Organisation

Departments

The Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General, and Directors-General are the Ministry's most senior civil servants. Under the Secretary-General and the Directors-General fall various policy and support departments. The departments are divided into 4 groups:

• Regional departments develop coherent, effective policy on the world's regions and countries.
• Policy theme departments combine knowledge and expertise in clusters of foreign policy areas.
• Multilateral departments provide the Dutch contribution to international, or multilateral, organisations and send Dutch representatives to them.
• Supporting departments and service organisations provide optimal support to the organisation in areas such as finance, personnel, information provision and communications.

Dutch missions abroad

Around the world, the Ministry has more than 150 embassies, consulates-general, consulates and permanent missions to international organisations, also known as 'missions'. In addition, it has some 360 honorary consulates, with more limited powers. The missions promote the interests of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and of Dutch people abroad. As well as embassies, consulates-general and consulates, which are bilateral missions, the Netherlands has 16 multilateral missions or permanent representations to international organisations like the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations.