad and Consular Affairs
• Directorate-General for Cultural Affairs
• Directorate-General of Treaties
• Directorate-General of Protocol and Ceremonial of the State

Entities administered by the ministry include:

• Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI)
• Peruvian Antarctic Institute (IAP)

List of ministers

References

References

1. "Reseña Histórica".
2. (2018-10-22). "Reseña histórica".
3. Garibaldi, Rosa. (2011-07-31). "En 1846 Ramón Castilla organizó el primer servicio diplomático de América". [[El Comercio (Peru).
4. (2010-12-18). "Reglamento de Organización y Funciones del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores".