Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sierra)

The Kingdom of Sierra Ministry of Foreign Affairs, often referred to as simply the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or abbreviated as MIFA, is the Cabinet-level ministry in the Government of Sierra that manages and oversees the diplomatic and consular relations of Sierra. Its primary responsibility is to advise the Prime Minister on international affairs and foreign policy issues, who exercises the Queen's royal prerogative on Her Royal Majesty's behalf. It is also responsible for negotiating treaties and agreements with other powers, representing Sierra in international organizations (including the League of Nations and the Conference of American States), defending Sierran interests and citizens, supporting Sierran financial development and investment abroad, promoting Sierra's international trade, and providing humanitarian assistance to other countries. The Ministry is the oldest Cabinet-level ministry and was founded on November 27, 1858.

The Ministry is headquartered at the Mark Culler Building located at 430 N Broadway, Porciúncula, Gold Coast, 10000 in the Grand Park Center. The Ministry operates over 50 child agencies and departments, and is responsible for implementing the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Sierra. It derives its authority from Her Royal Majesty through delegation of her royal prerogative vis-à-vis foreign relations and it is accountable to the Privy Council. The Ministry's leadership, headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, reports to Her Royal Majesty's Government on all matters relating to foreign affairs and diplomatic efforts. The Ministry receives most of its funding from the House Committee of Appropriations' Subcommittee on Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Justice and is regulated by the Senate and House Committees on Foreign Relations and Title 14 of the Sierra Federal Code.

According to convention, the Minister of Foreign Affairs must be a member of Parliament from the House of Commons. Generally, a high-ranking MP who is part of the governing party or coalition is voted by their peers in the House and confirmed in the Senate to fulfill this requirement. This position is considered the most prestigious position in the Cabinet, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs officially ranks just below the Deputy Prime Minister according to the Sierran civilian order of precedence. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the chief executive of the ministry and runs its day-to-day operations, and is assisted by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Staff is the third-highest-ranking official in the ministry and due to its non-partisan nature (as opposed to the Minister and Deputy Minister), is appointed based on merit by the civil service system rather than elected by House members.

Duties and responsibilities
The Constitution of Sierra declares that the foreign policy matters are one of the royal prerogatives of the Queen, which she normally confers onto the Prime Minister, who runs Her Royal Majesty's Government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs serves as the paramount agency within the civilian executive branch on all issues pertaining to diplomatic affairs and foreign policy, and is led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who serves as the principal foreign advisor to the Prime Minister on such matters. The role and responsibilities of the Ministry are wide-ranging but are chiefly concerned with developing and implementing the Prime Minister and Parliament's foreign policy. In addition, it is responsible for rendering service and assistance to Sierran nationals and businesses abroad, cultivating ties with foreign nations, overseeing and regulating Sierra's diplomatic and consular staff, combatting against international crime and terrorism, informing and educating the Sierran public on travel safety and protection (through travel safety advisories and other vital information), coordinating and providing support for other Sierran government agencies abroad (including official state visits), promoting commercial and trade interests of Sierra in the international market, providing security for Sierran government officials and diplomatic staff abroad, and conducting research on foreign policy issues.

In order to carry out these functions and operations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employs a large civilian workforce, that includes professional, technical, and administrative staff, and maintains an internal bureaucratic system. High-ranking positions are given out based on the Ministry's own civil service examinations, which assesses potential candidates over a variety of skills including verbal communication, writing, and technical knowledge. Employees can work abroad as foreign service personnel in Sierra's international system of embassies and consular services, or at home to provide logistical support, compile and analyze documents, and process information ready for use by the Ministry. The Ministry works closely with other government ministries and agencies, especially the Ministry of Defense, which coordinate together on formulating foreign and military policies.

The Ministry is responsible for creating and providing passports, visas, and other travel documents to Sierran citizens, nationals, and foreign travelers. It also processes international adoptions, international marriages, foreign student applications, temporary foreign worker permits, and other matters. The Ministry has played a major role in framing Sierra's immigration policy and works with Parliament on such matters. It also controls and oversees Sierra's nationality laws and naturalization policy. Sierra's Border Patrol Services fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is thus empowered to prevent illegal immigrants, terrorists, and international criminals from entering or remaining in Sierra. The Ministry is also responsible for securing the safety of Sierran citizens in other countries, and representing them on their behalf and negotiating with responsible, competent judicial authorities in instances where Sierran nationals have been detained or imprisoned in other countries due to local criminal charges. The Ministry also provides vehicle registration for diplomats of foreign countries with and ensure their overall safety during their residency in Sierra.

For cultural and social interests, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs works together with the Ministry of Culture to promote Sierra's cultural exports abroad and other programs designed to connect Sierrans with other peoples throughout the world. The Ministry maintains an international scholarship and endowment program to encourage foreign students to attend Sierra's universities, and sponsors a variety of programs that allows Sierran students and young adults to travel abroad for general purposes, academic studies, humanitarian work, or official business.

Overview

 * Minister of Foreign Affairs
 * Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
 * Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Staff
 * Executive Secretariat
 * Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 * Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs
 * Bureau of Anglo-American Affairs
 * Bureau of Latin American Affairs
 * Bureau of European Affairs
 * Bureau of Middle Eastern and North African Affairs
 * Bureau of African Affairs
 * Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
 * Bureau of Central and South Asian Affairs
 * Bureau of International Organization Affairs
 * Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Management
 * Bureau of Administration
 * Bureau of Consular Affairs
 * Bureau of Security
 * Diplomatic Security Agency
 * Bureau of Human Resources
 * Bureau of Medical Services
 * Bureau of Property Management
 * Bureau of Central Information
 * Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights, Justice, and International Law
 * Bureau of Counterterrorism
 * Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
 * Center for Human Trafficking Prevention
 * Office of Children's Rights Affairs
 * Office of Women's Rights Affairs
 * Bureau for International Narcotics and Contraband Control
 * Office of international Criminal Justice
 * Office of Resettlement and Refugee Assistance
 * Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Economic Development, Trade and the Environment
 * Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
 * Central Contract Agency
 * Bureau of Environmental and Scientific Affairs
 * Office of the Trade Representative
 * Bureau of Foreign Investment and Savings
 * Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
 * Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Security and Defense
 * Intergovernmental Affairs Office
 * Foreign Service Office
 * Foreign Service Civil Examination Office
 * Foreign Service Internal Management and Human Resources
 * Office of the Solicitor
 * Office of Protocol
 * Internal Audit Office
 * Office of Parliamentary Affairs
 * Office of Budget and Planning
 * Office of Intelligence and Research

Expenditures
In 2017, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a discretionary budget totaling $18.8 billion (KSD), with a further $2.1 billion adjustment in 2018 and $3.5 billion for overseas contingencies. The budget represents the sixth-highest allocation of budgetary resources in the federal government (excluding all functions and services associated with the Monarchy), and includes finances used to purchase foreign arms and military-related development services on behalf of the Ministry of Defense. The Ministry of Foreign Affair's annual financial report, as prepared by the Office of Budget and Planning, and reviewed by the Ministry's Internal Audit Office, indicated that actual costs were at $16.6 billion for the year 2017. The Ministry generated revenues of $2.2 billion through consular and management services.

The Ministry's independent auditors are the Lewis & Sons, a private firm which works exclusively with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Cabinet-level ministries. It has worked closely with the Ministry in improving financial reporting and addressing internal weaknesses on fiscal accountability. In 2015, after ten years of non-compliances, the Ministry was placed under a program for.