In the chapter on diplomacy Brian White defines it as a key process of communication and negotiation in world politics as well as an instrument of foreign policy used by the political actors.
However, he says that the term is vague and might have a lot of different meanings that depend on the usage. Diplomacy used as a general term is according to him misleading but at least it suggests that diplomacy is here to help us understand the global system and political order and also foreign policies of states and other actors involved.
The author claims that from macro perspective the term diplomacy refers to “a process of communication that is central to the workings of the global system”. That is to say that diplomacy is a tool of cooperation and a form of interactions between the global actors in many different fields such as peacekeeping and peacemaking, trade but also environmental issues.
White argues that diplomacy is a policy instrument rather than a global process.
In the next part of the chapter he looks at the history of diplomacy stating that diplomacy as a communications process has existed for thousands of years.
Afterwards he makes a distinction between so called old and new diplomacy.
Traditional diplomacy has its origins in Ancient Greece city-states. The first embassies were created in the 15 century in
The tradition diplomacy had mostly bilateral basis that was usually taken in secrecy. It was basically state-to-state politics including happening in accordance with diplomatic protocol.
The agenda of the old diplomacy was rather narrow with issues such as territory or another throne acquisition together with conflict and peace issues.
On the other hand, new diplomacy meant a shift to the new system. It demanded openness to public not only for the opportunity of involvement but also for the provision of information and agreements reached. There was a need for an international organization emphasized that resulted in a creation of the
The structure was similar as state remained the main actors with a difference that now they were not the only ones. Diplomacy included other actors like for example intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that brought to discussion new issues from economic, social and cultural fields. This is called a transition from ‘high politics’ to ‘low politics’.
Diplomacy happened to be more complex and became multilateral.
In the Cold War period when the politics was driven by constant competing of two superpowers diplomacy changed to be more specific. There existed nuclear, crisis and summit diplomacies used as tools for powers to shape the politics in their own interests.
In the following period poverty issues were raised that resulted in a creation of development diplomacy.
However diplomacy in the 21st century is facing new challenges represented by new actors such as Al Qaeda that is an unconventional non-state terrorist network posing a threat to security and peace of many states.
