Diplomacy is the art and science of conducting international relations through peaceful means. It encompasses negotiations and communication between governments, international organizations, and private entities such as companies. Diplomacy aims to prevent war, settle disputes, build alliances, and promote understanding between nations and their peoples.
It is a nonviolent form of conflict resolution that is based on the principles of mutual respect, non-competitiveness, and compromise. Its primary tools are international dialogue and negotiation, conducted by accredited diplomats (also known as envoys). Diplomacy is sometimes coercive, but it is primarily a tool for managing change in ways that reduce the risk of violence and war.
The traditional model of diplomatic relations is bilateral, in which a country establishes a mission in another country to represent its government to that foreign state and its citizens. In addition, some diplomacy takes place in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and other regional bodies. The latter are more complex than bilateral fora, and multilateral diplomacy is in a state of transition. Increasingly, it includes new actors such as experts, citizens groups and NGOs. It also requires greater flexibility to adapt to more complex agendas of conferences and to deal with the proliferation of issues in multilateral fora.
As a result, diplomacy has to be reshaped in order to be relevant to the future of global governance. It needs to develop an approach that is rooted in its historical strengths but adapted to the realities of today’s world. This is a challenge that requires support for the men and women who make up the diplomatic corps at home and abroad.