Protocol Guide SmartSearch

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Context-sensitive search functionality that retrieves and presents relevant and literal text fragments as answers based on a user query.

Last change on 26th of May 2025, at 12:06 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

• Publication category: Other algorithms
• Impact assessment: Field not filled in.
• Status: In use

General information

Theme

International

Begin date

05-2025

Contact information

[e-mail]

Link to publication website

www.netherlandsandyou.nl/web/nl-host-nation/home

Responsible use

Goal and impact

Improved accessibility for staff of international organisations and embassies by making relevant, public information from the so-called Protocol Guide easier to find.

Considerations

Providing information via the "Protocol Guide SmartSearch" substantially improves the facilitation of the Diplomatic Missions and their staff in their work and/or promotes the realisation of their privileges and immunities. The same applies to International Organisations on the basis of the respective headquarters agreements. The functionality offers the possibility to search large amounts of legal textual information efficiently. It reduces the time and effort required to find answers.

Human intervention

The user asks questions and self-assesses the results. The answer contains only the literal quote from the Protocol Guide and the paragraph with source citation. The answer is not generated.

Risk management

The functionality looks for the best matching text from the Protocol Guide to the question asked and does not make up its own answer.

Legal basis

Under Article 25 of the Vienna Convention, the Netherlands is obliged to provide the Diplomatic Missions (embassies, consulates and the Palestinian Mission) with all facilities for the performance of their work. It follows that the Netherlands must provide their staff (diplomats) and their family members with information so that they can carry out their work. In short, the facilitation should lead to the realisation of treaty (tax) privileges and (criminal, civil and administrative) immunity.

Links to legal bases

• Beleidsregels Protocollaire Basisadministratie: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0014172/2019-02-08
• Verdrag van Wenen inzake diplomatiek verkeer, Wenen, 18-04-1961: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBV0004345/1984-10-07
• Verdrag van Wenen inzake consulaire betrekkingen, Wenen, 24-04-1963: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBV0004334/1986-01-16
• Zetelverdagen: Zie verdragenbank: https://verdragenbank.overheid.nl/nl/Verdrag/ZoekUitgebreidResultaat?topic=Zetelverdrag&isNLDepositary=False&isNLCurrent=False&pagina=2

Elaboration on impact assessments

A Pre-PIA, Information Security Quick Scan and Pre-AIIA have been carried out. The information from the impact tests is available to those authorised to do so.

Operations

Data

It concerns public information from the Protocol Guides by which, in line with the government-wide Host Country Policy, foreign embassies and international organisations in the Netherlands are assisted with their arrival and stay in the Netherlands.

Links to data sources

• Protocol Guide Embassies: https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/web/nl-host-nation/about-us/embassies/protocol-guide-missions
• Protocol Guide International Organisations: https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/web/nl-host-nation/about-us/international-organisations/protocol-guide

Technical design

The AI SmartSearch functionality is invoked through an API. The search is matched with the best matching and literal text snippets in the relevant protocol guide. The output contains a list of up to 5-10 results, including snippet/highlight, metadata and URL. The back-end is invoked by a front-end component within the website platform.

External provider

The algorithm was developed internally by the State Department.