Imperial External Affairs Section

The Imperial External Affairs Section was a department of the Government responsible for the implementation and development of the 's foreign policy towards other states and organizations throughout the galaxy and promoting the interests of the Galactic Empire in regions not under Imperial rule. It was headed by the Minister of External Affairs, also called the Chief of the External Affairs Section, and was headquartered in,.

While the Empire had been the dominant galactic government since the end of the, some parts of the galaxy were still only partially under its rule, as protectorates or puppet states, or remained completely independent. Because of this the Empire still maintained thousands of diplomatic postings—including high commissions, embassies, consulates, trade missions, and permanent missions to intergalactic organizations. The External Affairs Section maintained and staffed Imperial embassies on independent worlds and protectorates, supported contacts between other governments and factions with the Empire, assigned foreign embassies in Imperial territory, assisted Imperial citizens while they were abroad, and provided advice to corporations investing outside the Empire. Colonies established by the Empire on the fringes of the galaxy, in regions like, were also under the management of the External Affairs Section.

The highest level of diplomatic representation was an Imperial embassy, assigned to the capital of an independent government or faction. Below the embassy level were consulates, located throughout another state's territory, which provided services for Imperial and foreign citizens in their area while answering to the main embassy in the state's capital. Trade missions were also maintained to oversee contacts between local businesses with Imperial business interests, and permanent missions were assigned to intergalactic organizations such as the.

In a protectorate or dominion of the Empire, the embassy was known as an Imperial high commission and the head of mission held the title of high commissioner instead of ambassador, being the envoy of the Imperial government to regions that were not fully under the sovereignty of the Emperor. Similarly, a protectorate's representative on Coruscant also held the title of high commissioner instead of ambassador.