Diplomacy is a nationally backed or acknowledged form of governmental instrument to achieve cooperation and prevent conflicts amongst the nations. A new nation turns into a full dynamic individual amongst the group of countries solely after it gets recognition or acknowledgment by the existing nations.

The relevance of diplomacy and also the reason behind the mere existence and practicality of diplomacy is to address the state or nation in the host nation. The key functions of diplomacy incorporate a varied number of points, like- Representing, Negotiating, Symbolising, Reporting, and Protecting the general interest of the public.

What's The Definition Of Diplomacy?

There are various definitions of Diplomacy, and it's nearly related with foreign policies. But there's a difference between both, by considering the ways of instruments incorporated between regulating such policies, and also by way of the presence of 'Content' in it. As per Lincoln and Padelford, diplomacy is the process of representing and negotiating by a state to deal with another one, during the times of peace.

This word has basically been derived from the French word, Diplo + Ma, meaning folded in two & an object, respectively. Further shift in the timeline, this word was used to call people who represented or negotiated on behalf of a state!

The Features Of Diplomacy Depending On Various Factors

The various Features would further include a lot of factors to be included, like the Nature, Objective, Means, Types of diplomacy, and more.

Nature- Diplomacy is not Immoral, but a machinery for action acting through settled procedures, in bilateral and multilateral forms both. It deals with every sort of matter, and in its absence or breakdown it leads to a crisis. It works during conflict and cooperation both. It's a source of establishing national interest and is always backed with national power at its core.

Objective- There can be two objectives associated with it:

1. Political
2. Non-Political

Means of Diplomacy:

The relevance of diplomacy depends a lot on the means it adopts to get implemented.

There are several devices, out of which 6 mains are:

1. Persuasion
2. Rewards
3. Promise of Rewards
4. Threatening Forces
5. Non-violent punishments
6. Use of pressure

Types of Diplomacy:

There are basically 2 types of diplomacy, A. Traditional Diplomacy (centering mostly around European countries); B. New or Global Diplomacy.
So, basing on these points there are various key features of Diplomacy. The general or most important features are imperative to be written down. G.R. Berridge and Alan James characterize Diplomacy as the conduction of relations between sovereign states from the way of the authorities based at home or abroad.

The primary objective of diplomacy is to execute international policies and accomplish its essential interests through tact.

1. Representation
2. Communication
3. Channels of Information
4. Diplomatic Negotiation
5. Diplomatic Privilege and Immunity

Through these aforementioned points, there comes the salient features of Diplomacy are:

1. Accelerating Globalization
2. Bringing in New Participants in Globalised Relations
3. Bringing in Information Techniques
4. Internationalising of Domestic Politics.

What Are The Salient Features Of Diplomacy?

Accelerating Globalization:

Contemporary globalization is making an existence where the broad reach of transnational relations and organizations is coordinated by their focused energy, across numerous features of life, from financial to ecological. In a changing world wide scenario, the network of global relations is reinforcing taking all things together and surprisingly new fields of legislative issues, economy and social contacts. Globalization is a cycle of financial, political and social union or homogenisation.

It very well may be characterized by the accompanying four components- Global difficulties requesting governmental, intergovernmental or private solutions; Intensification of political and monetary combination; Increase in the quantity of transnational members; & issues of Technological leap advancing the new working strategies. Amongst this, Diplomacy helps in accelerating globalisation.

Bringing in New Participants in Globalised Relations:

Whereas the customary members in worldwide relations were restricted to states and International Organizations, a developing number of members has arisen because of the globalization interaction. Today, international strategies/ foreign policies from a bigger perspective aren't just performed by states through their representatives, yet in addition by any of these new members. Diplomacy has gotten privatized and popularised, at present. 

In the near future, the sovereign nations or states are probably not going to stay the principal locus of power. New members are rising above the split between the domestic and the global circles, supplanting old types of governance. While the sovereign state is probably going to stay the chief source of power, because of its primary perseverance and standardizing pertinence the guideline of sovereignty will go through significant changes prompting a modernized idea. Sovereignty today isn't any more hoarded by the state, with mere diplomatic changes by bringing new participants of members into the globalised relations.

Bringing in Information Techniques:

As per Richard Grant, in the 'The Democratisation of Diplomacy', the new technical advances won't usurp the reasoning for diplomacy & diplomats. Diplomacy, by its actual nature, is a continuous cycle which doesn't loan itself effectively to short-termism, which requires knowledge, judgment, and skills.

Now negotiating, which is a part of diplomacy, over the Internet doesn't change that, but simply requests adaptation to our general surroundings. This adaptation doesn't involve our wishes, but the need of having it. Technology is having an effect on how diplomats work together, yet on what the matter of diplomacy is, and vice versa. 

Internationalising of Domestic Politics:

Due to propelling globalization and the expansion in transnational relations and interdependencies foreign policies, today it isn't just defined in the foreign services, yet in different departments and offices with international contacts. In this manner the diplomat present abroad might be defied now and again with different chains of principals.

To ensure public security reliably and intelligently, the government deals with one voice in the issue of international policies, that is the undertaking of the diplomats to track down a united position regarding the supremacy of the foreign ministry as the lead authority. Several Domestic policies are also internationalised.
Bottom Line

So these are the relevance and salient features of diplomacy. Owing to these points, there's an absolutely imperative need of understanding why and how important Diplomacy or Diplomats are. Unarguably this is one of the best instruments ruling on national and foreign levels, and conserving the interests crucial to this instrument is further important.

Award Winning Article Is Written By: Ms.Prakirti Jena

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