Paseo de Juan XXIII,5
28040 Madrid
Telephone: 91 553 53 00.
Fax: 91 534 76 70
How to get there:
By Bus: Circular
By subway: Line 6. Metropolitano
(exitPº Juan XXIII)
Location map
Presentation
The Diplomatic School was founded in 1942 as a center for higher education organized under the Subdirectorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Among its main purposes are:
- training of candidates for the diplomatic corps;
- preparation of aspirants to international public service;
- continuing education of diplomatic officers;
- training of specialists in international relations, foreign policy, and development cooperation, through courses and seminars designed for university graduate students, both Spanish and foreign, as well as for diplomats from other countries;
- training of future embassy or consulate officers in fields relating to the foreign service;
- carrying out of research programs in the field of international politics.
The dramatic changes that Spain has undergone in the past twenty years are well known. Its economy has evolved from a closed, regulated model to one that is open and dynamic, characterized by high levels of foreign investment and aid to developing countries. The nation’s political and sociological changes are equally noteworthy. Foreign policy changes that have occurred in recent years on the international stage have made Spain an increasingly important player in the field of international relations, not to mention the continuing relevance of an outstanding culture and of a language that represents the rich, shared heritage of more than four hundred million Spanish-speaking people.
As an education and training center, the Diplomatic School is called upon to face the never-ending challenge of adapting to the changes taking place on the international scene. As underscored by Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, these changes are today characterized by globalization, interdependence among nations, inequality among nations, migration and poverty, terrorism, the growing number of non-governmental players involved in international affairs; the crisis over principles of territoriality and sovereignty; the slow expansion of international criminal law and justice beyond their traditional role in combating crimes against humanity, the development of information and communication technologies, the search for approaches to gradually reverse the worrisome degradation of the environment, and the climate changes experienced in recent years.
One of the main purposes of the Diplomatic School is to prepare, through academic efforts and research, a new generation of officials for Spain’s Diplomatic Corps and for the Foreign Service, in such a way that they can effectively perform their functions in the areas of negotiation, representation, information, protection, and promotion of international interests. At the same time, these new officers must also be aware of the absolute necessity, when faced with certain issues, of being able to manage a broad-based process of international coordination and cooperation, in recognition of the high degree of interdependence existing today between peoples and nations. This is the only basis that will support a foreign policy that is broad in scope and capable of promoting values that contribute to the strengthening of civil societies that are fairer, more democratic, more secure and more reliable in their relations with others.
Spain was one of the first countries to create a diplomatic school (1942). In reality, a training center for members of the diplomatic and consular corps had already been created as far back as 1911, under the sponsorship of the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation, which founded the Free Institute of Education for the Diplomatic and Consular Corp and Moroccan Studies, with the assistance of the Ministry of State. This was the first precursor of the Diplomatic School.
Ferdinand the Catholic stationed permanent ambassadors near the Holy See beginning in 1475, as well as in other capitals such as London, Burgundy, the Holy Roman Empire, Lisbon, Venice, Naples, and Paris, all towards the end of the Fifteenth Century. These permanent embassies required the establishment of offices or corps for the purpose of centralizing international policy, and the era of King Ferdinand also saw the beginning of specialization among the king's secretaries, either in subject areas or in geographical regions. During the Sixteenth Century, Spain possessed the world's largest diplomatic network, and Charles V institutionalized the various components of the foreign service by creating the Council of State (1526). The Secretary of the Council became the Secretary of State when Francisco de los Combos was named to that post.
The first standards in Spain regulating access to the diplomatic service emerged from Royal Decree 1707.1818. This decree, issued on March 4, 1844 when Gonzalez-Bravo was the Minister of State, established the first standards for organizing a stable and unified Spanish diplomatic corps, consisting of an admittance system, promotions, categories, and named posts. The decree required an entrance examination for admittance to the diplomatic corps. Because the first category was that of non-salaried attaché, this effectively made the Corps a "closed shop." This arrangement was similar to that which had been established in the United Kingdom and France. This category was not eliminated until the issuance of the Royal Decree of December 29, 1928.
The Royal Decree of Bravo Murillo, dated July 18, 1852, was the first body of regulation to merit the title of General Statute for Spanish Public Servants.
The true beginnings of a modern organization supporting the diplomatic corps date back to the Organic Law of Minister Vega de Armijo of March 14, 1883, which establishes an admittance system differing from that of the National French Congress. In 1911, the first precursor of the current Diplomatic School was established. The Legal Decree of September 29, 1928 ordered the merging of the former diplomatic and consular corps. When the Spanish Republic was founded in 1932, knowledge of English and French became mandatory.
The Diplomatic School was created by the Royal Decree of July 7, 1942 for the training of diplomats by means of a specialized course. The regulations of December 31, 1944 established new standards for admittance to the Corps, which were modified in successive decrees until the Organic Regulations for the Diplomatic Corps were approved on July 15, 1955, followed by Royal Decree 1475/1987 of November 27, which reorganized the Diplomatic School, and the Order of October 5, 1988, which approved new regulations governing the Diplomatic School.
The governing bodies of the Diplomatic School are the Governing Board and the Administration.
The Governing Board, which is entrusted with several key responsibilities relating to the operation of the School, is presided over by the Director of the School and is made up of:
- One representative, at the organizational level of Deputy General Director, from each of the following administrative departments:
- General Department of Public Service.
- General Department of Foreign Service.
- General Department of Cultural and Scientific Relations.
- General Technical Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- One representative, at the organizational level of Deputy General Director, from each of the following autonomous organizations:
Institute of Iberoamerican Cooperation. - Institute of Public Administration.
- The Deputy General Director for Personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- The Head of the Technical Cabinet of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Three university professors designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, subsequent to a hearing of the University Council.
- Seven holders of administrative posts in the Diplomatic School.
The Administration is the Center's permanent executive body. It is headed by the Ambassador-Director, who is assisted in his efforts by the Adjunct Director, the Deputy Director and the Department Heads.
Order of October 5, 1988, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approving new Regulations for the Diplomatic School (pdf, 20 kb).