Diplomacy: The CSS Point

The CSS Point
DIPLOMACY
Introduction
In a broad sense, diplomacy is the entire process through which states

conduct their foreign relations. It is the means for allies to cooperate and for
adversaries to resolve conflicts without force. States communicate, bargain,
influence one another, and adjust their differences through diplomacy. It is
interesting to note that serious confrontations between the great powers
since 1815 have ended in force only about 10 per cent of the time. The
routine business of international affairs is conducted through the peaceful
instrument of diplomacy. In a more narrow sense, diplomacy is the
implementation of foreign policy, as distinct from the process of policy
formation. Diplomats may influence policy, but their main task is to
negotiate with the representatives of other countries. Ambassadors,
ministers, and envoys are official spokespersons for their country abroad
and the instruments through which states maintain regular direct contact.
Although messages are rapidly transmitted from one state to another today,
personal, face-to face encounters can put a stamp of privacy and
authenticity on diplomatic exchanges. Formal diplomacy is a regularized
system of official communication between states: the exchange of
ambassadors, the maintenance of embassies in foreign capitals, the dispatch
of messages through officially accredited emissaries, participation in
conferences and other direct negotiations.
Importance
The importance of diplomacy arises from the fact that most foreign policies
are stated very generally, without spelling out measures for implementation.
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A good diplomat must adapt such policy mandates to the circumstances of

the moment. Moreover, there are numerous occasions when the demands of
a particular situation might justify an exception to policy, and for this a state
often relies on the wisdom of its diplomatic officers in the field. Few
governments pursue a perfectly consistent policy that is articulated with a
single voice. It falls to the diplomats to reconcile the competing voices and
to give coherence, emphasis, and interpretation to their state’s foreign
policy.
Diplomacy has two faces. It is the vehicle through which a state asserts itself
and represents its concerns to the world; it is also one of the principal
means for conciliating competing national interests. In other words,
diplomacy aims to further a state’s particular goals whilst preserving
international order. It is the tool that states use to get their way without
arousing the animosity of other states. Diplomats must constantly balance
the need to protect their state’s interests and to avoid conflict with other
states.
Functions
There are three main functions of diplomacy – intelligence gathering, image

management, and policy implementation. An embassy gathers information
on the thinking of the local political leadership, the state of the local
economy, the nature of the political opposition – all of it critical for
predicting internal problems and anticipating changes in foreign policy.
Diplomatic representatives are the ‘eyes and ears’ of their government; their
cables and reports form part of the raw material from which foreign policy is
developed. Diplomacy also aims at creating a favourable image of the state.
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Modern communication makes it possible to shape perceptions and attitudes

around the globe.
States today have vast public relations apparatuses whose purpose is to

place their actions and policies in a favorable light. Foreign embassies supply
local news media with official interpretations and try to avoid negative
publicity or explain it away. Finally, diplomats administer the overseas
programmes of the state. They negotiate military basing rights, facilitate
foreign investment and trade, supervise the distribution of economic aid, and
provide information and technical assistance.
Diplomacy Have Less Power
Some scholars argue that over time, there has been a marked decline in the
importance of formal ambassadors. In the days when travel and
communications were primitive, ambassadors had a great deal of authority
and discretion in the implementation of foreign policy. They might be
stationed abroad for many years without receiving new
instructions or returning home. Today overseas envoys receive large

numbers of cables and instructions on a daily basis. Heads of state
communicate directly with one another by telephone. Top policymakers often
negotiate directly with each other (summit diplomacy) or they send special
envoys (shuttle diplomacy). Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State under
Presidents Nixon and Ford, raised shuttle diplomacy to a high art in the
1970s. As a result, the ambassador has become less important in the realm
of ‘high politics’ – particularly in areas of military security – than in the past.
Scope
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On the other hand, the growth of interdependence among states, and the
expansion of the old Eurocentric state system into a global international
society, has brought in its wake the emergence of an increasingly
multilateral style of diplomacy. Multilateral management is essential for
many issues that involve cooperative arrangements among governments.
This is the case in such areas as nuclear proliferation, arms control, trade
regulation, and the suppression of terrorism. The United Nations and other
intergovernmental organizations convene periodic conferences to deal with
problems of food, population growth, the environment, and other issues of
global concern. Since most of the less developed countries make the greater
part of their diplomatic contacts at the United Nations, many issues of
modern diplomacy are addressed in this multilateral forum.
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The CSS Point

In a broad sense, diplomacy is the entire process through which states

A good diplomat must adapt such policy mandates to the circumstances of

There are three main functions of diplomacy – intelligence gathering, image

Modern communication makes it possible to shape perceptions and attitudes

States today have vast public relations apparatuses whose purpose is to

Diplomacy Have Less Power

instructions or returning home. Today overseas envoys receive large

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