The New Diplomacy

The most important aspect of the new diplomacy is peace-keeping and prevention of war using negotiation as an instrument to find resolution of international crisis.

White argues: “The agenda of the new diplomacy contained a number of new issues as well as a reinforcement emphasis on military security.  The avoidance of war now became a priority as the ‘new’ diplomats sought to make the First World War ‘the war to end all war’, but diplomatic activity also began to focus more on, economic, social, and welfare issues relating to material well-being.”(White, 2005, 392).

One of the most important functions of diplomacy is communication between states to find an optimal way of international relations and collaboration.

In case of a crisis it is role of crisis diplomacy to prevent a war conflict and to find resolution of a crisis.

White points out: “Crisis diplomacy refers to the delicate communications and negotiations involved in a crisis.  A crisis may be defined as a short, intensive period in which the possibility of war is perceived to increase dramatically.”(White, 2005, 392).

For peace-keeping is important the Balance of Power. This principle of foreign policy is nothing new in international relations. For example, Nicolson describes this phenomenon in diplomatic theories of a French diplomat Francois de Callieres. He served, first as a secret agent and then as an accredited envoy, in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland. Later he was appointed Secretary to the Cabinet, or Conseil d’Etat.  In his early manhood the principle of the Balance of Power represented an equilibrium, which might well have been rendered a just equilibrium, between the strength of the Austrian Empire and the strength of France.

The successive partitions of Poland were not merely unjust in themselves, but they also did lasting damage to the principle of the Balance of Power. It required almost half a century and a series of terrible wars before the statesmen of the C ongress of Vienna were able to re-establish the Balance of Power as a credible principle of foreign policy and to found a system that preserved the world from major war for exactly one hundred years. (Nicolson, 1954, 62-69).

Negotiating power depend on many circumstances. For success is important intelligence gathering.

Melissen points out: “Negotiations are carried out by people who usually act for organizations.  Diplomats, the official representatives of their countries, bring all the power and prestige of their countries to the negotiating table.  This puts the negotiations under extra pressure.  It also brings risks with it which must be limited.  Serious loss of face for diplomatic negotiators can result in serious loss of face for the country, which can lead to unforeseen consequences.”(Melissen, 1999, 86)

References:

Melissen,J. (1999). Innovation in Diplomatic Practice, Palgrave, Basingstoke

Nicolson,H. (1954). The Evolution of Diplomatic Method, Constable and Company Ltd, London

White, B in Baylis & Smith (2005).The Globalization of World Politics,3^rd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford