African Diplomacy Observer

On 14 May 2007 was held in Addis Abeba (Ethiopia) an annual consultation between the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities (REC), the G8 and other partners to discuss many issues such as the establishment of the AU Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the next G8 Summit to be held next June (6-8) in Helligendamn (Germany). The consultation was co-chaired by the ambassadors of Nigeria, in its capacity as Chairperson of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) for May 2007 and Germany, in its capacity as the Chair of the G8 for the year 2007. This meeting was also taking place within the framework of the Joint Africa/G8 Plan to enhance African capabilities to undertake peace support operations.

Source: African Union website.

Throughout ages, diplomacy has become a increasingly complex and multifaceted activity, calling new, and event past generations of diplomats still acting in this field, to adapt their skills and knowledge to its different dimensions in order to fulfill with more efficiency and effectiveness the wide range of activities attached to it and meet the numereous challenges national diplomatic systems are facing dealing with their domestic affairs and with their international relations.

"Les Mots de la diplomatie", a book by Raoul Decorde, a twenty-year-experienced belgian diplomat, through around hundred entries and words, examines different facets of the diplomatic activity; in doing so, it comes back to classic and contemporary words and concepts of diplomacy such as ambassador, military attaché, archives, capital, megaphon diplomacy, economic diplomacy, ping pong diplomacy, public diplomacy, diplomatic incident, etc. It also comes back to famous figures who influenced the history of diplomacy such as the Marco Polo, Talleyrand, Wallenberg, Henry Kissinger, etc.

Though not very innovative in its content, this book will be informative and useful to those willing an overview of the diplomatic history and practice.

For additional information relating to the terminology used in diplomacy and international relations go to the Diplomatic Dictionary created and managed by DiploFoundation.