Diplomacy and the Pandemic
Modern Diplomacy, in the 21st century, is quite a different ballgame than what it had been in the last two or three centuries or in the times prior to that. Diplomacy, like many other aspects of international politics and engagement, has come to encompass a larger set of participants, and is no longer the domain of only states, as hitherto was the case. Since the end of the Cold War and particularly in the last three to four decades, the impact of Globalisation and Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs), has led to the broadening and democratisation of the domain of Diplomacy. Even though many argue that the kind of Diplomacy in the current times can be characterised as New Public Diplomacy, with different participant/influencer actors such as Multilateral Institutions, International and National NGOs, the Media, Industry and large Multinational Corporations, Civil Society activists, and public at large, the State still remains the fulcrum and the central player in the realm of international diplomacy.
Even though in the modern era, Diplomacy has come to be characterised by a relatively more horizontal-networked structure, it still retains its core and essence, as the main tool for interaction and dialogue between nation states, and this is getting highlighted in the current circumstances of the COVID-19 Pandemic, where the international and national political domain is witnessing state-centricity, in the form of the actions being taken to combat the pandemic. We have already started witnessing a move towards de-globalisation and despite the immensely constructive role being played by multilateral organisations and international NGOs and aid agencies, the onus lies on states to bring the situation under control. States, thus, I argue here, remain the central actors in the world of contemporary international politics.
Background
Diplomacy has been known to be an integral facet of relations between states, since the last many centuries. The role of diplomats and ambassadors is well documented and codified historically, at least since the 17th century. With the onset of the industrial revolution in Europe and thereafter during the first half of the 20th century, diplomacy started getting a different shape of sorts, wherein it was influenced by advent of newer communication technologies of that time and a restructuring of the international order. The process of decolonisation led to the creation of a large number of nation states in Asia and Africa, and the world wars changed the architecture and fabric of western polity. Furthermore, the inception of the League of Nations in 1919 and thereafter the creation of the United Nations in 1945, and the Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963, gave a different and in a sense a novel normative and procedural context to the conduct of Diplomacy. Whereas Diplomacy was carried out between states and by state representatives alone historically, at this point by the mid 20th century, it started quickly becoming a platform for engagement of a multitude of other actors as well. Some of these new actors were multilateral organisations like the UN and its agencies, civil society groups, such as the women’s activist group of the ‘Greenham Commons’ in the UK in 1980s. which succeeded in halting the deployment of missiles in their area of Berkshire in England, and the Media, for example in the times of the Cold War years, in the reporting of the Gulf War, etc.
As the years of the Cold War rolled on, globalisation was setting in, and it took firm ground in around 1990, after the end of the Cold War. The process of globalisation and the advent of the modern day information and communication technologies, further added to the already large multitude of actors on the international stage and in the world of international Diplomacy. From September 11, to the globally spread out incidents of international terrorism, the global refugee crisis, the challenges posed by Climate Change, the 2008 global financial crisis, to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the onsetting global economic slowdown, the world of today has truly become a global village, where one major event or shock in even a remote part, can have a significant impact on other parts and can even become a global issue.
Diplomacy in 2020
Diplomacy as we see it today, has been described by some as New Diplomacy. The New Diplomacy of the modern day, has the state and state actors and representatives at its centre, as the nation state continues to be the nucleus of international activity, engagement, and interaction, as well as that of national policymaking and implementation. International Diplomacy of today, has a strong impact and influences from modern day Media, with a 24x7 news-scape, and an ever expanding network of social media riding on the enormous bandwidths and speeds of today’s internet technologies, bringing politics into the lives of common citizens across the globe and even giving them a relatively neutral platform to express their opinions and concerns. The ‘Twitter Diplomacy’ of some of the world’s leaders is a case in point, as countries are sometimes preferring to announce significant policy decisions through social media platforms first, and then subsequently through their official website/press releases. The Media today plays an unprecedented role in shaping public opinion. The advent of high-tech mobile phone technologies has transferred the power of information literally to people’s hands. It goes without saying that this has become a great tool for states to exercise their Soft Power and influence and transform public opinion through.
The role played by the network of multinational corporations (MNCs) in today’s political-economic landscape is also very significant. Companies like Microsoft, Apple, Walmart, Google, etc., have turnovers that are more than those of many nation states. The MNCs as well as the many international financial institutions such as IMF, World Bank, as well as private sector banking organisations such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, etc., are a part of a highly sophisticated and interwoven international network economy. Even, a country like China, which is run by the Chinese Communist Party, on primarily anti-capitalist ideologies, has been a huge participant in and a beneficiary of the globalised international network economy.
The complex interconnected webs of global information and financial networks that form the foundation of today’s world, also help make the global diplomatic landscape more horizontally organised, with each of the major participants in these networks and the hubs and nodes of these, playing their part in the international diplomatic discourse.
Further, as multilateral institutions’ leaders and representatives, the modern day New Media, and Civil Society become increasingly involved in the global political discourse, there has been a surge in the activities of international and national NGOs. NGOs like Amnesty International, Greenpeace, WWF, etc., play a significant role in highlighting the importance of and working on critical issues of concern such as Climate Change, Human Rights, Healthcare, etc.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the world-wide action on Climate Change are bringing countries on the same page to strive for achieving regional and global goals.
Further, lawyers and international legal frameworks, such as the International Court of Justice, also form an important part of the international justice system, which operates in a highly globalised society. The religious leaders, such as the Pope, are also significant actors in the international political-landscape and are often seen as playing the role of ambassadors for peace, something which a lot of celebrities have also been undertaking since the last few years.
Moving on, the negotiations that happen between states in different forums under the aegis of the United Nations, the largest bureaucratic body in the world, have been increasingly witnessing the inclusion of many subject specialists and non-governmental representatives as part of governmental delegations. These additional representatives and delegation members in international forums and negotiations, help supplement the overall pedigree of the diplomatic core of participant countries. Adding subject specialists to the governmental delegation, say individuals with particular knowledge on Climate Change or Nuclear Issues, or Human Rights, helps bring in institutional and dedicated subject expertise into the teams, which greatly enhances the depth of the overall representative delegation.
The Core and Essence of Modern Day Diplomacy
The States’ official diplomatic representatives, such as Ambassadors, officers in the public service, diplomatic staff in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the officials in other Government Ministries, remain their key representatives. The diplomatic and the public service core of nation states, still very much forms the centre around which the diplomatic representation of nation states is orchestrated. And, at the next level of organisation, nation states form the central nucleus of the universe of modern day Diplomacy, with other agents of 'the publics', hovering in the orbit around it.
Despite the fact that the New Diplomacy of today is characterised by important roles played by different actors, the power of taking action and making commitments on matters of international significance, greatly rests on national governments. Although civil society representatives and NGOs may carry a lot of soft power and influence, it is only national governments who have the decision making authority and power. This aspect makes it imperative that states lie at the heart of global diplomatic activity and this is what makes them indispensable in the domain of international relations.
Unless and until the global society can come up with another better way for the organisation of the world, the nation states will have the central role in being responsible and accountable towards fulfilling national and international commitments that they are signatories to or partake in. And therefore, when we see action on Climate Change or drug / human trafficking, terrorist activity, etc., it is primarily states, who have to carry out the needful action in territories of their jurisdiction. No matter how strong the soft power of the advocacy groups may be, it is the state and its official machinery, whether it be its Diplomatic core or the public service, that is ultimately accountable and has to step up and fulfil their duty.
The current crisis that the world is going through, the COVID-19 pandemic, gives us a great example of this. The fact that despite all the actors of the public sphere involved in the debate, it is ultimately the nation states that are acting and are the ones who have the foremost and ultimate responsibility of taking action to minimise the health, economic, and security impacts of the deadly disease. The World Health Organisation is providing the overall guidelines for states to plan their actions through and the international NGOs are stepping in with aid, while the scientific community is working day and night to find a solution. That considered, it is the foreign ministries and embassies of respective countries who are coordinating the safe travel home of citizens stuck overseas, and it is the national governments who are coordinating the action for securing medical supplies and food supplies for their citizens, while administering social distancing and lockdown measures and keeping their economies afloat, democracies and autocracies alike.
CONCLUSION
In the age of highly interconnected, networked and globalised economy, information, security and health scenarios, Diplomacy has had to reinvent itself. It is Diplomacy 2.0 in a sense or perhaps it is the 21st Century Diplomacy; wherein Diplomatic engagements are led by states, which are the central actors in the world of international politics, but their actions are supplanted by the direct and indirect roles payed by and influences from other agents of Public Diplomacy.
The current scenario, surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic, is ushering the world into a state which would redefine it for the rest of our lives. Where national action is being supplemented by multilateral action, as well as the move to remote working/working from home, made possible only through the cutting edge modern day technology platforms. The withering away of globalisation as we know it, is going to be another major landmark phenomenon for international trade and the politics surrounding it.
Diplomacy, in the meantime, continues to go through transformation. But, despite the many actors that influence international politics and Diplomacy in the times we live in, it still very much has the state at its very heart, with its core and essence very much intact.
