The evolution of diplomacy

During the last decades, diplomacy has played an important role in world politics as it has contributed many significant improvements to the international community. Diplomacy can be defined as the management of relations between two or more states or non-state actors based on their diplomatic communication and negotiation. In the time of war and later in the bipolar world, diplomacy was used as a tactical tool of secrecy by the superpowers to gain some political powers and threaten their rivals. However, contemporary diplomacy with the applications of modern technology has been transformed by being more open and receptive with the participations of not just traditional states, but also of the new independent states and non-state actors such as NGOs and multinational organisations. In other words, diplomacy has shifted from its traditional bilateral system to adapt to the new multilateral one. There are now many multilateral agreements and organisations with global concerns, such as the UN (United Nation) or the WTO (World Trade Organisation). Nevertheless, the basic nature of diplomacy based on bilateral agreements and exchanges of embassies between states remains primary.

One of the main factors which influenced the change in the nature of diplomacy, and still does, is ‘globalisation’ as it produces significant impacts on human society and the modern diplomatic system. Globalisation with the spread of communication and the revolution of technology has created extraordinary interactions between states and their people. One state cannot achieve remarkable development or notable political status by agreements with just its neighbouring countries, but it needs also agreements and treaties with other countries in the same region or from other continents (White, in, Baylis, Smith and Owens, 2005, 3rd ed., page 391). As in the globalised world, the economy and political system of states are influenced by each others. Therefore, it is important for each state to not just send their representatives (diplomats or ambassadors) to an embassy in the capital of their friends' countries, but also to have their diplomats on diplomatic missions representing them in UN' and  multinational conferences. Advantages of such conferences are that most of them are public with the participations of non-state actors such as NGOs which do not represent any particular states' interests. Therefore, most diplomatic decisions there are made in order to seek alternative solutions to global issues, such as global warming, rather than to obtain some beneficial interests for a country itself.

Multilateral agreements and treaties have also become a significant part in the evolution of diplomacy. A successful example of such treaties is the European Union (EU). Founded in 1957 by 6 countries to support a free common market without barriers, the European Community has evolved to the present EU with 27 member countries working together to aim for peace and prosperity for their citizens (http://europa.eu/abc/history/2000_today/index_en.htm). EU countries members, despite their own governments and parliaments, share the European Parliament and have to follow the European constitution, treaties and law, and use the same currency. Even though they are representing themselves as a community on an international level, they still have their embassies and diplomats in other member countries that represent their own foreign policy. Another significant multilateral organisation is the UN created after the Second World War to maintain international peace and security by developing friendly relations among nations with 192 member states.

As mentioned above, globalisation in general and the multilateral system, with the involvement of non-state actors in particular, have influenced and brought the most significant changes in the evolution of diplomacy. As a result, contemporary diplomacy is more global and creates better relationships between states in different economical and political spheres.

http://www.america.gov/st/peacesec-english/2009/March/20090324081426dmslahrellek0.668133.html - an interesting article about the U.S. multilateral diplomacy