The term Diplomacy was made somewhat vague because of the great number of significances which were allotted to him. According to the former US Secretary of State, George P. Shultz, diplomacy is the method – art for other people - by which relations between the nations are conducted. It is the manner in opposition to the content which is the Foreign policy [1]. For Jean Serres, Diplomacy governs over international relations related to States relationships or dealing with their national interests. Diplomacy is the art to attract sympathies with its country and to surround it by friendships which protect its independence and also to peacefully settle international disputes [2].
For Harold Nicolson, the term Diplomacy is synonymous with “Foreign policy” or “negotiation”. For this reason, it also has to do with processes and mechanisms following which negotiations are carried out. According to the Littré Dictionary and that of the French Academy, to make diplomacy amounts “using of address, trick or subterfuges”.
According to the Canadian diplomat Gordon S. Smith, Diplomacy refers to the art to defend national interests through exchange of information between governments, nations and other groups and to persuasion [3].
For Henry Kissinger quoted by Weiser Mark [4], Diplomacy is a way to reconcile divergent national interests.
Diplomacy could be considered as the essential instrument at the service of a state foreign policy. This instrument bears the responsibility of conducting, through a set of official means [5], foreign relations of a state, to inspire and implement its foreign policy. Diplomacy can be approach like a body and an activity. Diplomatic activities embrace diplomatic functions/missions define by article 3 of the April 18, 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations: representation, protection, negotiation, information, and promotion of friendly relations between nations.
Classical Diplomacy and diplomats are nowadays challenged by non-official and non-state actors like international organizations, non governmental organizations (NGO), multinational firms, media, etc. Moreover, since the creation of the United Nations, a new form of diplomacy took an increasing importance; “multilateral diplomacy”. Multilateral diplomacy benefits from the development of the multilateral system and is carried out within the framework of international organizations and international conferences. “State diplomacy” is led by national diplomatic apparatuses which are composed of Headquarters (Foreign Ministries) and the network of the diplomatic missions and representations abroad.
More information and concepts on this Diplomatic Dictionary.
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[1] George P. SHULTZ, « Diplomacy in the Information Age », in Peaceworks n°18, September 1997, United States Institute of Peace, Washington, DC, p. 12.
[2] Jean SERRES, Manuel pratique de protocole, Paris, Editions de la Bièvre, 2000, p. 11.
[3] Gordon SMITH, « Reinventing Diplomacy : A Virtual Necessity », Virtual Diplomacy Series, February 25, 1999, [Online], http://www.usip.org/oc/vd/vdr/gsmithISA99.html, page consulted on April 24, 2003.
[4] Mark WEISER, « Virtual Tools For Real Diplomacy », Virtual Diplomacy Conference, Washington, D.C., April 1-2, 1997, www.usip.org/virtualdiplomacy/publications/papers/weiservd.html, page consulted le April 24, 2003.
[5] Pierre-Michel EISEMANN, « Diplomatie », in Encyclopaedia Universalis, Corpus 6, p. 250.
[6] Guillaume DEVIN, « La diplomatie d’Etat vue par les ONG », in Les diplomates. Comment négocier dans un monde chaotique, Samy COHEN (dir.), Editions Autrement, Paris, 2002, p. 101.
