Representations
The External Affairs Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network maintains seven representations beyond the boundaries of the Velocity Interoperability Network. Each is accredited to a body outside the Network, carries the Network's business with that body, reports on matters affecting the Network, and provides consular assistance to citizens of the Network in the area it covers.
Representations are of three classes. A permanent representation is a standing mission with the full range of functions, including the conduct of negotiations. A liaison office is a standing mission for day-to-day contact, which negotiates only on instruction from the Department. A delegation is sent for a round or a series of rounds, attends and reports, and is wound up when its business is finished. The classes are set out below.
| Class | Standing | Functions | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent representation | Standing | Full: representation, reporting, negotiation and consular assistance in the area covered | 3 |
| Liaison office | Standing | Day-to-day contact and consular assistance; negotiation only on instruction | 2 |
| Delegation | Sent for a round or series of rounds | Attendance and reporting; consular assistance while the delegation is in place | 2 |
The Network's representations. The seven representations announced on 6 September 2026 open in sequence between 14 September and 2 November 2026.
- Permanent Representation to the Meridian Transit Authority
- Carries the Network's business on the movement of goods and persons through the Meridian corridor, and on the mutual recognition of identity records. The senior representation of the Network and the first to open.
- Permanent representation · Opens 14 September 2026
- Permanent Representation to the Coastal Data Consortium
- Handles the exchange of data between the Network and the Consortium, the protection of records transferred in either direction, and the technical work arising from the memorandum of understanding on data protection.
- Permanent representation · Opens 21 September 2026
- Permanent Representation to the Open Protocols Assembly
- Represents the Network in the Assembly's standing committees, presents the Network's position on proposed technical standards, and reports on standards likely to affect the Network's own arrangements.
- Permanent representation · Opens 28 September 2026
- Liaison Office at the Northern Interchange Board
- Maintains day-to-day contact with the Board on the operation of the northern interchange, arranges the notification of interruptions, and coordinates emergency assistance under the memorandum of understanding of 3 September 2026.
- Liaison office · Opens 5 October 2026
- Liaison Office at the Harbour Clearing Union
- Deals with the clearance of vessels calling on the business of the Network, the documents required for clearance, and the welfare of citizens of the Network serving in crews.
- Liaison office · Opens 12 October 2026
- Delegation to the Continental Registry Union
- Attends the Union's registry rounds, presents the Network's returns and receives the Union's, and reports on changes to registry practice that bear on the Network's own registers.
- Delegation · Opens 19 October 2026
- Delegation to the Southern Freight Alliance
- Attends the Alliance's freight documentation rounds and pursues the Network's interest in the simplification of consignment records. Negotiation of a memorandum on crew welfare continues.
- Delegation · Opens 2 November 2026
Opening dates. A representation opens on the date shown and is thereafter in continuous operation, except for a delegation, which is in place for the duration of the rounds it attends.
| Class | Accredited to | Area covered | Opens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent Representation | Meridian Transit Authority | Meridian corridor | 14 September 2026 |
| Permanent Representation | Coastal Data Consortium | Coastal data region | 21 September 2026 |
| Permanent Representation | Open Protocols Assembly | Open protocols precinct | 28 September 2026 |
| Liaison Office | Northern Interchange Board | Northern interchange | 5 October 2026 |
| Liaison Office | Harbour Clearing Union | Harbour clearing area | 12 October 2026 |
| Delegation | Continental Registry Union | Continental registry area | 19 October 2026 |
| Delegation | Southern Freight Alliance | Southern freight corridor | 2 November 2026 |
Corresponding with a representation. All correspondence passes through the Department.
Step 1: Write to the Department
Correspondence for a representation is addressed to the Department, which forwards it. Representations do not receive correspondence directly, so that a record of every matter is kept in one place.
Step 2: Name the representation and the subject
State the representation concerned and the subject in the first line. Where the matter is consular, say so; consular correspondence is passed to the Office of Consular Affairs on the day it is received.
Step 3: Give the reference of any earlier correspondence
Every matter is given a reference when it is opened. Quoting it allows the papers to be brought together and avoids a second file being started on the same subject.
Step 4: Allow for the forwarding time
Correspondence is forwarded to the representation within one working day of receipt. A reply is normally sent within five working days, or within one working day where the matter is urgent.
A representation is not a court and cannot decide a dispute between a citizen of the Network and the body to which it is accredited. Where a dispute arises, the representation records the facts, informs the Department and, if the matter falls within an instrument on the register, raises it with the body concerned under that instrument.
The instruments concluded with each of these bodies are listed on the Agreements page, the arrangements for their representatives to the Network on the Protocol and Accreditation page, and the current advice for each area on the Travel Advice page. Enquiries may be sent to contact@foreign.gov.vin.