The Subject Matter and Functions of Diplomacy

There are different interpretations of the term “diplomacy” and in many cases it is used rather loosely. A number of books on “the diplomacy” of certain countries are really about their foreign policy or, more generally, the course of their foreign relations. Other works, on the subject of diplomatic history, are mainly about the history of foreign relations.

American scientist of French origin Jean Robert Lequey-Feilleux considers diplomacy as “a method of political interaction at the international level and the techniques used to carry out political relations across international boundaries (e. g., representation and communication)”. He underlines that at the core of the concept of diplomacy is the idea of communicating, interacting, maintaining contact, and negotiating with states and other international actors. Many of its practices, perhaps initially the result of expediency or simple practicality, were institutionalized over the years, and became part of customary international law. They were codified in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Diplomacy also implies a mode of behavior, a way of doing business, a certain professional style. Diplomats need to act with tact and circumspection in approaching foreign governments; they deal with matters of state that are frequently delicate. Discretion is essential. Finesse is required to handle complex international issues in a foreign cultural environment, using a different language and dealing with very different modes of behavior. One needs to be cautious and highly perceptive, as misunderstandings can so easily arise and complicate further interaction. By analogy, this type of behavior is occasionally called “diplomatic” when encountered in other walks of life or professions (“This matter was handled so diplomatically!”).

The subject matter of diplomacy has vastly expanded. For centuries, diplomacy was primarily concerned with matters of war and peace encompassing high politics and strategic interests. These matters are of course still prominent, and now include questions of international security, but a vast variety of other matters have been added to the diplomatic agenda, pertaining to the economy, technology, scientific developments, education, the arts, law, and other issues. Diplomats need to be versatile; but in highly technical transactions (e.g., dealing with scientific issues or arms control), experts who are not members of the foreign service of their governments must be brought in. Diplomacy is thus increasingly carried out by a variety of people who are not foreign service officers.

A number of contemporary participants in diplomacy are not even “agents” or “intermediaries” in the traditional diplomatic sense of carrying out orders and implementing policy. Heads of state engage in negotiations and other forms of diplomacy in summit meetings. Granted, they represent their states; but they are chief decision makers. Similarly, directors of international agencies (e.g., the UN Development Programme, who are chief executive officers and top administrators, practice diplomacy in the fulfillment of their mandates. All of these are rather different from the typical diplomatic representatives, although we must remember that a typical ambassador needs administrative skill, having an embassy to run. Career diplomats are still important, but contemporary diplomacy is now carried out by many diverse people. Their work needs to be included in the concept of diplomacy.

The functions served by diplomacy are expanding, and thus, too, helps to explain the broadening of the concept. Aside from representation, communication, negotiation, observation of the political situation abroad, and reporting diplomatic personnel in our age of mass communication must engage in a good deal of public relations. Embassies must serve the needs of an expanding contingent of their fellow citizens travelling and working abroad. There is also a growing amount of legal work in the interpretation and application of international regulations, the processing of legal claims, and much more. The diplomatic process in international organizations has created even more functions to be served by diplomats. Some of these functions are somewhat unconventional, such as serving in non-national capacities in certain international offices. All of these developments have brought diplomacy far from the confines of traditional embassies in national capitals. Diplomacy retains many of its basic characteristics, but it has undergone significant changes.

The fact that states are no longer the only actors in the international political process is diversifying diplomacy and broadening the concept. International organizations are now significant participants in international relations. Their agents are diplomats who work with the representatives of nation – states and other organizations. The Secretary - General of the United Nations and his envoys are examples of this new category of diplomats. They do not serve the interests of any particular nation-state; they are international public servants subject only to their own organization’s chain of command. Some engage in specialized lines of work - for example, many representatives of the World Bank are financial professionals, and many agents of the World Health Organization are physicians or public health administrators. It is interesting to note that the directors of these organizations are chief executive officers who participate in a considerable amount of diplomatic work.

The expanding realm of transnational relations is adding a new layer of diplomacy to international transactions. The international actors involved are primarily nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations (MNCs), also called transnational corporations. Some NGOs, such as the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), and a number of

Environmental organizations are extremely active in international relations. They want to influence the decisions of other international actors, and thus send representatives of their own to engage those actors.

VOCABULARY PRACTICE

3. Match the words and phrases in bold to their meanings given below:

a. careful behavior; the right or ability to make a judgment or decision;

b. to arrange a law or rule into a systematic code, to introduce the term, phenomenon (in science);

c. a particular area of knowledge, experience, interest, sphere, field;

d. to take action to deal with a difficult situation;

e. a representative of a government or organization who is sent to another country to deal with a particular situation

f. to experience a process of change

g. the use of methods that produce an immediate result or solution to a problem

h. to be directly related to something

i. able to notice and understand things quickly and easily

j. including a lot of people or things; to include or surround an area completely

k. to suggest that you think something without saying it directly, to mean, to suggest, to hint

l. to keep somebody or something within particular limits; to prevent something dangerous from spreading; to keep to; to adhere to;

m. exchange or interaction between people; published reports or proceedings at the meetings of a learned society

n. interconnection

o. making something (plan, idea, system, law) start to work