The most significant change in the nature of diplomacy was when it was changed from the limited resident ambassadors, secret negotiations who had duties on state to state basis to the contemporary one which is open to public judgement and control and also the establishment of international organisations to act on behalf of negotiations especially disputes and deterrent against war.
With the world going global, diplomacy led to the emergence of international and regional organisations which made rules to be followed, permanent secretariats and permanently accredited diplomatic missions that gradually shifted from bilateral to multilateral.
The new diplomacy is also on a face to face basis on discussions and is specialised on training personnel’s on key issues such as agriculture, civil aviation, finance and health and has also increased its involvement in external affairs of domestic ministries. In the case of development, people have had to know about important issues like the environment, population control and protecting national interests within the system.
The new diplomacy has adopted changes in the international system in states and in societies. In the case of public diplomacy, foreign ministers and other governmental organisations have expressed their national images on many issues and with the growing cooperation through globalisation in economy and other social matters, usually conferences are used to hold talks which is important in terms of speed and efficiency for decision making.
Also with the introduction of communication and information technology shows how clear this system of diplomacy has developed, not forgetting the speed of air travel for foreign policy to be made efficiently. The UN can provide an opportunity for bilateral meetings especially to states that have poor communication or diplomatic relations. Example is the Arab-Israeli bilateral talks in Geneva (1973),
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I totally agree with you when you say that diplomacy was all about secrecy before and open today!!!it is also true that the new technology or if I may globalization have changed its nature, an example is that both french and US embassies use the internet to gives information about many different things.I think, we have lived in a world where the US has always been dominant or less to say a leading way towards new stuff, in a sense that they are the 1st country everyone can follow easily, even when you look at it for example it is amongst the 5 permanent member that have a VETO in the UNSC but the US invaded countries before without even the consent of the SC which led the Soviet do the same thing. why? because the US started it. Another similar example is the fact the Obama used internet to make his campain or the US embassy uses facebook to give information, the French people are doing the same thing. All I mean here is the process, a circle of what have been happening before but in a more moderated and civilized way.
ReplyDeleteBut hey Joe your assertion was very good and easy to understand.
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ReplyDeleteHi Joe
ReplyDeleteJoe, I think you have covered enough the evalution of diplomacy, and I acknowledge that I do agree with you to certain extend. there ara two area of disagreements
In your first paragraph, you mension secret negotiations ''the most significant change in the nature of diplomacy was when it was changed from secret negotiations''. i disagree with that statement. I beleive that secret negotiation has relevance in new diplomacy especially during crisis, secret negotiation enhance the rationality and the objectivnes of all negotiating side's positions (plischka 1997,p49) E.g. Cuba Nuclar crisis or Nick and cameroon negotiations to evict Gordon from No.10.
I agree with you that Organisation outside state sector play very important role in today's world of politics as well as NGO's take part international multilateral agreements in climate change, movements to eradicate povert and e't'c. I noticed that non state actors such as christian churches and the pope have very important role in the past well before the wesphelia treaty. they did have capility to influence politics and wars.
Regurds
Mohamed.