Diplomacy has existed in various forms throughout human civilization. It has carried a special status in many cultures and continues to remain a valued aspect of the system of international relations. Diplomats, and later embassies, are generally viewed as extensions of their respective sovereign states, given a safe haven and extraordinary legal protections under international law (Payne 2016, p.45). Diplomacy can be defined as the process of communication and negotiation between official representatives of a state or territory with representatives of another party with the purpose to minimize conflict and maximize peaceful cooperation such as trade, cultural exchange, and pursuing common international objectives. Diplomacy is one of the oldest aspects of international law but also one of the most complex in modern times, involving not just ambassadors between two countries but international organizations such as the UN (Henderson 2010, p.149).
Diplomacy at the operational level is incredibly sophisticated and tedious, revolving around foreign policy communities (ranging from the respective departments in the government to think tanks) standing behind the diplomats. These practitioners develop, design, and conduct diplomacy to achieve strategic across a wide variety of national interests. While conflict resolution is often seen as the peak of diplomatic effectiveness, there are multiple nuances decided behind each peace agreement or convention, as well as an areas of society, economics, trade, and information sharing that are extraordinarily technical and ensures that all areas are addressed between the parties. As mentioned, national interest is the main driving factor for diplomacy, and oftentimes, even between allied parties, bringing national interests on par may be difficult in some circumstances. Diplomats are tasked with finding compromises without letting down national interests or giving up leverage. In order to achieve this, diplomatic players have to uphold specific principles of understanding, perceptiveness, and circumspection in challenging diplomatic engagements.
Another key element of diplomacy is clarity, both in the objectives that each sides seeks and their ability to communicate it. Diplomacy requires to exchange views and concepts, strands of which can be used to weave agreements. Communication in diplomacy has to be nuanced, in consideration of language and culture, as well as precise without potential ambiguity, and if deception is utilized, it has to be clear and convincing. Finally, a key concept of diplomacy is credibility. It is the nature of the international relations, that the presentation must be the position officially conveyed by the respective governments, and backed by realistic rewards or consequences, that are founded on institutional and national reputations to uphold international law and agreements (Kreutzer 2014). A credible position and presentation allow to achieve an initiative for continued discussions and compromises.
Diplomacy has been central to achieving resolutions to a wide variety of key international issues, especially as globalization has become prevalent. For example, in arms limitations, nuclear arm disarmament has always been a common goal for many parties in the aftermath of the Cold War. Diplomacy has helped to establish key strategic treaties between the US and Russia in the last decades, focused on destroying its nuclear weapon stockpiles, and limiting developing of certain weapon types, such as mid-range missiles. Diplomacy pursued common interests, while not compromising national security of any involved parties, and established various measures of control and monitoring to ensure fulfillment of the treaties. In the issue of terrorism, diplomacy had also been utilized strategically. For example, during the War on Terror in early 2000s, diplomacy was an inherent part of convincing US allies to aid in the fight, including countries with whom the US had tense relations such as Pakistan or Russia. Later, as ISIS became a prominent issue and quickly acquiring territory, diplomacy at the local level in the Middle East helped to unite virtually all states in the aim of destroying the terrorist organization and limiting its extremist exposure. Diplomacy was vital in uniting states to achieving common national security goals.
Reference List
Henderson, Conway W. 2010. Understanding International Law. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kreutzer, Paul. 2014. “Ten Principles of Operational Diplomacy: A Proposed Framework.”American Diplomacy UNC. Web.
Payne, Richard J. 2016. Global Issues: Politics, Economics, and Culture, 5th edition. Boston: Pearson.