Practices by Stakeholder 4

Emergency consular services

Measures to facilitate access to emergency consular services include:

• Ensuring that consular posts in host States and States of transit remain open and provide services for as long as possible;
• Deploying additional consular teams to transit areas, borders, and in locations with a high concentration of citizens;
• Activating consular agreements with other States that can implement consular functions in case of lack of presence in the host State or States of transit;
• Establishing rapid response teams that are specialized in crisis interventions and have the capacity to facilitate the protection and evacuation of citizens;
• Independently or in coordination with civil society and international organizations providing immediate assistance, including temporary shelters (including within consulate facilities), food, water, emergency kits, and translation and interpretation services.

Crisis or rapid response teams

During crises, States of origin may be required to bolster their capacity in host States and States of transit to enhance their ability to assist citizens. One way to do this is through the deployment of trained, multi-functional experts. Factors to consider include:

• Breadth of services citizens may need. This includes services related to consular, medical, transportation, evacuation, travel and identity document assistance, and identification of remains;
• Range of skills, knowledge, and capabilities necessary to assist citizens;
• Level of institutional and decision-making authority necessary for timely responses;
• Geographic location for deployments. This includes host States, transit points (including departure and arrival airports), evacuation areas, border points between the host State and States of transit, camps, and other major gathering sites.

Back-up plans, safety nets, and assistance for citizens who remain in the host State

In certain cases, citizens may decide to stay in the host State. States of origin can put in place measures to protect and assist citizens who remain, including by:

• Facilitating access to consular authorities and services;
• Establishing mechanisms that allow regular contact with citizens (e.g., through hotlines or call centers, including referring them to service providers when they request assistance);
• Facilitating communication between citizens and their families in the State of origin;
• Coordinating with the host State and employers to ensure citizens receive information on available assistance and can make direct queries to relevant stakeholders;
• Providing or sponsoring temporary shelters, access to emergency aid, and psychosocial assistance and counseling;
• Liaising with relevant civil society actors