Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting
negotiations between representatives of
groups or states. It usually refers to international diplomacy, the
conduct of
international
relations through the intercession of professional diplomats
with regard to issues of peace-making, trade,
war,
economics and
culture. International
treaties are usually negotiated by diplomats prior to
endorsement by national
politicians.
In an informal or social sense, diplomacy is the employment of tact
to gain
strategic advantage or to find
mutually acceptable solutions to a common challenge, one set of
tools being the phrasing of statements in a non-confrontational, or
polite manner.The science of
diplomatics, dealing with the study of old
documents, also ows its name to the above, but its present meaning
is completely distinct from that of diplomacy.
Diplomats and diplomatic missions
The collective term for a group of diplomats from a single country
who reside in another country is a
diplomatic mission.
Ambassador is the most senior
diplomatic rank; a diplomatic mission headed by an ambassador is
known as an
embassy, with the
exception of permanent missions at the United Nations, the
Organization of American States, or other multilateral
organizations, which are also headed by ambassadors. The collective
body of all diplomats of particular country is called that
country's
diplomatic service. The
collective body of all diplomats assigned to a particular country
is the
diplomatic corps. (See also
diplomatic rank.)
History
Ancient Egypt, Canaan, and Hittite Empire
Some of the earliest known diplomatic records are the
Amarna letters written between the pharaohs
of the
Eighteenth dynasty of
Egypt and the
Amurru rulers of
Canaan during the 14th century BC. Following the
Battle of Kadesh in
c.
1274 BC during the
Nineteenth dynasty, the pharaoh
of Egypt and ruler of the
Hittite
Empire created one of the first known international peace
treaties which survives in
stone tablet fragments.
Classical Greece
The Greek City States on some occasions sent envoys to each other
in order to negotiate specific issues, such as war and peace or
commercial relations, but did not have diplomatic representatives
regularly posted in each other's territory. However, some of the
functions given to modern diplomatic representatives were in
Classical Greece filled by a
proxenos, who
was a citizen of the host city having a particular relations of
friendship with another city – a relationship often hereditary in a
particular family.
Europe
Ancient roots
The ability to practice diplomacy is one of the defining elements
of a state. As noted above, diplomacy has been practiced since the
first
city-states were formed millennia
ago in
ancient Greece. For most of
human history diplomats were sent only for specific negotiations,
and would return immediately after their mission concluded.
Diplomats were usually relatives of the ruling family or of very
high rank in order to give them legitimacy when they sought to
negotiate with the other state.
One
notable exception involved the relationship between the Pope and the Byzantine
Emperor; papal agents, called apocrisiarii, were permanently resident in
Constantinople
. After the 8th century, however, conflicts
between the Pope and Emperor (such as the
Iconoclastic controversy) led to the breaking of
close ties.
The origins of diplomacy lie in the strategic and competitive
exchange of impressive gifts, which may be traced to the
Bronze Age and recognized as an aspect of Homeric
guest-friendship. Thus diplomacy and
trade
have been inexorably linked from the outset. "In the framework of
diplomatic relations it was customary for Byzantine emperors and
Muslim rulers, especially the 'Abbāsids and the Fātimids, as well
as for Muslim rulers between themselves, to exchange precious
gifts, with which they attempted to impress or surpass their
counterparts," remarks David Jacoby, in the context of the
economics of silk in cultural exchange among Byzantium, Islam and
the Latin West: merchants accompanied emissaries, who often
traveled on commercial ships. At a later date, it will be recalled
that the English adventurer and trader
Anthony Sherley convinced the Persian ruler
to send the first
Persian embassy to
Europe .
Roots of modern diplomacy
Early modern diplomacy's origins are often traced to the states of
Northern Italy in the early
Renaissance, with the first embassies being
established in the thirteenth century.
Milan
played a
leading role, especially under Francesco Sforza who established permanent
embassies to the other city states of Northern Italy.
Tuscany and Venice
were also
flourishing centres of diplomacy from the 1300s onwards. It
was in the
Italian Peninsula that
many of the traditions of modern diplomacy began, such as the
presentation of an ambassador's credentials to the
head of state.
From Italy the practice was spread to other
European regions.
Milan was the first to send a representative
to the court of France
in
1455. However, Milan refused to host French representatives
fearing espionage and that the French representatives would
intervene in its internal affairs.
As foreign powers such as France and
Spain
became increasingly involved in Italian politics
the need to accept emissaries was recognized. Soon the major
European powers were exchanging representatives.
Spain was the first to
send a permanent representative; it appointed an ambassador to the
Court of England
in
1487. By the late 16th century, permanent missions became
customary.
The Holy Roman
Emperor, however, did not regularly send permanent legates, as
they could not represent the interests of all the German
princes (who
were in theory all subordinate to the Emperor, but in practice each
independent).
During that period the rules of modern diplomacy were further
developed. The top rank of representatives was an
ambassador. At that time an ambassador was a
nobleman, the rank of the noble assigned varying with the prestige
of the country he was delegated to. Strict standards developed for
ambassadors, requiring they have large residences, host lavish
parties, and play an important role in the court life of their host
nation.
In
Rome
, the most prized posting for a Catholic ambassador, the French and Spanish
representatives would have a retinue of up to a hundred.
Even in smaller posts, ambassadors were very expensive. Smaller
states would send and receive
envoy,
who were a rung below ambassador. Somewhere between the two was the
position of
minister
plenipotentiary.
Diplomacy was a complex affair, even more so than now. The
ambassadors from each state were ranked by complex levels of
precedence that were much disputed. States were normally ranked by
the title of the sovereign; for
Catholic
nations the emissary from the
Vatican was
paramount, then those from the
kingdoms,
then those from
duchies and
principalities. Representatives from
republics were ranked the lowest (which often
angered the leaders of the numerous German, Scandinavian and
Italian republics). Determining precedence between two kingdoms
depended on a number of factors that often fluctuated, leading to
near-constant squabbling.
Ambassadors, nobles with little foreign experience and no
expectation of a career in diplomacy, needed to be supported by
large embassy staff. These professionals would be sent on longer
assignments and would be far more knowledgeable than the
higher-ranking officials about the host country. Embassy staff
would include a wide range of employees, including some dedicated
to
espionage. The need for skilled
individuals to staff embassies was met by the graduates of
universities, and this led to a great increase in the study of
international law,
modern languages, and history at
universities throughout Europe.
At the same time, permanent foreign ministries began to be
established in almost all European states to coordinate embassies
and their staffs. These ministries were still far from their modern
form, and many of them had extraneous internal responsibilities.
Britain had two departments with frequently overlapping powers
until 1782. They were also far smaller than they are currently.
France, which boasted the largest foreign affairs department, had
only some 70 full-time employees in the 1780s.
The
elements of modern diplomacy slowly spread to Eastern Europe and Russia
, arriving by
the early eighteenth century. The entire edifice would be
greatly disrupted by the
French
Revolution and the subsequent years of warfare. The revolution
would see commoners take over the diplomacy of the French state,
and of those conquered by revolutionary armies. Ranks of precedence
were abolished.
Napoleon also refused to
acknowledge diplomatic immunity, imprisoning several British
diplomats accused of scheming against France.
After the fall of Napoleon, the
Congress of Vienna of 1815 established an
international system of
diplomatic
rank. Disputes on precedence among nations (and therefore the
appropriate diplomatic ranks used) persisted for over a century
until after
World War II, when the rank
of
ambassador became the norm. In between
that time, figures such as the German Chancellor
Otto von Bismark were renowned for
international diplomacy.
Asia
Ancient India
Ancient India, with its kingdoms and
dynasties, had a long tradition of diplomacy.
The oldest treatise
on statecraft and diplomacy, Arthashastra, is attributed to Kautilya (also known as Chanakya), who was the principal adviser to
Chandragupta Maurya, the founder
of the Maurya dynasty who ruled in
the 3rd century BC, (whose capital was Patliputra
, today's Patna
, the chief
city of Bihar
state). Arthashastra is a complete work on the art
of kingship, with long chapters on taxation and on the raising and
maintenance of armies. It also incorporates a theory of diplomacy,
of how in a situation of mutually contesting kingdoms, the wise
king build alliances and tries to checkmate his adversaries. The
envoys sent at the time to the courts of other kingdoms tended to
reside for extended periods of time, and
Arthashastra
contains advice on the deportment of the envoy, including the
trenchant suggestion that 'he should sleep alone'. The highest
morality for the king is that his kingdom should prosper.
China
One of the earliest realists in
international relations
theory was the 6th century BC military strategist
Sun Tzu (d. 496 BC), author of
The Art of War. He lived during a time
in which rival states were starting to pay less attention to
traditional respects of tutelage to the
Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050–256 BC) figurehead
monarchs while each vied for power and total conquest. However, a
great deal of diplomacy in establishing allies, bartering land, and
signing peace treaties was necessary for each warring state.
From the
Battle of Baideng (200
BC) to the
Battle of Mayi (133 BC),
the
Han Dynasty was forced to
uphold a marriage alliance and pay an exorbitant
amount of tribute (in silk, cloth, grain, and other foodstuffs) to
the powerful northern nomadic
Xiongnu that
had been consolidated by
Modu Shanyu.
After the Xiongnu sent word to
Emperor Wen of Han (r. 180–157) that they
controlled areas stretching from
Manchuria
to the
Tarim Basin oasis city-states, a
treaty was drafted in 162 BC proclaiming that everything north of
the
Great Wall belong to nomads'
lands, while everything south of it would be reserved for
Han Chinese. The treaty was renewed no less than
nine times, but did not restrain some Xiongnu
tuqi from raiding Han borders. That was until the
far-flung campaigns of
Emperor Wu of
Han (r.
141–87 BC) which shattered the unity of the
Xiongnu and allowed Han to conquer the Western Regions; under Wu, in 104 BC the Han
armies ventured as far Fergana
in Central Asia to
battle the Yuezhi who had conquered Hellenistic Greek areas.
The
Koreans
and Japanese
during the Chinese Tang
Dynasty (618–907 AD) looked to the Chinese capital of Chang'an
as the hub of civilization and emulated its central
bureaucracy as the model of governance. The Japanese sent
frequent embassies to China in this period, although they halted
these trips in 894 during the Tang's imminent collapse. After the
devastating
An Shi Rebellion from
755 to 763, the Tang Dynasty was in no position to reconquer
Central Asia and the
Tarim Basin. After several conflicts with the
Tibetan Empire
spanning several different decades, the Tang finally made a truce
and signed a peace treaty with them in 841.
In the 11th century during the
Song
Dynasty (960–1279), there were cunning ambassadors such as
Shen Kuo and
Su Song
who achieved diplomatic success with the
Liao Dynasty, the often hostile
Khitan neighbor to the north. Both diplomats
secured the rightful borders of the Song Dynasty through knowledge
of
cartography and dredging up old court
archives.
There was also a triad of warfare and
diplomacy between these two states and the Tangut Western Xia
Dynasty to the northwest of Song China (centered in modern-day
Shaanxi
). After warring with the Lý Dynasty of Vietnam
from 1075 to 1077, Song and Lý
made a peace agreement in 1082 to exchange the respective lands
they had captured from each other during the war.
Long
before the Tang and Song dynasties, the Chinese had sent envoys
into Central Asia, India
, and
Persia
starting
with Zhang Qian in the 2nd century
BC. Another notable event in Chinese diplomacy
was the Chinese embassy mission of Zhou
Daguan to the Khmer Empire of
Cambodia
in the 13th century. Chinese diplomacy was a
necessity in the distinctive period of
Chinese exploration.
Since the Tang
Dynasty (618–907 AD), the Chinese also became heavily invested in
sending diplomatic envoys abroad on maritime
missions into the Indian
Ocean
, to India, Persia, Arabia,
East Africa, and Egypt
.
Chinese maritime activity was increased dramatically during the
commercialized period of the Song Dynasty, with new nautical
technologies, many more private ship owners, and an increasing
amount of economic investors in overseas ventures.
During the
Mongol Empire (1206–1294)
the Mongols created something similar to today's diplomatic
passport called paiza. The paiza were in three different types
(golden, silver, and copper) depending on the envoy's level of
importance. With the paiza, there came authority that the envoy can
ask for food, transport, place to stay from any city, village, or
clan within the empire with no difficulties.
Since the
17th century, there was a series of treaties upheld by Qing Dynasty
China and Czarist Russia
, beginning
with the Treaty of Nerchinsk in
the year 1689. This was followed up by the
Aigun Treaty and the
Convention of Peking in the mid 19th
century.
As European power spread around the world in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries so too did its diplomatic model and system
become adopted by Asian countries.
Modern era

Diplomatic Personnel
Diplomatic relations within the
Early
Modern era of
Asia were depicted as an
environment of prestige and Status. It was maintained that one must
be of noble
ancestry in order to represent
an autonomous state within the international arena. Therefore the
position of
diplomat was often revered as
an element of the elitist class within Asia. A state's ability to
practice diplomacy has been one of the underlying defining
characteristics of an autonomous state. It is this practice that
has been employed since the conception of the first city-states
within the international spectrum. Diplomats in Asia were
originally sent only for the purpose of
negotiation. They would be required to
immediately return after their task was completed. The majority of
diplomats initially constituted the relatives of the ruling family.
A high rank was bestowed upon them in order to present a sense of
legitimacy with regards to their presence.
Italy
, the
Ottoman Empire, and China
were the
first real states that perpetuated environments of
diplomacy. During the early modern era diplomacy
evolved to become a crucial element of international relations
within the Mediterranean
and Asia.
Ottoman Empire
Diplomatic traditions outside of Europe differed greatly.
A feature
necessary for diplomacy is the existence of a number of states of
somewhat equal power, as existed in Italy
during the
Renaissance, and in Europe for much of the modern period. By
contrast, in Asia and the
Middle East,
China and the Ottoman Empire were reluctant to practice bilateral
diplomacy as they viewed themselves to be unquestionably superior
to all their neighbours (hence, set up smaller nations as
tributaries and vassals).
The Ottoman
Turks, for instance, would not send missions to other states,
expecting representatives to come to Istanbul
. It would not be until the nineteenth
century that the Ottoman Empire established permanent embassies in
other capitals.
Relations with the government of the
Ottoman Empire (known as the
Sublime Porte) were particularly important to
Italian states.
The maritime
republics of Genoa and
Venece
depended less and less upon their nautical
capabilities, and more and more upon the perpetuation of good
relations with the Ottomans. Interactions between various
merchants, diplomats, and religious men between the Italian and
Ottoman empires helped inaugurate and create new forms of diplomacy
and
statecraft. Eventually the primary
purpose of a diplomat, which was originally a negotiator, evolved
into a persona that represented an autonomous state in all aspects
of political affairs. It became evident that all other
sovereigns felt the need to accommodate
themselves diplomatically, due to the emergence of the powerful
political environment of the Ottoman Empire. One could come to the
conclusion that the atmosphere of diplomacy within the early modern
period revolved around a foundation of conformity to Ottoman
culture.
Italy
The
origins of modern diplomacy within the international spectrum of
politics, could often be traced back to the states of Northern
Italy
. This was during the early renaissance,
where the first diplomatic embassies were established in the
thirteenth century.
The state of Milan
played an
incredible part in the establishment of permanent embassies within
the city states of Northern Italy. Various diplomatic
traditions were also conceived within Italy. The presentation of an
Ambassador's credentials and
acknowledgments are elements that were inaugurated in Italian early
modern diplomacy.
The practice of diplomacy and its various intricacies were also
spread to various other autonomous
European
states.
Milan created the first diplomatic
international gesture in 1455, by sending a representative to the
court of France
. It
was extremely controversial however, that they would not accept the
same gesture from France, due to the fears of
espionage and intervention in internal affairs.
It had
eventually become evident that as super powers such as France and
Spain
grew in size and strength, and there was an
overarching necessity to accept any form of diplomatic effort
within the international arena. Eventually Italy paved the
way for all European power to exchange representatives. By the late
16th century, permanent emissaries were standard practice.
Diplomatic strategy
Real world diplomatic negotiations are very different from
intellectual debates in a university where an issue is decided on
the merit of the arguments and negotiators make a deal by splitting
the difference. Though diplomatic agreements can sometimes be
reached among liberal democratic nations by appealing to higher
principles, most real world diplomacy has traditionally been
heavily influenced by
hard power.
The interaction of strength and diplomacy can be illustrated by a
comparison to labor negotiations. If a labor union is not willing
to strike, then the union is not going anywhere because management
has absolutely no incentive to agree to union demands. On the other
hand, if management is not willing to take a strike, then the
company will be walked all over by the labor union, and management
will be forced to agree to any demand the union makes. The same
concept applies to diplomatic negotiations.
There are also incentives in diplomacy to act reasonably,
especially if the support of other actors is needed. The gain from
winning one negotiation can be much less than the increased
hostility from other parts. This is also called
soft power.
Many situations in modern diplomacy are also rules based. When for
instance two
WTO countries have trade disputes,
it is in the interest of both to limit the spill over damage to
other areas by following some agreed-upon rules.
Diplomatic immunity
The sanctity of diplomats has long been observed. This sanctity has
come to be known as
diplomatic
immunity. While there have been a number of cases where
diplomats have been killed, this is normally viewed as a great
breach of honour.
Genghis Khan and the
Mongols were well known for strongly
insisting on the rights of diplomats, and they would often wreak
horrific vengeance against any state that violated these
rights.
Diplomatic rights were established in the mid-seventeenth century
in Europe and have spread throughout the world. These rights were
formalized by the 1961
Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations, which protects diplomats from being
persecuted or
prosecuted while on a
diplomatic mission. If a diplomat does commit a serious crime while
in a host country he may be declared as
persona non grata (unwanted person). Such
diplomats are then often tried for the crime in their
homeland.
Diplomatic communications are also viewed as sacrosanct, and
diplomats have long been allowed to carry documents across borders
without being searched. The mechanism for this is the so-called
"
diplomatic bag" (or, in some
countries, the "diplomatic pouch"). While radio and digital
communication have become more standard for embassies, diplomatic
pouches are still quite common and some countries, including the
United States, declare entire shipping containers as diplomatic
pouches to bring sensitive material (often building supplies) into
a country.
In times of hostility, diplomats are often withdrawn for reasons of
personal safety, as well as in some cases when the host country is
friendly but there is a perceived threat from internal dissidents.
Ambassadors and other diplomats are sometimes recalled temporarily
by their home countries as a way to express displeasure with the
host country. In both cases, lower-level employees still remain to
actually do the business of diplomacy.
Diplomats as a guarantee
In the Ottoman Empire, the diplomats of Persia and other states
were seen as a guarantee of good behavior. If a nation broke a
treaty or if their nationals misbehaved the diplomats would be
punished. Diplomats were thus used as an enforcement mechanism on
treaties and international law. To ensure that punishing a diplomat
mattered rulers insisted on high-ranking figures. This tradition is
seen by supporters of Iran as a legal basis of the 1979
Iranian hostage crisis. In imitation
of alleged previous practices supporters of the
Iranian Revolution attempted to punish
the United States for its alleged misdeeds by holding their
diplomats hostage. Diplomats as a guarantee were also employed
sometimes in pre-modern Europe and other parts of Asia.
Diplomacy and espionage
Diplomacy is closely linked to espionage or gathering of
intelligence. Embassies are bases for both diplomats and spies, and
some diplomats are essentially openly-acknowledged spies. For
instance, the job of
military
attachés includes learning as much as possible about the
military of the nation to which they are assigned. They do not try
to hide this role and, as such, are only invited to events allowed
by their hosts, such as military parades or
air
shows. There are also deep-cover spies operating in many
embassies. These individuals are given fake positions at the
embassy, but their main task is to illegally gather intelligence,
usually by coordinating spy rings of locals or other spies. For the
most part, spies operating out of embassies gather little
intelligence themselves and their identities tend to be known by
the opposition. If discovered, these diplomats can be expelled from
an embassy, but for the most part
counter-intelligence agencies prefer to
keep these agents
in situ and under close
monitoring.
The information gathered by spies plays an increasingly important
role in diplomacy. Arms-control treaties would be impossible
without the power of
reconnaissance satellites and
agents to monitor compliance. Information gleaned from espionage is
useful in almost all forms of diplomacy, everything from trade
agreements to border disputes.
Diplomatic resolution of problems
Various processes and procedures have evolved over time for
handling diplomatic issues and disputes.
Arbitration and mediations
For more information, see :Category:Diplomatic
conferences
Nations sometimes resort to international arbitration when faced
with a specific question or point of contention in need of
resolution. For most of history, there were no official or formal
procedures for such proceedings. They were generally accepted to
abide by general principles and protocols related to
international law and justice.
Sometimes these took the form of formal arbitrations and
mediations. In such cases a commission of diplomats might be
convened to hear all sides of an issue, and to come some sort of
ruling based on international law.
In the
modern era, much of this work is often carried out by the International Court of
Justice
at the
Hague
, or other formal commissions, agencies and
tribunals, working under the United
Nations. Below are some examples.
- Hay-Herbert Treaty Enacted
after the United States and Britain submitted a dispute to
international mediation about the US-Canadian border.
Conferences
Other times, resolutions were sought through the convening of
international conferences. In such cases, there are fewer ground
rules, and fewer formal applications of international law. However,
participants are expected to guide themselves through principles of
international fairness, logic, and protocol.
Some examples of these formal conferences are:
- Congress of Vienna (1815) –
After Napoleon was defeated, there were
many diplomatic questions waiting to be resolved. This included the
shape of the map of Europe, the disposition
of political and nationalist claims of
various ethnic groups and nationalities wishing to have some
political autonomy, and the resolution of various claims by various
European powers.
- The Congress of Berlin (June
13 – July 13, 1878) was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and
the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the
wake of the Russo-Turkish War,
1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize conditions in the
Balkans.
Negotiations
Sometimes nations convene official negotiation processes to settle
an issue or dispute between several nations which are parties to a
dispute. These are similar to the conferences mentioned above, as
there are technically no established rules or procedures. However,
there are general principles and precedents which help define a
course for such proceedings.
Some examples are
- Camp David accord Convened in
1978 by President Jimmy Carter of the United States, at Camp David
to reach an agreement between Prime Minister Mechaem Begin of
Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt. After weeks of
negotiation, agreement was reached and the accords were signed,
later leading directly to the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of
1979.
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition is an
important factor in determining whether a nation is an independent
state. Receiving recognition is often difficult, even for countries
which are fully sovereign. For many decades after its becoming
independent, even many of the closest allies of the
Dutch Republic refused to grant it full
recognition.
Today there are a number of independent
entities without widespread diplomatic recognition, most notably
the Republic of
China
on Taiwan
.
Since the
1970s, most nations have stopped officially recognizing the ROC's
existence on Taiwan, at the insistence of the People's
Republic of China
. Currently, the United States and other
nations maintain informal relations through de facto embassies,
with names such as the
American Institute in Taiwan.
Similarly, Taiwan's de facto embassies abroad are known by names
such as the
Taipei
Economic and Cultural Representative Office. This was not
always the case, with the US maintaining official diplomatic ties
with the ROC, recognizing it as the sole and legitimate government
of all of China until 1979, when these relations were broken off as
a condition for establishing official relations with Communist
China.
The
Palestinian National
Authority has its own diplomatic service, however Palestinian
representatives in most Western countries are not accorded
diplomatic immunity, and their missions are referred to as
Delegations General.
Other
unrecognized regions which claim independence include Abkhazia
, Transnistria
, Somaliland
, South
Ossetia
, Nagorno Karabakh,
and the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus
. Lacking the economic and political
importance of Taiwan, these nations tend to be much more
diplomatically isolated.
Though used as a factor in judging sovereignty, Article 3 of the
Montevideo Convention states,
"The political existence of the state is independent of recognition
by other states."
Informal diplomacy
Informal diplomacy (sometimes called Track II diplomacy) has been
used for centuries to communicate between powers. Most diplomats
work to recruit figures in other nations who might be able to give
informal access to a country's leadership.
In some situations,
such as between the United
States
and the People's Republic of China a large amount
of diplomacy is done through semi-formal channels using interlocutors such as academic members of
thinktanks. This occurs in
situations where governments wish to express intentions or to
suggest methods of resolving a diplomatic situation, but do not
wish to express a formal position.
Track II diplomacy is a specific kind of informal diplomacy, in
which non-officials (academic scholars, retired civil and military
officials, public figures, social activists) engage in dialogue,
with the aim of conflict resolution, or confidence-building.
Sometimes governments may fund such Track II exchanges. Sometimes
the exchanges may have no connection at all with governments, or
may even act in defiance of governments; such exchanges are called
Track III.
Om some occasion a former holder of an official position continues
to carry out an informal diplomatic activity after retirement. In
some cases, governments welcome such activity, for example as a
means of establishing an initial contact with a hostile state of
group without being formally committed. In other cases, however,
such informal diplomats seek to promote a political agenda
different from that of the government currently in power.
Such
informal diplomacy is practiced by former US Presidents Jimmy Carter and (to a lesser extent) Bill Clinton and by the former Israeli
diplomat and minister Yossi
Beilin (see Geneva
Initiative).
Paradiplomacy
Paradiplomacy refers to the
international relations conducted by subnational, regional, local
or non-central governments. The most ordinary case of
paradiplomatic relation refer to co-operation between bordering
political entities. However, interest of federal states, provinces,
regions etc., may extend over to different regions or to issues
gathering local governments in multilateral fora worldwide. Some
non-central governments may be allowed to negotiate and enter into
agreement with foreign central states.
Cultural diplomacy
Cultural diplomacy is a part of
diplomacy. It alludes to a new way of making diplomacy by involving
new non governmental and non professional actors in the making of
diplomacy. In the frame of globalization, culture plays a major
role in the definition of identity and in the relations between
people. Joseph Nye points out the importance of having a
soft
power besides a
hard power. When classical diplomacy
fails, a better knowledge can help bridging the gap between
different cultures.
Cultural
diplomacy becomes a subject of academic studies based on
historical essays on the United States, Europe, and the Cold
War.
Small state diplomacy
Small state diplomacy is receiving increasing attention in
diplomatic studies and
international relations. Small
states are particularly affected by developments which are
determined beyond their borders such as
climate change,
water security and shifts in the global
economy. Diplomacy is the main vehicle by which small states are
able to ensure that their goals are addressed in the global arena.
These factors mean that small states have strong incentives to
support international cooperation. But with limited resources at
their disposal, conducting effective diplomacy poses unique
challenges for small states.
See also
References
- M.I. Finley, The World of Odysseus(1954; 1978) ch.
"Wealth and Labour"; on archaic gift-giving in general, Marcel
Mauss, Ian Cunnison, tr. The Gift, 1954.
- Jacoby, "Silk Economics and Cross-Cultural Artistic
Interaction: Byzantium, the Muslim World, and the Christian West",
Dumbarton Oaks Papers 58 (2004:197–240)
p. 213.
- Historical discontinuity between diplomatic practice of the
ancient and medieval worlds and modern diplomacy has been
questioned; see, for instance, Pierre Chaplais, English
Diplomatic Practice in the Middle Ages (Continuum
International Publishing Group, 2003), p. 1 online.
- "A Brief History of Diplomacy." E-Diplomat: Global Portal for
Diplomats. http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/history.htm
- "A Brief History of Diplomacy." E-Diplomat: Global Portal for
Diplomats. http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/history.htm.
- Goffman, Daniel. "Negotiating with the Renaissance State: The
Ottoman Empire and the New Diplomacy." In The Early Modern
Ottomans: Remapping the Empire. Eds. Virginia Aksan and Daniel
Goffman. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 61–74.
- http://everything2.com/e2node/diplomatic%2520pouch
Further reading
- A Guide to Diplomatic Practice by Sir Ernest Satow, Longmans, Green & Co. London
& New York, 1917. A standard reference work used in many
embassies across the world (though not British ones). Now in its
fifth edition (1998) ISBN 0-582-50109-1
- Diplomacy: Theory & Practice, 3rd edition, by GR
Berridge, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2005, ISBN 1-4039-9311-4
- Journey to Become a Diplomat: With a Guide to Careers in
World Affairs by George Cunningham, FPA Global Vision Books
2005, ISBN 0-87124-212-5
- Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service
Works for America by Shawn Dorman (Editor), American Foreign
Service Association, Second edition February 2003, ISBN
0-9649488-2-6
- Foreign Ministries: Managing Diplomatic Networks and
Optimizing Value by Kishan S. Rana and Jovan Kurbalija
(Editors), DiploFoundation, 2007, ISBN 978-99932-53-16-7
- The 21st Century Ambassador: Plenipotentiary to Chief
Executive by Kishan S Rana, DiploFoundation,2004, ISBN
99909-55-18-2
- Language and Diplomacy by Kurbalija J. and Slavik H.
(Editors), DiploProjects, Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic
Studies, Malta, 2001, ISBN 99909-55-15-8. The volume contains
collection of paper presented at the international conference. (See
of them [7139])
- Renaissance Diplomacy by Garrett Mattingly, Dover Publications,
ISBN 978-0486255705
Diplomatic Training Institutions
- Foreign Service
Institute India
-
Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Russian Federation
- Moscow State Institute of International
Relations

- Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

- Graduate Institute of International and
Development Studies

- International School of
Geneva

- Geneva School of Diplomacy and
International Relations

- Rio Branco Institute
, the diplomatic academy of the Ministry
of External Relations
of Brazil
- United
Nations International School of Hanoi
- United
Nations International School

- University for Peace
- Vienna International School

- MRI -
Master in Relazioni Internazionali – MA supported by the
Italian Diplomatic Institute
- Paul
H. Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, Maryland
- Royal United
Services Institute
- School of
International Service
- Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, School of
Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK
- Whitehead
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall
University, South Orange, New Jersey
- Fletcher School
of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford,
Massachusetts
- Edmund
A.
Walsh
School of Foreign Service
, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
- Woodrow
Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton
University, New Jersey
- Instituto del
Servicio Exterior de la Nacion – Diplomatic Academy of
Argentina
- The George P. Shultz National
Foreign Affairs Training Center

- Instituto
Matías Romero, Mexico City
- DiploFoundation Malta and Geneva
- Centre for Politics and Diplomatic Studies, University of
Leicester, UK¨
- Instituto del Servicio Exterior "Manuel Maria de Peralta" –
Diplomatic Academy of Costa Rica
- Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine (www.dipacadem.kiev.ua)
External links
- The United
Nations
- U.S. Dept. of State Foreign Affairs Handbook - Using Diplomatic
Notes
- American diplomats describe their careers in Frontline Diplomacy: The Foreign Affairs Oral
History Collection of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and
Training, a site at the Library of Congress.
- DiploFoundation A non-profit organisation specialized
in online diplomatic training, research in international relations,
diplomacy and internet governance
- Diplomacy of Small States. An international
conference dealing with the issues of foreign policy, negotiation
tactics, diplomatic missions, crisis and humanitarian diplomacy of
small states. See also conference discussion papers.
- Modern Diplomacy Reviewed A collection of
articles analyzing modern diplomacy from various angles: diplomatic
analogy, impact of internet on diplomacy, diplomatic tools and
methods, diplomatic representation, good governance, public
diplomacy
- Michael
Corgan, Small State Diplomacy
- World Politics Review: A Foreign Policy and National
Security Daily