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Although the laws of Norway outline certain rights and responsibilities of Ambassadors in service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a more elaborate system that operates within these laws needed to be created in order to uphold consistency, structure, and fairness. With five new Reserve Ambassadors prepared to accept their first assignments, the MoFA is releasing this article for the use of these Ambassadors and future Ambassadors, as well as preserving it on the eRepublik wiki (soon to come). These guidelines and procedures are completely valid under the laws of Norway.

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Application
- There are three sections of the Ambassador Program.
- Step 1 is the Application process where applicants complete the minimum requirements for earning candidacy.
- Step 2 is the Assessment process opened to those who have been accepted as Reserve Ambassadors and are ready to submit their preferences for country assignment.
- Step 3 is the Assignment process, where Reserve Ambassadors are personally contacted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with details for assignment. Those who accept these assignments become active Ambassadors for the duration specified.

Assignment
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively tries to give country preference to Reserve Ambassadors awaiting assignment in a fair and concise manner.
- To ensure the fairness of country assignment, all active Ambassadors will be awarded countries of their choice using a zero-sum bidding system that is explained in another section.
- Assignments end at a specified time, but may be renewed by request of Congress or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Reassignment/Dismissal
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may decide to reassign or dismiss an Ambassador's assignment. This is absolutely not a negative or shameful thing, but a (merely temporary) part of the necessary and intended process to maximize the effectiveness of the MoFA's diplomatic mission.
- Ambassadors who are dismissed from assignment automatically become Reserve Ambassadors and can await reassignment.
- Ambassadors may request to be reassigned to another country by contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Resignation/Breaks
- If an Ambassador needs to take a break which may interfere with their duties, they must notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regardless of circumstances. Small breaks can often be tolerated, but Ambassadors who intend to exceed 2 weeks away from their duties should submit a notification of resignation.
- All Ambassadors must report their resignation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is done so the MoFA may efficiently find a replacement. All Ambassadors who resign in this manner become Reserve Ambassadors and can await reassignment.
- Ambassadors who "resign" without notifying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can expect expulsion for neglecting their obligations.

Expulsion
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and/or the Norwegian Congress may expel an Ambassador or Reserve Ambassador at any time for any reason. Expelled Ambassadors or Reserve Ambassadors may reapply from the first step of the Ambassador Program as a normal citizen.
- Former Ambassadors or Reserve Ambassadors who feel they have been expelled under unfair circumstances are advised to bring their issues to the Norwegian Congress.

Zero-sum bidding system
- Although this may seem initially complicated, participating in this system is strictly optional, and requires no understanding to become an Ambassador.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to ensure the fairness of country assignment for Ambassadors, and this can be done through a zero-sum bidding system that uses an artificial currency. This is also done to give ambassadors experience working in different countries.
- 1 point is awarded for every satisfactory weekly summary submitted by Ambassadors by the due date outlined in their assignments, per country. Ambassadors who fail to submit at least 2 summaries per month per country do not receive points for that country at the end of the month and face expulsion.
- Accepting an assignment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not affect points. None gained, none lost.
- An Ambassador may bid for a country assignment using all of their points. If the bid is won, all points are drained to zero and the Ambassador wins the preferred country assignment. If a bid is lost, the loser keeps all of their points. A tie will be broken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' discretion.
- It is impossible to have less than 0 points.
- Ambassadors and Reserve Ambassadors who are expelled lose all points, but may earn them back if the expulsion is repealed by Congress on the grounds of unfair circumstances.
- Ambassadors retail all points while becoming Reserve Ambassadors following the end of a mission or dismissal.
- If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reassigns an Ambassador or performs an action which nullifies a diplomatic assignment that was won from bidding, all points that were lost during that bid will be refunded and added to the points earned.
- This system affects only one of the Ambassador's country assignments.

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Thank you for reading,
Andreas Stassivik
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway

Current Government of Norway:
http://wiki.erepublik.com/index.php/Government_of_Norway