Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Spain) explained

Post:Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Native Name:Secretario de Estado de Asuntos Exteriores
Flag:Logotipo de la Secretaría de Estado de Asuntos Exteriores.png
Flagsize:300px
Insignia:Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
Insigniasize:100px
Insigniacaption:Coat of Arms used by the Government
Incumbent:Diego Martínez Belío
Incumbentsince:December 20, 2023
Style:The Most Excellent (formal)
Mr. Secretary of State (informal)
Department:Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
Secretariat of State for Foreign Affairs
Reports To:Foreign Minister
Nominator:Foreign Minister
Appointer:The King
First:Carlos Robles Piquer
Abbreviation:SEAEX
Formation:April 27, 1979
Website:exteriores.gob.es

The secretary of state for foreign and global affairs (SEAEX) is a senior minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Government of Spain. Although he or she has the same rank as the other Secretaries of State of the Department, the SEAEX is considered the second-in-command to the Minister.

The secretary of state for foreign affairs is responsible for the planning and executing the foreign policy of the central government in its global aspects and in some specific geographical and thematic areas.[1]

Specifically, he or she is responsible for the coordination and following of the Spanish participation in the Common Foreign Policy and Security of the European Union, for the foreign policy regarding the United Nations and the rest of the international organizations and the establishment of economic relations with other nations. Furthermore, the SEAEX is in charge of international issues like terrorism, security, construction of and maintainment of peace, non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament and human rights.

Most of the European Union and rest of Europe competences are assumed by the secretary of state for the European Union, with the exception of those for Eastern Europe. The SEAEX is also responsible for the foreign policy regarding the Maghreb, Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, North America, Asia and the Pacific.

History

The Secretariat of State for Foreign Affairs was created in 1979 as a body of «general competence» destinated to help the Foreign Minister in his duties.[2] This body was suppressed in 1982[3] and its competences were re-assumed by the Minister.

In 1985, the department was reactivated with the level of General Secretariat and was called General Secretariat for Foreign Policy and the Secretary General had the rank of Under Secretary.[4] In 1996, with the change of government, the General Secretariat was subordinated to a new Secretariat of State called Secretariat of State for Foreign Policy and for the European Union, assuming the coordinations competences of the General Secretariat and the competences of the Secretariat of State for the European Union. This was reverted again in 2000 when the secretariat of state was split in two.[5]

In 2004, the new government gave the competencies over Ibero-America to this Secretariat of State that before belonged to the Secretariat of State for International Cooperation but in 2008 this competences were assumed by a new Secretariat of State for Ibero-America and were re-assumed again in the very late 2010 under the name of Secretariat of State for Foreign and Ibero-American Affairs.[6]

With the Rajoy government, the Secretariat of State established its current structure, with the exception of everything regarding Ibero-America and the Caribbean, which was established in 2020.

Names

Structure

The Secretariat of State is composed of six departments, all of them run by a Director-General:

It's the department that implements the directives of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the functions of assisting the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation in the formulation and execution of foreign policy in its global approaches and objectives, and, especially, in the coordination of Spanish foreign policy with regard to the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union under the guidance of the European Council and of the decisions adopted by Foreign Affairs Council.

It's responsible for the participation of Spain in all the bodies of the United Nations, of establish the position of Spain regarding international community issues, the participation of Spain in the international organizations about matter of its competences and specifically in climate change and environment organizations and the promotion of human rights in the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the participation in this kind of organizations.

It's the department in charge of the proposal and execution of the foreign policy of Spain in its corresponding geographical area, the promotion of bilateral relations with the countries it encompasses and the follow-up of the initiatives and multilateral forums of the geographic area of its competence.

It's the department in charge of the proposal and execution of the foreign policy of Spain in the African continent, the promotion of bilateral relations with the countries it encompasses and the follow-up of the initiatives and multilateral forums of the geographic area of its competence.

It's the department in charge of the proposal and execution of the foreign policy of Spain in its corresponding geographical area, the promotion of bilateral relations with the countries it encompasses, the follow-up of the initiatives and multilateral forums of the geographic area of its competence and the impulse to the Foundations Council Spain-United States, Spain-China, Spain-Japan, Spain-India and Spain-Australia.

List of SEAEX

No.ImageNameTerm of OfficeMinisters serving underPrime Minister
BeganEndedDays of Service
Carlos Robles Piquer27 April 197924 October 1981Marcelino Oreja Aguirre
José Pedro Pérez-Llorca
Adolfo Suárez
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo
Gabriel Mañueco de Lecea6 November 198121 October 1982José Pedro Pérez-LlorcaLeopoldo Calvo-Sotelo
Ramón de Miguel y Egea14 May 19966 May 2000Abel MatutesJosé María Aznar
Miquel Nadal Segalá6 May 200020 July 2002Josep Piqué
Ramón Gil-Casares20 July 200220 April 2004Ana Palacio
Bernardino León20 April 200422 April 2008Miguel Ángel MoratinosJosé Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Ángel Lossada Torres-Quevedo22 April 200827 July 2010
Juan Pablo de Laiglesia y González de Peredo27 July 20106 November 2010Trinidad Jiménez
Juan Antonio Yáñez-Barnuevo García6 November 201024 December 2011
10ºGonzalo de Benito Secades24 December 201115 November 2014José Manuel García-MargalloMariano Rajoy
11ºIgnacio Ybáñez Rubio15 November 201421 January 2017
12ºIldefonso Castro López21 January 201719 June 2018Alfonso Dastis
13ºFernando Martín Valenzuela Marzo19 June 20185 February 2020Josep BorrellPedro Sánchez
14ºCristina Gallach5 February 202021 July 2021Arancha González Laya
15ºÁngeles Moreno Bau21 July 202120 December 2023José Manuel Albares
16ºDiego Martínez Belío20 December 2023Incumbent

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Royal Decree 644/2020, of July 7, by which the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation is developed.. 2018-11-20. boe.es. es.
  2. Web site: BOE.es - Documento BOE-A-1979-11350. boe.es. es. 2018-11-20.
  3. Web site: Royal Decree-Law 22/1982, of December 7, on measures of Administrative Reforms.. www.boe.es. es. 2018-11-20.
  4. Web site: Royal Decree 1485/1985, of August 28, which determines the basic organizational structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the autonomous agency of the Department.. boe.es. es. 2018-11-20.
  5. Web site: Royal Decree 1473/2000, of August 4, by which the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is developed.. boe.es. es. 2018-11-20.
  6. Web site: Royal Decree 1748/2010, of December 23, by which the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation is developed.. boe.es. es. 2018-11-20.