The emergence of new actors, groupings, and non-governmental organizations has had a potent impact on the changing frames of traditional approaches to diplomacy. The changes are revealed through the new patterns of foreign politics interpretation all over the world. The remarkable role of NGOs in contemporary diplomacy is emphasized due to their threatening and destabilizing character for the general process of diplomatic activities.
In particular, the newly emerged actors affect state sovereignty, as well as introduce new aspects to economic, humanitarian, environmental, and cultural realms. Therefore, the deployment of non-state entities creates a significant shift from the nation-state policy to a less effective climate where diplomacy loses its importance.
The economic environment has undergone tangible shifts due to the transitions occurred to the traditional state-to-state economy. The growing number of non-state actors, such as NGO diplomats and Business Diplomats, has contributed to the established realm of economic diplomacy and has created supra-territorial relations destabilizing state sovereignty (Saner and Yiu 3).
These relations are largely predetermined by the democratization and globalization processes that undermine the territorial distinctions and blurred the boundaries between the traditional diplomats.
In addition, Saner and Yiu note, “diplomacy as a profession has undergone change in terms of definition, qualification, and role expectation of what a diplomat is or is not supposed to do” (3). These major introductions of new diplomatic activities invite reconsideration of role of diplomacy in a contemporary environment.
Global managers possess sufficient skills in controlling business operations, but they do not have enough competence to manage non-business entities that constitute a serious obstacle to transnational enterprises (Barston 45). Failure to deal with non-business environments can cause open conflicts, crisis, and unfulfilled business opportunities.
In this respect, NGO diplomacy has minimized its influence on international processes, as well as has enhanced understanding of how negotiations are conducted at a global level. In short, the non-state organizations can impose pressure on governmental establishment t convince managers to change their policies (Betsill and Correll n. p.).
It should also be stressed that there is an evident difference between NGO diplomats and state diplomats in terms of state boundaries. In particular, the NGO negotiators are allowed to transcend the state boundaries that have a greater influence on the global affairs.
Apart from economic and political influence, NGOs have made a valuable contribution to a humanitarian realm by negotiating and protecting human rights at the international level. Hence, human rights diplomacy integration makes the governmental establishments to reconsider the importance of this issue through developing new policies in commerce, energy, and trade (O’Flaherty et al. 219).
As a result, the non-state actors have acquired greater significance than a governmental organization. The NGOs have the authority to control the international issues, as well as the diplomatic activities initiated by the government.
Engaging in the new human rights policies, the newly emerged groupings can establish strong relationships with international policy-makers acting at various levels of a decision-making process. In their turn, policy-makers often resort to NGO expert to receive advice regarding policy options.
International business activities are important for NGOs because they provide new space for action. Due to the modern development in economy and politics, the governments all over the world should work out coping mechanisms to deal with the emerging non-state actors to prevent destabilization and enhance sustainability.
Introducing alternative models of diplomacy challenges the prevailing policy modes, including the Washington Consensus (Saner 96). In particular, the creation of virtual communities has provided NGO with a possibility to gather information and resources about the changes happening in the world.
They apply this information by advancing their policy and introducing it to the global market. Applying to modern technology widens the NGOs’ opportunities in terms of proliferating new patterns of conducting business and exchanging information.
Greater availability of technological devices allows non-state actors to expand their political influence. Because NGOs are more concerned with social and economic interests, but not with those related to governmental purposes, the state actors should change their politics and diplomacy models to become more competent and influential in an international environment.
In particular, they should redefine the traditional responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The shift of influence is evident and governments should be aware of this fact to engage constructively new methods of conducting negotiations and establishing international relations.
Hence, Saner insists, “through dialogue, proactive consultation, and future-oriented co-operation, they must ensure legitimacy of policy decision and security of policy implementation” (103). Therefore, active engagement with global process is the key to successful integration.
In conclusion, the current political, economic, and humanitarian environments have highlighted a significant shift in modern diplomacy due to the emergence of non-state actors, groupings and NGOs. In particular, the non-government enterprises have expanded the boundaries and have taken control of territorial influence.
The process of globalization and democratization has also provided a new pattern of contemporary diplomacy in terms of communication and information exchange. Finally, the shifts in political and economic relations have developed new dimensions of diplomatic impact.
Works Cited
Barston, Ronald Peter. Modern Diplomacy. New York: Pearson Education, 2006. Print.
Betsill, Michele and Elisabeth Correll. “NGO Diplomacy”. NGO Academy.2010. Web.
O’Flaherty, Michael, Kedzia Zdzislaw, Muller, Amrei, and George Ulrich. Human Rights Diplomacy: Contemporary Perspectives. The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2011. Print.
Saner, Raymond and Lichia Yiu. 2001. International Economic Diplomacy Mutations in Post-Modern Times. PDF File. Web.
Saner, Raymond. Development Diplomacy by Non-State Actors: An Emerging Form of Multistakeholder Diplomacy. 93-104. PDF File. Web.