How to Address a Permanent Representative

The Permanent Representative to the U.N.

How do I address the French Permanent Representative to the United Nations?  I believe, the Permanent Representative would be addressed as Ambassador in the salutation, but I had also found several letters on the internet addressing the Permanent Representative as Your Excellency.
————– Antonia

Dear Antonia,
A permanent representative to an international organization such as the United Nations holds the rank of ambassador.  His rank is ‘ambassador’ – his role is ‘permanent representative’.   This person is addressed in the style of a foreign ambassador and identified as the permanent representative.

—-Envelope or address block on an email:
—-—-His/Her Excellency (Full Name)
—-—-Permanent Representative of the French Republic to the United Nations
—-—-(Address)

—-Salutation – here are three, from the most to the least formal:
—-—-Your Excellency,
—-—-Dear Ambassador,
—-—-—-or
—-—-Dear Ambassador (Surname),

– Robert Hickey

 

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

How to Write a Place Card for the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN?

How would one correctly write place card for a formal dinner for the U.S.’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations? Can I properly write ‘The American Ambassador to the United Nations’?
—-—-—-—-– Cindy

Dear Cindy,

On a formal place card (not a tent card of placard) all that is written is enought to tell the guest which is ther seat. It doesn’t need to have a lot of information, and a place card is small anyway.

His rank is ‘ambassador’ – his role is ‘permanent representative’.  As a U.S. official being addressed by a U.S. citizen he could be formally addressed in these two ways:
—-—-The Honorable (Full Name)
—-—-the United States Ambassador to the United Nations
—-—-—-or
—-—-The Honorable (Full Name)
—-—-the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

—-PLACE CARD BY OFFICE:  You can write a place card ‘by office’ rather than ‘by name’. Addressing ‘by office’ is more formal.
—-On the place card:
—-    –—-The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.
—-—    ——-or
—    ——-The U.S. Permanent Representative to the U.N.

—-PLACE CARD BY NAME:  In oral address he is ‘Ambassador (Surname).  That’s what would go on his placecard.
——–Ambassador (Surname)

– Robert Hickey

 

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?

You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.)  The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them.
___What I don’t cover on this site are many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions, etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.

Not Finding Your Answer?

—-#1)  At right on desktops, at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones, is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.

—-#2)  If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.)  Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.

—-#3)  If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question  – but always change all the specifics.

— Robert Hickey 

 

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”