Changes in Foreign Policy and Diplomacy - Essay Example

If diplomacy is correctly defined as being distinct from foreign policy, which diplomatic skills and qualities are essential in any foreign service? Introduction As the world becomes globalized and the territorial categorizations become of lesser importance, there is seen a shift in the political framework as well. This shift has led to the uncertainty and confusion on what is foreign and what is termed domestic. In this respect foreign policy is seen as a rather old-fashioned and outdated concept as it fails to capture the now changed dynamics of the international relations. In the similar context diplomacy which is referred to as the intergovernmental or an interstate affair concerning only the foreign affairs rather than domestic affairs. These two concepts; foreign policy and diplomacy are used interchangeably. However this makes it critical and problematic when used in the sociological concepts and thus makes it quite critical and important to examine the nature of differences in the practice of both, diplomacy and foreign policy in the globalized world today (Constantinou and Hellmann). In the traditional international relations context, the link between diplomacy and foreign policy is seen and an “objective vs. tool” relationship (Constantinou and Hellmann), whereby diplomacy is considered as representing a “lesser tool of foreign policy”(James), and a communication and negotiation channel to objectively take up the foreign policy interests. Similarly in the traditional context Foreign policy is viewed as a practice where the main actors responsible for the effective functioning of the system, the bearers of sovereignty of a state or nation try to defend the internal interests of the nation or state in contrast to the external environment. Thus, in this perspective the concept of foreign policy turned out to be an outdated concept in the globalized world where the distinction between home and abroad is quite uncertain (Hill). Diplomacy Today In today’s globalized world the concept of Diplomacy as practiced in Foreign Service and foreign ministries has changed to a great extent. In the post collectivist era the governments had exerted on economizing ax more compared to their representation overseas and its management. The then need to save the tax revenue was backed by the idea to modernize the foreign services which in turn also meant to minimize the foreign services function. This had been the practice until the anti-collectivist era gained popularity. However after the emergence of Resident Ambassador the assessments of the foreign societies and the information pertaining to them took a new discourse in terms of diplomacy whereby it was communication that proved to be its efficient means. Therefore with the changing times the significance and relativity of diplomacy also changes as well goes through constant modification (Professor Richard Langhorne). Diplomats are the first line of defense of a nation. The figures show that the Department of State currently employs nearly 7,500 Foreign Services Officers. These officers have the primary responsibility to develop the foreign policy of the country by taking into account diplomatic actions on different occasions. The traditional work of diplomacy still applies today i.e. to focus on the bilateral relations between governments and states and to engage in working with other multinational and international organizations. However the changes in the environment of the foreign policy after the Cold War and later by the event of 9/11 have made the role of traditional diplomacy much more complex by adding to it certain significant new functions and activities in the portfolio of a diplomat (Larkin). According to the report of Stimson center in 2008, “A Foreign Affairs budget for Future”, sponsored by American Academy of Diplomacy the observations made were that the “ today’s Foreign Service does not have to a sufficient degree the knowledge, skills, abilities, and outlooks needed to equip career diplomats to conduct 21st-century diplomacy." Similarly certain other studies and reports on the subject have also reported the same observations that there exists a deficit in training and skills in Foreign Service(Government Accountability Office) Given these observations, until recently the new diplomatic skills didn’t get much attention in terms of Foreign Service trainings, skills development or education. The gaining of these skills represents the distinctive features of the diplomat that are required for the modern world today. These include: stabilizing of the societies when the government is in weak position and the violence rate is high, secondly to draw the resources from government and thirdly to mobilize these resources towards public and private actors. Given this, the requirements of the today’s diplomacy and Foreign Service have to be in line with the strengths and expertise of traditional Foreign Service. Therefore it is important for those in the Foreign Service to use the traditional skills and gain the new ones in order to effectively perform their job duties. Apart from acquiring the diplomatic skills, in Foreign Service it is also quite essential to gain expertise in certain specific domains in the international relations context such as the environmental affairs, telecommunications, and control on weapon of mass destructions, religious practices, energy, human rights and other such factors. Thus the demand of the todays’ changed world dynamics is to have the right combination of skills to excel in Foreign Service. It shouldn’t be assumed that the role of Foreign Service Officers is limited to the regional boundaries while some other subject matter experts would deal with the state affairs and global issues. Therefore is important for the Foreign Services Officers to gain the necessary skills so that when they move to senior level positions they possess the combined skills of regional affairs as well as the specialized skills to deal with the global issues thus playing a significant role in the regional or bilateral diplomatic relations (Scowcroft). Changes in the Diplomatic Functions The changes in the role of diplomatic functions can be traced back to Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) in 1961. Its Article 3 mentions the inter alia, referring that the negotiations is conducted with the receiving states’ government and this is the core function of a diplomatic mission. This function is therefore considered to be the most important and rather core task of a diplomat and has remained important throughout the history of international relations. Thus negotiation has become the most essential part of the diplomat portfolio that it is viewed as a common characteristic of a state’s diplomatic representative to be an excellent negotiator. But in the current times, a diplomat is hardly viewed as a negotiator or seen negotiating on bilateral issues in the embassy as was in the traditional cases. Today this function of a negotiator in bilateral embassy is performed by the business experts or by the capital representatives. Hence, the diplomats are no longer seen in the picture as bilateral negotiators as were seen in the past. This shift in the role or functions can be attributed to the worlds changing dynamics that have led to instant communications. Thus with direct contacts between the concerned authorities there isn’t much room for the bilateral negotiating process for the diplomats to pursue as diplomatic missions(Larkin). In the multilateral field, there is also a change in the position of diplomat. Today the diplomat doesn’t enjoy the position of monopoly. In the past the diplomat used to be the only negotiator and representative of a sovereign state however in the modern world today there are different main actors, which influence the negotiating process in one way or the other. Previously the entire authority was bestowed upon the emissary of the state who had full powers and authority to negotiate with the other states’ authorities. However, today this has changed as it is the subject matter experts today that have taken the frontline positions to deal with the complexity of international negotiations. The chain of command has also been impacted and serves to be another feature that can distinguish the negotiation practices of a diplomat of past from those of today. In the past, the negotiators or the designated diplomats did not have to take into account the external factors or its impacts. They were only concerned with the political affairs, since they had direct access to these matters. But, in the modern democratic system, this practice can’t be beneficial. Since negotiations can’t be conducted in secrecy as the involvement of multidisciplinary people is essential for the negotiation to be successful. Although the diplomat still decides the course and setup of negotiations however the other factors also need to be taken into account which can’t be dealt with in isolation by the diplomat. Thus the negotiation process which forms the essential and core characteristic of diplomat portfolio underwent drastic changes in the modern world today, leading to a transformed diplomatic function conforming to the need of today’s world. Since the international relations complexity continues generalist cannot handle the technicalities therefore a diplomat who has been a generalist need to acquire the necessary skills and technical expertise on the subject matter for successful negotiations and deal with the foreign affairs (Cede). Although the diplomatic mission in today’s world has not changed much in context of the participation in formulation of country’s foreign policy and its implementations however the functions of a diplomat have become much more diverse in nature. The function now entails a combination of the usual functions performed such as communication, compiling and evaluating information, negotiation, participating in multilateral institutions, dispute resolutions and economic development as well as the new skills and function to be performing the role of a manager, coordinator and an entrepreneur. Thus the skills necessary for the Foreign Policy as a diplomat today include (Klavins): Delegating the functions of other representative Redefining functions from being a generalist to a specialist Coordination between diplomats and business people Becoming a specialist in the fields of Business, IT and other industries Dealing with the complexities of globalization and changes in work of foreign office Adapting to the changes in communication channels Thus diplomacy has obtained a broader perspective in terms of the Foreign Affairs. This can be described in the words of Shaun Riordan, “The economic and social, as well as physical, security and welfare of a country and its citizens depends on its ability to navigate the interconnected and interdependent geostrategic challenges of the new millennium. This requires, as a minimum, a modern and effective foreign service within equally effective foreign policy machinery” The foundation of the skills that are necessary for the Diplomats is based upon the acknowledgement of the global point of view and a broader scope of the global arena, it serves as a critical component, whereby the other skills stem from it thus making a skill set for the diplomat. In the global world, to be a successful and a seasoned diplomat the skills set required, includes five distinct features that must be acknowledged. These include(Guittard): Psychological Capital: this refers to psychological capacity and capability of an individual. Meaning thereby that the diplomat needs to be self-aware, possess self-confidence, have the confidence to challenge, leverage upon intellectual capital and have zeal and zest for diversity. Intellectual Capital – this entails the knowledge of the subject matter, specializing in different fields pertaining to industry, cultures, world affairs, markets and competitors. Social Capital – is the ability to build relationships. This is very important in the practice of diplomat portfolio to build relationships and trust bonding with people from both regional and international arenas. Passion – a drive to succeed, enthusiasm and power to work on the global level with different people. Discretion – is the decision making power, the ability to make quick and informed decisions with prudence and in view of the available and most feasible choices? Considering these five unique characteristics the portfolio of a diplomat can be brought in line with the demanding nature and need of the diplomacy today in relation to the foreign affairs. However to bring this to practice the diplomat need to develop and possess high level of self-awareness and the ability to transform one’s self in view of the changing environment. The magnitude of crisis and various events are taking shape both in domestic and geopolitical level, therefore in order to sustain global perspectives these new skills need to be acquired. Also because the diversity is on the increase and the international affairs and issues are becoming much deeper the diplomats today need to be much more specialized and more like subject matter experts to deal with any situation and issue. Since the political economy is becoming the major driver of the globalization in the today’s world, the need to include experts from various fields in national delegations is becoming evident which are not even from Foreign Service. Today the need to have the knowledge and expertise of the field has overpowered the importance of the diplomatic skills and etiquettes which were deemed necessary in the past. It is because of this reason that states and nations today prefer to include the experts in the field of economics and finance to be a part of the negotiation process since they possess much deeper understanding. In addition, the need to communicate with people both at a regional and international level leads an increase in the communication skills as a requirement for diplomats in the globalized world. Just like it happens in the free market that by specializing more money is produced. Similar is the case with diplomats today. As many people from the business and economic world are becoming diplomats and representing nations today instead of the politicians and intellectuals who were designated for representation of a nation in the past. In this process US is the leading nation, as it is the only nation that does not require the diplomats to be from the Foreign Service only. They spend a lot of years on training its representatives on different subject, fields, social and cultural issues to deal with international negotiations, foreign cultures and international relations. Thus this training is focused on developing globalized businessmen with excellent public relations skills and this is the course of the diplomat’s portfolio in this arena (Trunkos). Conclusion The role of diplomats today has changed to a great extent they are not only the members of the exclusive professional group, as they enjoyed in the past. Today these diplomats have become quite heterogeneous professional participating in various functions dealing with the management of the international relations or affairs in the global and regional context. The skills that are required for these professionals have also changed a great deal. Today there is a need of a combination of both the general diplomatic skills including representation and negotiation, moving on to much more specialized skills and competencies including the communications, environmental protection, human rights, developing and strengthening industrial relations, trade and commercial ties, all that help in the strengthening of relations between states and nations. Thus all these skills combined form the diplomatic skills. In the view of globalized world and the drastic changes, the role of diplomats has also transformed a lot. In the past diplomacy was considered only as the conducting of bilateral negotiations and relations between states in order to avoid violent confrontations. Diplomats were the people who belonged to the upper strata of the society and who had the skills of a negotiator that were deemed necessary to communicate with the population at home and across the border. They were the professionals with excellent educational background, good mannerism and fluent communication skills. But as the changes emerged these skills were not enough and thus acquiring of specialized skills on every subject matter became necessary for the diplomats (Kappeler). In summary it can be said that the transformation in diplomacy is happening at a very high speed. Considering the basic functions of diplomacy as representation, negotiation and exchange of information, the function of diplomacy accounted for the states environment, foreign policy implementations, and mutual cooperation between countries, representation in different governmental issues, communications and information exchange. In contrast to these there is a drastic change in its functions which include: the role of non-governmental representatives has increased, foreign affairs functions have been delegated to other authorities, multilateral cooperation has become of greater importance, there is defined balance between generalists and specialists, the structure and functions of diplomatic institutions is redefined. There is diversification in communication; there is faster exchange of information, role of experts is emphasized as a major role of diplomats in today’s world. Also with the more changes occurring, de-territorization and globalization the role of diplomacy will become even more important, as has been said “the demand for both is currently on the rise” by Paul Sharp talking on role of diplomats and diplomacy(Klavins). Works Cited Cede, Franz. "Changes in the Diplomatic Function and Their Impact on International Negotiations." The Processes of International Negotiation Program 2006: 1-3. Constantinou, Costas M. and Gunther Hellmann. "The Transformation of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy." Proposal for an ECPR Workshop. 2012. Dobbins, Ambassador James. Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2009. Government Accountability Office. A Foreign Affairs Budget for the Future: Fixing the Crisis in Diplomatic Readiness. Comprehensive Plan Needed to Address Persistent Foreign Language Shortfalls. Washington: the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Stimson Center, 2008. Guittard, Cari. "THE FIVE TOOL CORPORATE DIPLOMAT." US Public diplomacy.org 15 June 2010. Hill, C. The Future of Foreign Policy Analysis. Denmark: Blackwell Publishing, 2010. James, A. "Diplomacy and Foreign Policy." Review of International Studies 1993: 1-100. Kappeler, Professor Dietrich. "Diplomacy of Tomorrow: New Developments, New Methods, New Tools." Modern diplomacy. Academic Training Institute , 1998. 49-59. Klavins, Didzis. "Understanding the Essence of Modern Diplomacy." Cultural Diplomacy and International Relations; New Actors; New Initiatives; New Targets . Berlin: The ICD Annual Academic Conference on Cultural Diplomacy 2011, 2011. 1-7. Larkin, Jonathan. "Preparing for Diplomacy in the 21st Century." Foreign Affairs. 2011. Mitford, Nancy. The Nancv Mitford Omnibus,. London, 1986. Professor Richard Langhorne. "History and the Evolution of Diplomacy." Modern diplomacy. Academic Training Institute , 1998. 53-59. Scowcroft, LTG Brent. Forging a 21st-Century Diplomatic Service for the United States through Professional Education and Training. Washington, DC : The American Academy of Diplomacy, 2011. Trunkos, Judit. "Changing Diplomacy Demands New Type of Diplomats." Institute of Cultural Diplomacy’s International Conference. Washington, 2011. 1-9. U.S. Department of State. Americas Overseas Presence in the 21st Century: The Report of the Overseas Advisory Panel. Report. Washington, 1999. Read More