Diplomacy is the architecture that translates power, interests, and norms into stable expectations and binding commitments. It’s how treaties are designed and negotiated, sanctions are applied or lifted, export controls are regulated and agreed, cross-border enforcement cooperation is established, and digital flows of data are enabled or constrained. It’s a complex, dynamic landscape in which the interactions of governments, international organizations, and influential non-state actors play their part.
Despite the thorny, sometimes dangerous, and often unpredictable nature of diplomatic relations, diplomacy has a profound effect on how states interact with each other. Diplomacy helps to resolve issues, reduce tensions and avoid conflict, and provides a forum for states to discuss common interests. It can also help to create and sustain shared identities and mutual understanding, enabling cooperation across borders.
The word “diplomacy” is derived from the Greek word for paper folded double, or chart, referring to the official document issued by a foreign government that grants privileges or immunities to envoys. The modern institution of diplomacy was born in Europe, and grew with the emergence of modern nation-states that could communicate with each other over a range of topics.
Strip away the protocol and ornate settings, and diplomats are people with families, hopes and concerns, shaped by their cultures and histories. Their interactions are influenced by psychology – the dynamics of trust, the challenges of perception biases, and the human tendency toward both cooperation and competition. Increasingly, bilateral diplomacy is supplemented by participation in regional and multilateral frameworks, which highlights the convergent nature of contemporary diplomacy.