The new diplomacy

Diplomacy has undergone a number of changes what with the effect of modern technology . However multilateral diplomacy represents a new development in diplomacy. It must be acknowledged that in terms of negotiations taking place between more than two polities , it is not that new as conferences can be dated back to Sparta in 430 B.C in ancient Greece and later during the Concert of Europe in 17th century Europe with Metternich, Castlereagh and other representatives meeting quite frequently. However what has changed is the proliferation of these Conferences after World war 2. The United nations has contributed to this as its activities mostly include conferences with country representatives. The newness of diplomacy comes
into play here with the fact that issues discussed at these conferences tend to cover a broader range of issues like trade and economics, tourism and other areas of interest as opposed to issues of war mainly in previous times .

According to Leguey –Feuilley this development is often attacked as being a corruption of diplomacy as a lot of the discussion take place under the eye of the media , but when discussions require confidentiality this type of diplomacy will be shielded away from publicity”(Leguey-Feuilley:2009, 218) Again the innovation is also represented by the inclusiveness of NGOs as partners in this type of diplomacy which is also directly linked to paradiplomacy ie the role of nonstate actors not only in conference diplomacy , that is , they are often included in conferences and sometimes form part of the body of government representatives at conferences. In the Earth Summit(1992) that took place in Rio De Janeiro to discuss climate issues , more members of NGO’s served and participated on government delegations than ever witnessed before . Leguey- Feuilly also explains that NGO representatives played a prominent role in the campaign to ban landmines as they were invited to join the French delegation at the 1996 Ottawa strategy conference(Leguey – Feuilley: 2009,107) It is evident that their input in multilateral diplomacy is quite important and represents a shift in that they have become part of the diplomatic process Apart from this we also have a situation where various sections of the UN are actively interacting with the rest of the world for example the UNESCO and UNDP actively engage with countries all over the world. Public diplomacy is also a new occurrence as more than ever diplomats are engaging with foreign publics to galvanize support for their country’s policies , way of life and culture . However in as much as it is a new development in diplomacy , multilateral diplomacy with its inclusivity is the most important development in diplomacy and it is expected to continue to evolve with the changes in global politics .

Sources

The new diplomacy Shaun Riordan 2003 Blackwell publishing

The dynamics of diplomacy Jean - Robert Leguey - Feuilley 2009 Lynne Rienner publishers