Diplomacy, a main tool of foreign policy, involves international negotiation and communication, usually conducted by accredited envoys. It can be coercive, but is generally nonviolent and aimed at implementing a nation’s foreign policy interests through dialogue and negotiations with other countries. Diplomacy is a form of soft power—the ability to influence others through positive or negative incentives, rather than force—which has been employed throughout history by nations in their interactions with other nations and peoples.
The modern practice of diplomacy has evolved over thousands of years and includes a range of activities, including public diplomacy and track II diplomatic engagements, as well as the work of diplomats. It is structured within an institutional framework that includes foreign affairs ministries, embassies, consulates, and other institutions like international organizations.
An ambassador (or minister plenipotentiary) is the highest-ranking representative of a government in another country. In the past, larger states would normally send a single ambassador to negotiate on their behalf. Smaller states would send envoys, which were ranked lower than an ambassador. Ranks of precedence were a highly-controversial topic; for example, ambassadors from Catholic nations were considered paramount, followed by representatives from kingdoms, and then duchies and principalities. Often, this ranking system angered the leaders of many republics and caused near-constant squabbling.
In times of hostility or other threats, diplomats may be withdrawn from their posts. This is typically done to protect their safety and is sometimes used by governments to express displeasure with a foreign host country. However, despite the dangers of being targeted for a crime, most diplomats enjoy diplomatic immunity while they are on assignment abroad. This is due to the sanctity of the diplomatic mission established in the mid-17th century and later bolstered by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which grants “privileges and immunities” to those who are serving their country’s interests abroad.
About the Author
