Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Mexico)

The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, SRE, lit: Secretariat of External Relations) is the government department responsible for Mexico's foreign affairs.

Mexico currently has 80 embassies, 33 consulates-general, 35 consulates, 1 representative office in Ramallah, 1 trade office in Taiwan and 144 honorary consulates around the world. Mexico also has 2 permanent representations to the United Nations in New York City and Geneva, there are also permanent missions to the OAS in Washington, D.C., to UNESCO in Paris, to European Union in Brussels, to OECD in Paris, to ICAO in Montreal and to OPANAL in Mexico City. Mexico also has permanent observer mission status to the AU, CAN, CE, Mercosur, NAM and Unasur. The Secretariat also operates passport offices throughout Mexico where Mexican citizens can apply in person for passports for international travel.

The person in charge of the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs is the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, also known domestically as the canciller (Spanish, lit. chancellor).

The Secretary's subordinate officials and agencies include the Undersecretary for Foreign Relations, the Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Undersecretary for North America, the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) and the Legal Counselor.

Functions

 * To direct the foreign service in its daily aspects in the diplomatic and consular tasks under the terms of the Law of the Mexican Foreign Service and, through the agents of the same service, to watch abroad for the good name of Mexico; Impart protection to Mexicans; Collect consular fees and other taxes; To exercise notarial functions, of Civil Registry, of judicial assistance and the other federal functions that the laws indicate, and acquire, manage and conserve the properties of the Nation abroad
 * To assist the commercial and tourist promotion of the country through its embassies and consulates
 * Train members of the Mexican Foreign Service in the commercial and tourist areas, so that they can fulfill the responsibilities derived from the provisions of the previous section.
 * To intervene in international commissions, congresses, conferences and exhibitions, and to participate in international organizations and institutes of which the Mexican government is a part
 * Intervene in matters related to the territorial limits of the country and international waters
 * To grant to the foreigners the licenses and authorizations that they require according to the laws to acquire the dominion of the lands, waters and their accessions in the Mexican Republic; Obtain concessions and enter into contracts, intervene in the exploitation of natural resources or to invest or participate in Mexican civil or mercantile societies, as well as to grant permits for the constitution of these or to amend its bylaws or to acquire real property or rights over them
 * Keeping track of the operations performed according to the previous fraction
 * Intervene on all issues related to nationality and naturalization
 * Save and use the Great Seal of the Nation
 * Collect autographs of all kinds of diplomatic documents
 * Legalize the signatures of documents that must produce effects abroad and foreign documents that must produce them in the Republic
 * To intervene, through the Attorney General of the Republic, in the extradition in accordance with the law or treaties, and in the international letters or letters rogatory to get them to their destination, after examining that they fulfill the formal requirements for their diligence and Its origin or unlawfulness, to make it known to the competent judicial authorities
 * The others that expressly attribute the laws and regulations