Authors: Lichia Saner-Yiu | Raymond Saner

Organisational culture of UN agencies: The need for diplomats to manage porous boundary phenomena

2004

The goal of this article is to introduce readers to the complexity of the organisational culture of UN agencies in order to limit possible misunderstandings about the functioning of the UN and its agencies and in order to make diplomatic interactions with UN agencies as efficient and as effective as possible.

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Diplomats assigned to UN agencies face challenges specific to the UN system. Acting as stakeholders of the UN system and representing member states, these diplomats need to navigate through the complicated UN systems and their various informal arrangements to safeguard the interests of individual member states. At the same time, they need to allow for collaboration to deal with interdependent needs, such as preventive diplomacy ¹, trade, public health, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping, environment, and development cooperation. Besides having to face intercultural complexity in their exchanges with UN staff coming from almost all possible cultural backgrounds, diplomats also need to understand the different organisational cultures of UN agencies, which are distinct and not comparable with those of any other private or public sector organisations.

The goal of this article is to introduce readers to the complexity of the organisational culture of UN agencies to limit possible misunderstandings about the functioning of the UN and its agencies and to make diplomatic interactions with UN agencies as efficient and effective as possible. Indirectly, it is hoped that this article may also contribute, however slightly, to the successful functioning of the UN community and offer support for the mutually beneficial collaboration of nations and the identification of successful solutions to meet shared global concerns.

United Nations: The Context

In September 2002, the UN system consisted of 191 member states. It includes six core bodies: the General Assembly, the UN Secretariat, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and the International Court of Justice. In addition, the UN system has 14 specialised agencies and 12 funds and programmes. Collectively, of about 56,000 staff members, some 22,000 occupy professional positions in the UN workforce.², The 15 UN organisations apply a common system of salaries and pensions ³ (excluding the WB, IDA, IFC, and IMF) and employ people assigned to over 170 countries, working at some 600 different places throughout the world and using six major official languages. Some 52% of UN staff work for the UN Secretariat and its programmes. The remaining 48% are employed by the 14 specialised or related agencies, including the ILO, FAO, UNESCO, UNIDO, WHO, World Bank, IDA, IFC, IMF, ICAO, UPU, ITU, WMO, IMCO, WIPO, and IFAD. These agencies report annually to the Economic and Social Council in New York.

These intergovernmental agencies are separate, autonomous organisations related to the UN by special agreements. They collaborate with the UN and with each other through the coordinating machinery of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Their secretariats, composed of international staff representing over 170 different nationalities, work under the direction of the executive head of the respective agencies. They provide either a forum for negotiations and decisions (e.g., international conventions regarding trade, labour, and human rights) or specific services (e.g., health, institution building, and agricultural development).

The Charter describes the Secretary General as “Chief Administrative Officer” of the Organisation, who shall act in that capacity and perform “such other functions as are entrusted” to him/her by the Security Council, General Assembly, ECOSOC, and other UN organs. The UN Charter also empowers the Secretary General to “bring to the attention of the Security Council any matters which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.” These guidelines both define the power of the Secretary General’s office and its scope of action.

However, the interpretation of the role of the Secretary General is very much dependent on the incumbent of the office. It ranges from administration to a more dynamic and innovative role. The current Secretary General, for example, sees himself assuming a combined role with equal parts assigned to being a diplomat and an advocate, a civil servant and a CEO, and being a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesman for the interest of the world’s peoples, in particular the poor and the vulnerable among them.⁴ In the different perceptions of the role and responsibility of the Secretary General lays another source of potential tension between the Organisation, the Security Council, and the General Assembly.

Criticism and On-Going Reform

In this world of renewed and growing conflicts, some countries express misgivings about the role of the UN and, in particular, of its Security Council. Disagreements heightened between key countries before the invasion of Iraq by the USA and its allies. In particular, the functioning of the Security Council was severely criticised and the future of the UN was put into question by some leading officials of the US government who expressed unhappiness about the multilateral decision-making process in general and the accompanying rules and conventions in particular.

Leaving the Iraq war and the related conflict between key counties aside, few would want to abolish the very existence of the UN system with all its many specialised agencies and accompanying multilateral treaties. Most countries prefer the multilateral UN system with all its imperfections to a situation based on unilateral dominance or bilateral confrontations. It is up to the member countries that exercise oversight and governance over the UN system to make it work to the benefit of the total membership.

While the large majority of the current UN membership prefers continuity of multilateralism, many countries nevertheless have expressed their wish to see efficiency and effectiveness improved within the UN system. Criticism and concerns have been raised regarding various perceived shortcomings of the UN system and its ineffective performance, especially when dealing with humanitarian crises and inter-racial/communal armed conflicts.⁵ Criticism of some agencies has been raised in regard to lack of reform of swollen bureaucracies, tardiness in responding to the needs in the field ⁶, and the even more grave accusation of fraud and abuse ⁷ within some specialised agencies.

Reform of the UN system has been an ongoing process since the 1980s, focusing on budgetary, management, or structural issues. The US in particular, and other Western industrialised countries have pushed for budgetary and management reforms with visible success while the more complicated institutional changes remain limited and harder to accomplish.

Faced with the uncertainty induced by the attacks on the World Trade Towers (9/11/2001), the Iraq War, and the twin processes of global integration and local fragmentation, the UN role of offering global governance structures and facilitating social and economic development around the world has become more important than ever before. Yet, without a mandate to regulate world affairs and with no control of independent resources, the UN’s capacity to intervene, especially during times of crisis, remains rather limited.

In the words of the Secretary General, Kofi Annan, “if the UN is to effectively realize its global mission of furthering peace, development, and human rights, it must manage its human resources better.” He further stated, “We are too complicated and too slow. We are over-administered and have too many rules and too many regulations.” Calling for more investment in staff, simpler procedures, and more authority for managers, the Secretary General said that the reforms he proposed were designed to ensure that the UN could have “the right people with the right skills in the right job at the right time.”⁸

What was omitted is that the complex operational environment of the UN system is embedded in a situation of divergent interests, power blocks, complicated interaction patterns, and contrasting worldviews. The UN is not only a system of service providers but, at times, is called upon to be an arbitrator between competing factions without vested power to do so. Diplomats representing member countries have an important role to play to support the Secretary General in achieving the challenging goals of strengthening the capacity to perform and, in addition, in co-creating an enabling environment for the UN to carry out its duties.

The Organisational Culture of the UN

Multilayers of Political Influence

Public management and public organisations are characterised by features distinct from those of private sector companies. Rainey summarises the commonly known aspects, namely: reliance on governmental appropriations for financial resources, presence of intensive, formal legal constraints, presence of intensive external political influences, and greater goal ambiguity, multiplicity, and conflict.⁹

The UN system functions with similar characteristics. Each specialised UN agency has its own decision-making body involving a multitude of government and related constituencies; together they approve annual budgets and influence the major directions of the agencies’ programmes and activities. Hence, the decision-making process can be very complex and presents in itself major obstacles regarding clarity of purpose, effectiveness and efficiency of management, and unity of staff.¹⁰ These constraints are even more pronounced within the workings of the UN Secretariat which negotiates and deals with international “political” dossiers.

The budgetary process determines the resource allocation to different programmes; hence, member states have keen interest in influencing the outcome through different forms of manoeuvring. Alliance-building within the diplomatic communities and within the UN secretariat and agencies becomes critical, especially for the small nations that rely on UN appropriation for their national development.

At the personnel level, UN staff members, bound by the UN rule of neutrality¹¹, are supposed to stay above the political manoeuvring. However, this has not always been the case. Mixed loyalties toward the UN system and one’s own home country are almost inevitable since many member countries influence their own nationals’ posting within the UN system and promote their career paths. However, personal and national interests alone cannot fully explain why the UN is a complex system with sub-optimal performance. Additional understanding is needed to find ways to strengthen this important institution.

At the organisational level, the UN system is constantly under pressure to fulfil the wishes of its paymasters and constituencies. Sandwiched between the Security Council (akin to a cabinet of nations led by the five permanent members) and the member states (shareholders), the Secretariat and the UN system are evaluated based on both the political criteria and actual performance in discharging its responsibilities. International politics are played out in the UN arena. As a result, mirroring its membership, at times of crisis the UN is locked up by policy paralysis and power struggle. Diplomats inadvertently become part of the problem when executing the national will at the expense of collaboration for common good.

At the grassroots level, non-state actors have been allowed, albeit gingerly, into the international policy arena of the UN. Increasingly vocal and self-assured, trans-national NGOs and other self-styled militant groups have yielded considerable influence on international policy, at times even greater than some of the member states. They promote their agendas through active participation in the UN system and by providing service delivery for development and/or humanitarian purposes.¹², Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael, The Hague.) This third sector, representing trans-border and communal/grassroots interests, has enlivened international policy debates, but also added to the already complex process of the multilateral decision-making process. Diplomats, as well as UN officials, are pushed to recognise the legitimacy of non-state actors in their so-to-speak “home turf” and to learn how to live with such post-modern reality.

Internal Fragmentation and Coordination Barriers

Internally, for decades the UN system has had coordination difficulties. For instance, UN agencies may compete with each other to be given specific mandates ¹³ or they have overlapping mandates and opt not to cooperate as they should.¹⁴ Overlapping and competing programmes among different agencies remains a reality despite best efforts to eliminate such wastefulness over the last twenty years. However, this sub-optimal performance of the UN should be attributed not only to structural origins but should also be understood from an organisational behaviour perspective.

Inter-agency coordination has been difficult because of low system cohesion within the UN family, resulting in mini-kingdoms and/or serfdoms. Layers of “class or prestige”¹⁵ create gaps between various levels of management. In addition, functional gaps sometimes exist between working units of UN agencies. If horizontally layered management gaps are superimposed on vertical functional gaps, so-called “operational islands” can emerge which refuse to communicate with one another for fear that giving up information may strengthen their “opponents” and reduce their own power base. Duplication of functions and programmes is but one manifestation of this internal fragmentation.

Triangle — Figure 1: Fragmentation and Organisational Islands¹⁶

Similar rifts may exist at the intra-organisational level. Management control is insufficient to harness a more cohesive culture and operations. Many UN agencies have neither a functioning performance appraisal system nor career plans or merit system. Depending on power shifts, managers are reassigned to posts without necessarily possessing the required professional expertise. On the other hand, UN agencies cannot easily dismiss their staff. Hence, a strong conflict exists between relative job security and a sense of insecurity based on persistent uncertainty regarding job posting and career prospects. Both factors combined encourage patronage, which, in turn, reinforces the multicultural divisions within the staff of UN agencies, which, in turn, reinforces “patronage-tribalism” and exacerbates the problem of coordination further.

Individual “fiefdoms” have also been prone to curry favour with specific constituencies. Such alliance-building, on the one hand, consolidates one’s hold on power; on the other, it further erodes the already permeable boundary of the UN system.

Weak and Porous Organisational Boundaries

Continuous external pressures on financial and political decisions in conjunction with complex decision-making processes and the entrance of non-conventional actors weaken organisational boundaries and open UN agencies to the power plays of multiple external and internal constituencies. To understand this phenomenon, Henry Mintzberg developed a typology of configurations of organisational power. He proposed one possible relationship between external and internal coalitions that, the authors believe, fits the context of the UN system well. He very concisely stated: “A divided external coalition encourages the rise of politicised internal coalitions, and vice versa.”¹⁷

The board members of UN agencies, namely the various member governments, have been and continue to be divided over general as well as particular issues. The most apparent divisions occurred during the cold war period. The current divisions centre on the North-South divide, trade block conflicts, and on particular issue-by-issue conflicts, whatever is at stake at the particular moment for the governments concerned.

Member governments exert pressures on the leading heads of UN agencies and vice versa. The respective director generals use their political weapons to counterattack real or perceived threats to their power and re-election. De Cooker, who cites various secondary sources, gives an example of such manoeuvres:

Mr. Saoma, the head of FAO is accused of having politicized and mismanaged his organisation, of practising coercive and terrorist tactics and to run a reign of terror in the secretariat … In addition to the US, the UK, Australia and Canada have suspended further payments to the organisation pending budget reforms. These countries are applying financial blackmail to the organisation, in order to obtain the right to approve or veto its budget level.¹⁸

A continuous building and shifting of coalitions weakens the decision-making process of UN agencies and causes negative consequences in regard to staff cohesion and internal functioning. UN agencies’ external boundaries remain weak, porous, and continuously open to manipulations by multiple interest groups and stakeholders, while internally, boundaries may be rigid, making it difficult to engage in constructive teamwork and inter-departmental collaboration.

The tendency towards external and internal coalition building is further heightened by the multi-national and multi-cultural composition of the UN staff, which presents a rich linguistic, national, religious, and cultural mixture. This built-in diversity and the resulting psychological and cultural differences can create ambiguities in staff loyalty and identification, which, in turn, further increase the likelihood of conflict and coalition building. Under ideal circumstances, those working for the bureaucracy should be politically neutral, recruited based on merit, and subject to “uniform standards regarding conditions of employment …, but in reality, the international civil servants are subject, like their national counterparts, to the political conditions of their environment.”¹⁹

Yet, the conflict regarding loyalty is built into the system through two articles of the UN Charter, which unintentionally have led to tension and conflict. Article 100 reminds international servants neither to seek nor to receive instructions from any government or other authorities external to the UN organisation. It also reminds member states not to influence the staff and to respect the international character of their work and responsibility. Article 101 on the other hand, while not putting into question Article 100, asks for due geographical distribution of the UN staff. Both articles have been actively resisted at times by main member states for different reasons.²⁰

Leadership Challenge and Accountability

Continuous changes in its external environment combined with possible reactive or even proactive shiftiness of its internal environment have made UN agencies an especially difficult if not challenging place for leadership and management control. Figure 2 depicts a situation built on the previous “operational islands” concept but showing also the multitudes of influencing vectors reaching into a typical UN agency from outside at practically all levels of the hierarchy; at the same time, vectors are emanating from within the UN agency aiming at influencing stakeholders outside of the organisation.²¹

Outdoors, Triangle, Nature — Figure 2: Fragmentation and Porousness: Influencing Vectors Passing
through Porous Boundaries

Any attempt to reform current organisational practice in such a volatile environment has to face many forms of open and subtle resistance. Laurence Geri has reported successful organisational change at the World Health Organisation (WHO) but, overall, failure is common. Small successes give rise to a consultant’s celebration but the task of reform in UN agencies often appears to be of a Sisyphean nature.²²

What are “Porous Boundary” Phenomena?

When interacting with UN agencies, a foreign diplomat might feel confused about the seemingly fuzzy reality of organisational life in most of them. In contrast to the clear lines of command and clear boundaries concerning roles and responsibilities common in most private sector enterprises and public administrations, the organisational culture of UN agencies might best be described as resulting from “porous boundaries.”

Porous boundaries affect different aspects of organisational life. The concept helps to explain some of the performance issues confronting the UN system, although different agencies suffer from this phenomenon to varying degrees. Table 1 provides an overview of an organisational profile with porous boundaries.²³

Confronted with these specific characteristics, it is surprising that UN organisations have managed to deliver some outstanding achievements. For instance, the eradication of smallpox occurred through a successful global immunisation programme organised by the joint efforts of UNICEF²⁴ and the WHO. The protection and restoration of heritage sites around the world have been carried out by UNESCO. The ongoing efforts of various UN agencies have helped raise awareness of the situation of children and women in war-torn cities and other under-developed regions of the world. Through the continuous effort and championship of the UN, the plights of vulnerable groups around the world have been brought to the consciousness of a public that enjoys much higher standards of living. Concerted effort, under the umbrella of the UNDP, has brought infrastructure development in terms of water, transportation, health, education, and employment to different parts of the world, even if at times very slowly. Without a global infrastructure and the oversight of an international administration, these feats would not be easily accomplishable.

Conclusions

UN agencies are needed and so is the UN system. While this is obvious to most people, fewer people agree on what these agencies should do and how they should be organised and managed. The need for their continued efficient and effective existence is not in doubt, but, as Geri states: “International Organisations and their public stakeholders must protect their capacity to provide critical collective goods or their value to global society will be seriously compromised.”²⁵

This point is amply demonstrated with the current SARS crisis around the world. Without WHO’s Global Response and Alert Network, it would be difficult to imagine that a coordinated effort connecting different parts of the world could be mobilised to contain the further spread of the SARS virus. To entrust this task, for instance, to one national health centre such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, USA, would not be feasible politically nor effective from an operational perspective.

While very important – if not irreplaceable – for the international community, UN organisations also have to adapt and adjust to new environments and engage their member countries in constructive and efficient interactions. However, due to the multiple stakeholders involved, the organisational environment of UN agencies is and will be politicised for the foreseeable future. Hence, the porous boundary phenomena described above will continue for a long time.

As the mandates and tasks of the UN system increase almost day by day, the need for efficient management and an effective organisation is of paramount importance to all parties involved. Ways to improve existing and future UN agencies’ performance will be needed on a consistent and continuous basis. At the same time, foreign diplomats assigned to cover a UN agency should be mindful that undue external influence and political pressures may further aggravate the porous boundary phenomenon, endangering the long-term survival of the UN system. What is needed is a reduction of porous boundaries and a strengthening of the UN systems’ organisational structure and processes through more collaborative arrangements between member states and through the good offices of the diplomats who facilitate the dialogue between their capitals and the UN system.

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The message summarizes the content of the ADF-13 report, which focuses on supporting Africa's transformation.

The World Bank’s Contribution to Poverty Reduction in Peru

Peru’s economy has improved significantly, however poverty is an imperative issue that is not progressing as expected.

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The Greening of Machiavelli: The Evolution of International Environmental Policy

The Greening of Machiavelli: The Evolution of International Environmental Policy" discusses the transformation of environmental policy on a global scale, reflecting a shift towards sustainability and cooperation.

Negotiating Public Health in a Globalized World: Global Health Diplomacy in Action

The text is about the challenges and opportunities of negotiating in the global health diplomacy landscape, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and innovation to address public health issues on a global scale.

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Innovation in Diplomatic Practice

The text discusses the need for innovation in diplomatic practice to address modern challenges effectively. Diplomats must adapt to changing dynamics, such as digital diplomacy and non-state actors, to achieve diplomatic objectives successfully. Traditional diplomatic methods may need to be revised or replaced to meet the demands of contemporary international relations. Innovation and creativity are essential for diplomats to navigate complex global issues and promote peace and cooperation among nations.

Palestinian statehood diplomacy: The Palestinian UN bids of 2011-2012

The Palestinian Authority (PA) launched an intense diplomatic campaign to garner a supporting vote in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which was finally realized in 2012 by an upgrade to a 'non member observer state', granting Palestine a set of new privileges. It represents a victory for Palestinian diplomacy and presents a model of statehood diplomacy that received support as much as criticism. It stirred discussions about statehood and state recognition, and exposed the limited success of international interventions in post-conflict state building efforts.

The evolution of diplomacy in the Caribbean

This paper will focus on the development of diplomacy in the Caribbean and how it impacts the development of small Caribbean States, paying attention to the regional, bilateral and multilateral levels of diplomacy.

Small states and NATO: Influence and accommodation

The influence and accommodation of small states within NATO is a vital aspect of the alliance's dynamics. These states play a significant role in shaping NATO's decisions and policies, despite their size. It is essential for NATO to consider the perspectives and needs of small states to ensure their full engagement and commitment to the alliance's collective security goals. Balancing the interests of both small and large states is crucial for NATO's effectiveness and cohesion.

United Nations-Sponsored World Conferences: Focus on Impact and Follow-up

United Nations-sponsored world conferences aim to focus on the impact and follow-up actions of global initiatives.

Multilateral Aid 2015: Better Partnerships for a Post-2015 World

The message emphasizes the importance of improving partnerships in multilateral aid for a post-2015 world.

A Tipping Point for the Internet: Predictions for 2018 (Briefing Paper #9)

The briefing paper discusses various predictions for the internet in 2018, focusing on key trends and developments that will shape the digital landscape. Key areas include the rising importance of cybersecurity, the impact of artificial intelligence on online platforms, growing concerns over data privacy, increased regulation of tech giants, and the potential for blockchain technology to revolutionize various industries. These trends are expected to drive significant changes in how we use and interact with the internet in the coming year.

Trends and Progress in International Cooperation: Report of the Secretary-General

The report discusses the current state and trends in international cooperation.

Environmental Diplomacy: Negotiating More Effective Global Agreements

The text is likely an article discussing the importance of environmental diplomacy in negotiating effective global agreements.

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Preference-Dependent Economies and Multilateral Liberalization: Impacts and Options

The text examines the impacts and options surrounding multilateral liberalization within preference-dependent economies, shedding light on the complexities and considerations involved in navigating trade policies in such contexts.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aims to address global warming by promoting international cooperation and agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change impacts.

Framework of operational guidelines on United Nations support to South-South and triangular cooperation

The message provides a framework of operational guidelines for United Nations support to South-South and triangular cooperation.

Development Co-operation Report 2015: Making Partnerships Effective Coalitions for Action

The text discusses the importance of effective partnerships and coalitions for action in development cooperation as outlined in the Development Co-operation Report 2015.

Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change outlines international commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.

The History and Politics of UN Security Council Reform

Dimitris Bourantonis, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Athens University of Economics and Business and a well-published writer on the UN over many years, has provided a very valuable service for students of the world body by writing this short book.

The Role of Diplomacy in the Challenges to Maritime Security Cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea: Case Study of Nigeria

There is presently a pervading feeling that the West and Central African states are long overdue to take control of their maritime environment. However, these expectations show no indication of materialising in the short term.

Multilateral Institutions: Building New Alliances, Solving Global Problems

The mountain of global problems, viz. the list of world tasks that can be solved only collectively by the international community, continues to grow. At the same time, the multilateral institutions find themselves in the midst of a difficult process of change, one marked by a high degree of mistrust and fragmentation in the international community as well as by a low level of willingness and ability to tackle global tasks in the multilateral framework. This trend has been due to certain unilateral reflexes that emerged when the Cold War drew to a close and above all to the experiences th...

Our Global Neighbourhood

The text discusses the importance of global cooperation and the need for collaborative efforts to address various global challenges and create a sustainable and peaceful world. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of nations and the shared responsibility to work together for the betterment of all.

Knowledge management: experience from international organisations

In this chapter, John Pace decribes the three-phase evolution of knowledge management in the human rights program of the United Nations. The realisation that knowledge management is a necessity came during the third phase. The author also describes the complex system of monitoring bodies and ad hoc mechanisms, and the developments that took place following four decisions taken in the mid-eighties.

Decision-Making in the UN Security Council: The case of Haiti, 1990-1997

Question: 'When is a "Foreword" not a "Foreword"? Answer: When it is written by Adam Roberts. This book started life as an Oxford doctoral thesis under the supervision of Professor Roberts, and the former supervisor has done both the former student and readers of this book a great service by prefacing it with a seven-page essay in which he underlines its importance in convincing detail. So this, unlike ninety-nine per cent of examples of the same genre, is a Foreword that should not be ignored.

Caribbean Diplomacy: Research on Diplomacy of Small States

With little recourse to traditional economic and political power in their international relations, diplomacy for Caribbean states is a key mechanism to achieve the realisation of the region’s overall development agenda. The Caribbean is no stranger to diplomatic challenges.

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The New Economic Diplomacy

The New Economic Diplomacy focuses on how the intersection of economics and foreign policy is shaping international relations in the modern world. It discusses how economic tools are increasingly being used to achieve political objectives and how countries are utilizing economic diplomacy to advance their interests on the global stage. This shift towards a more economically driven approach to diplomacy reflects the changing dynamics of international relations and highlights the growing importance of economic considerations in foreign policy decision-making.

Multilateral Diplomacy and the United Nations Today

As the world confronts new and ongoing challenges of globalization, international terrorism and an array of other global issues, the United Nations and its key attribute-multilateral diplomacy-are more important now than ever before. With new and updated essays that detail the experiences of a diverse group of practitioners and scholars who work in the field of diplomacy, this new edition covers in even greater breadth and depth the quintessential characteristics of multilateral diplomacy as it is conducted within the United Nations framework. Multilateral Diplomacy and the United Nations Toda...

Old diplomacy in New York

The message details the use of old diplomacy in New York, focusing on traditional methods being employed to navigate modern challenges.

Contemporary Diplomacy: Representation and Communication in a Globalized World

The text discusses how diplomacy has evolved in the present globalized world, focusing on representation and communication.

Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems: Mapping the GGE Debate (Briefing Paper #8)

The paper discusses the ongoing debate in the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and the varying perspectives on the need for regulation and control of these weapons.

Alliances and Small Powers

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Coercive Cooperation: Explaining Multilateral Economic Sanctions

The text discusses how multilateral economic sanctions can be effective in coercing cooperation from targeted states by increasing the costs of noncompliance.

Work Programme on Electronic Commerce

The text outlines the World Trade Organization's work program on electronic commerce, focusing on discussions and negotiations aimed at establishing rules and frameworks to govern digital trade in the global economy.

Mediation in the Yugoslav Wars: The Critical Years, 1990-95

The book "Mediation in the Yugoslav Wars: The Critical Years, 1990-95" explores the role of mediation in the Yugoslav Wars during the crucial period from 1990 to 1995. It delves into the efforts made by various individuals and organizations to mediate the conflicts that arose during this time. Through a detailed examination of mediation attempts, the book sheds light on the complexities and challenges faced in trying to bring about peace in the region.

Common African Position on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

The participatory approach that led to the elaboration of the Common African Position (CAP) on the post-2015 Development Agenda involving stakeholders at the national, regional and continental levels among the public and private sectors, parliamentarians, civil society organizations (CSOs), including women and youth associations, and academia. This approach has helped address the consultation gap in the initial preparation and formulation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Organisational culture of UN agencies: The need for diplomats to manage porous boundary phenomena

The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations

The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations offers a comprehensive examination of the organization, detailing its history, structure, functions, and impact on global affairs. Covering topics such as peace and security, human rights, development, and international law, this handbook provides valuable insights into the UN's role in addressing global challenges and promoting cooperation among member states. Scholars, policymakers, and students will find this resource to be a valuable reference for understanding the complexities of the United Nations and its significance in the international landsca...

Humanitarian intervention and international society

The text discusses the concept of humanitarian intervention within international society.

Multilateral Diplomacy: The United Nations System at Geneva: A Working Guide

The message provides guidance on the United Nations System at Geneva, focusing on multilateral diplomacy.

A United Nations for the Twenty-First Century

The United Nations needs to be reformed to effectively address global challenges in the modern era. More representation, increased funding, and a focus on prevention rather than reaction are crucial for the organization to be successful in the twenty-first century.

On Behalf of My Delegation,…: A Survival Guide for Developing Country Climate Negotiators

The one hundred pages of this book are in fact a useful Survival Guide for those approaching climate change negotiations for the first time. It has been written for developing country delegates, but delegates from other countries can also profit from its reading the same way that a similar survival guide for industrialized country delegates would be useful for those coming from developing countries, because it is necessary to know both sides of the story

Mainstreaming Development in the WTO

The text discusses the importance of incorporating development goals into the World Trade Organization's (WTO) agenda to ensure more inclusive and sustainable global trade policies. It emphasizes the need for a balance between trade liberalization and development objectives to address the challenges faced by developing countries in the global trading system. It calls for mainstreaming development in the WTO's decision-making processes to promote fair and equitable trade practices that benefit all member countries.

From U Thant to Kofi Annan: UN Peacemaking in Cyprus, 1964-2004

2004 marked the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations presence in Cyprus. Since March 1964, the UN has been responsible for addressing and managing both peacekeeping and peacemaking efforts on the island.

The challenge of regionalism

The challenge of regionalism is to balance the benefits of local autonomy with the need for cooperation and unity on broader issues. It seeks to foster collaboration among neighboring areas while respecting their unique identities and interests. Regionalism aims to address common challenges and opportunities through shared goals and strategies, promoting sustainable development and collective well-being. It requires finding a delicate equilibrium between fostering regional cohesion and preserving individual identities, all while working towards common objectives for the greater good of the reg...

The Role of Regional Cooperation in Eradicating Poverty and Aid Dependency in East Africa

The hypothesis of this thesis is that regional cooperation and integration are effective tools in alleviating poverty within nations and reducing their dependency on foreign or development aid.

Outcome document of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development: Addis Ababa Action Agenda

The Addis Ababa Action Agenda outlines commitments made at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development to address global financial challenges and promote sustainable development.

The Peace Brokers: Mediators in the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-79

The text discusses the role of mediators in the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1948 to 1979.

The Environmental Movement in the Global South

The message explores the environmental movement in the Global South, focusing on the challenges faced and the strategies employed to address environmental issues in developing countries.

Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a comprehensive plan that outlines 17 goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all. It addresses challenges such as climate change, inequality, and peace and justice. The agenda emphasizes the importance of partnerships, data, and financing in achieving these goals. Implementing the agenda requires a collective effort from governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals to create a more sustainable and equitable world by the year 2030.

The UN and the world diplomatic system: lessons from the Cyprus and US- North Korea talks

In Bourantonis, D. and M. Evriviades (eds), A United Nations for the Twenty-First Century(Kluwer Law International, 1996), pp. 105-16

Summitry in the Americas: The End of Mass Multilateralism?

Summits among large numbers of leaders that convene on a periodic basis are the “new diplomacy.” In the Western Hemisphere, summits continue to multiply, whether in response to specific issues or to the desire by certain countries to assert their leadership. At the same time, skepticism regarding the value of summits has become widespread. A common view is that summits are largely photo ops for leaders and that their lofty communiqués are soon forgotten, leaving a wide gap between aspirations and implementation. These frustrations notwithstanding, summits are here to stay. Gathering...

Global Health Diplomacy: Concepts, Issues, Actors, Instruments, Fora and Cases

The message provides information on global health diplomacy, covering concepts, issues, actors, instruments, fora, and cases.

Digital Diplomacy as a foreign policy statecraft to achieving regional cooperation and integration in the Polynesian Leaders Group

Established in 2011, the Polynesian Leaders Groups serves to fulfill a vision of cooperation, strengthening integration on issues pertinent to the region and to the future of the PLG. Its nine – American Samoa, French Polynesia, Niue, Cook Islands, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Tonga and Wallis Futuna, is argued to have strength in numbers, resources and diversity, and a positive addition to the growing regional diplomacies in the South Pacific.

Small States at the United Nations

The proliferation of small states in the past few decades has brought small and larger states on the same playing field. Their increase in number triggered a wave of studies, raised concern by 'realists' and some powerful states, and led to an affirmation that at the United Nations, all states are equal, regardless of size.

Herding Cats: Multiparty Mediation in a Complex World

Review by Geoff Berridge

The Diplomacy of Micro States

The message explores how small states navigate the world of international diplomacy and form strategic alliances to maximize their influence.

The impact of cultural diversity on multilateral diplomacy and relations

Basic concepts mean different things in different cultures. In multilateral relations this means that looking at such a concept is always culturally biased. As a result, an interpretation according to one culture also tends to criticise different interpretations according to other cultures. This paper discusses how important it is that diplomats and politicians pay attention to and accept the fact of cultural diversity. If they do, they will understand the underlying causes of many conflicting attitudes and they may become more inclined to seek compromise and consensual approaches rather than ...

Return to the UN: United Nations diplomacy in regional conflicts

‘… lively … persuasive … careful analysis… This is a very readable study, combining narrative strength with political acuity, and informative on the years of disappointment … Much has changed since the UN’s annus mirabilis, but Berridge’s conclusions still stand’, Nicholas Sims, London School of Economics, Millenium.

Assessing implementation mechanisms for an international agreement on research and development for health products

The Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) are currently debating the substance and form of an international agreement to improve the financing and coordination of research and development (R&D) for health products that meet the needs of developing countries. In addition to considering the content of any possible legal or political agreement, Member States may find it helpful to reflect on the full range of implementation mechanisms available to bring any agreement into effect. These include mechanisms for states to make commitments, administer activities, manage financial co...

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Culture and Organizations: Software of the Mind

This text explores the role of culture in shaping organizations and individuals' behaviors and beliefs. It explains how culture influences the way people act and interact within a specific group or society, serving as a mental software that guides thoughts and actions. Understanding cultural differences is crucial for effective communication and collaboration in diverse settings.

The Kyoto Protocol: International Climate Policy for the 21st Century

The Kyoto Protocol is considered a fundamental agreement in international climate policy for the 21st century, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming.

The development of multilateral diplomacy and its fundamental role in global security and progression.

This dissertation is written to present the notion of peace and security to be the direct result of international cooperation through multilateral means

The Role of Small States in the Multilateral Framework

The current world geopolitical configuration shows how after the end of a bipolar world set by the top superpowers (United States and the Ex Soviet Republic) along with other major players (such as Germany, Great Britain, France, Japan and China, the P5 United Nations Security Council members + 1 with the full capacity of veto power in all world top decisions and procedures) set up a new world reconfiguration that has emerged since the end of the twenty century and mainly in the beginning of this 21th century standing driven from some centers of power and in parasailed with the political and e...

The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action

The Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda highlight key principles and actions for improving aid effectiveness in developing countries, emphasizing ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results, and mutual accountability among donors and recipients. They aim to enhance the impact of aid by promoting transparency, participation, and partnership in the development process.

The Procedure of the UN Security Council

The UN Security Council is a key body within the United Nations composed of 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 elected, responsible for maintaining international peace and security. It addresses threats to peace, enacts sanctions, and authorizes military action when necessary, with decisions requiring at least 9 affirmative votes. The Council operates through meetings, where issues are discussed and decisions are made. Additionally, it has subsidiary bodies and committees to address specific matters. The members hold significant responsibility in addressing global challenges and conflicts effectiv...

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Global Warming and Global Politics

Global warming is a pressing issue with far-reaching consequences. It is crucial that global politics address this problem collaboratively, as it affects all nations and requires collective action. The impact of climate change is evident worldwide, and political leaders must prioritize sustainability and environmental protection in their policies. Cooperation on a global scale is necessary to combat the effects of global warming and ensure a sustainable future for all. Political decisions and policies have a significant impact on the environment, and it is essential for leaders to prioritize t...

Reforming the Working Methods of the UN Security Council: The Next ACT

ACT is a new group of 22 UN member states that is pressing for reform of the working methods of the UN Security Council in order to improve its accountability, coherence and transparency. To achieve its aims, ACT will have to avoid being caught up in the stalled debate over Council membership reform. The group, currently dominated by small states, will also need new partners from different geographical regions, and with more political weight. Moreover, if ACT wants to involve the permanent members of the Security Council, it may have to limit its emphasis on the role of the veto. ACT aim...

The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations

"The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations" is a thought-provoking and insightful book that delves into the realm of public diplomacy and its significance in the context of modern international relations. Authored by Jan Melissen, a renowned scholar in the field, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolving nature of diplomacy and the growing importance of soft power.

Negotiating the Balkans: The Prenegotiation Perspective

The issues, the activities and the relations preceding the formal international negotiations have increasingly become an area of a special theoretical interest.

United Nations, Divided World, 2nd ed

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The Clash of Globalizations: Essays on the Political Economy of Trade and Development Policy

The Clash of Globalizations: Essays on the Political Economy of Trade and Development Policy explores the tensions between different approaches to globalization, examining how they impact trade and development policy.

Facing the challenges of an Africa-wide ICT strategy

'There is a need to address these challenges to enhance the capacity of the AU organs, institutions and member states to better respond to instances of ICT policy in Africa. As part of the evolving African governance architecture, there is a need to formulate an ICT strategy...' - Eliot Nsega from Uganda

Diplomacy on a south-south dimension

Building international diplomacy requires understanding ourselves, others, and how we relate together. It also involves understanding how others relate among themselves. In efforts to internationalise and build a truly global future, the consideration of contacts among all parts of the world becomes critical. The sustained diplomatic cooperation that has taken place in the last 50 years between China and African nations is an instructive example. This major phenomenon is the focus of this paper.

Multilateral Conferences: Purposeful International Negotiation

Ron Walker was a member of the Australian diplomatic service for 37 years, for the last 22 of which (1975-96) he specialized in multilateral diplomacy. His book on this subject is not an academic book. Instead he has done for multilateral diplomacy what Kishan Rana has done for bilateral diplomacy, namely, provided on the basis of long and wide experience, much at a senior level, a splendid handbook of practical advice for the novice.

Securing the Future of Multilateral Development Finance: Time for Europe to take the Initiative

The message emphasizes the importance of Europe taking the lead in securing the future of multilateral development finance.

Strengthening the region’s participation

‘Witnessing the open community policy development process at the AfriNIC community led me to further appreciate the importance of the Policy Research Phase of the Diplo IGCBP. AfriNIC-13 was an eye opener...’ - Maduka Attamah from Nigeria

Declaration of the Global African Diaspora Summit

The text describes the Global African Diaspora Summit as a significant platform for discussing issues affecting people of African descent worldwide, fostering unity, and promoting economic development and social inclusion within the diaspora.

China is waking up to the benefits of good diplomacy in Asia

China is realizing the advantages of effective diplomacy in Asia.

Hanging Together: Cooperation and conflict in the seven power summits

The text discusses the dynamics of cooperation and conflict within seven power summits.

Triangular Co-operation and Aid Effectiveness: Can triangular co-operation make aid more effective?

The text discusses the potential for triangular cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of aid.

Activities of the Department of Public Information: Strategic communications services

The Department of Public Information provides strategic communications services.

Global health diplomacy: How foreign policy can influence health

Ilona Kickbusch argues that public health experts need to work with diplomats in order to achieve global health goals.

Diplomacy with a Difference: The Commonwealth Office of High Commissioner, 1880-2006

Book review by Geoff Berridge

What is Global Health Diplomacy? A Conceptual Review

The article explores the concept of global health diplomacy, highlighting its complexity and interdisciplinarity. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration between various sectors, such as health and foreign affairs, to address global health challenges effectively. Key components include negotiation, advocacy, and communication skills, alongside political awareness and cultural sensitivity. The review underscores the need for innovative strategies to tackle health issues on a global scale through diplomatic efforts that prioritize equity, solidarity, and cooperation among nations.

Modern Diplomacy – Opening address

Opening address of the Honourable Dr. George F. Vella, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Environment of Malta.

Development Co-operation Report 2014: Mobilising Resources for Sustainable Development

The Development Co-operation Report 2014 emphasizes the importance of mobilizing resources for sustainable development. It highlights the need for effective partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, and increased transparency to achieve development goals. The report also stresses the importance of policy coherence, human rights-based approaches, and the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders in development efforts.

The MIKTA Way Forward (Briefing Paper #2)

Ms Rosen Jacobson assesses the potential, risk, and future of MIKTA, a cooperation scheme comprising Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, and Australia, which was officially launched in September 2013.

We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century

The world did celebrate as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, in one time zone after another, from Kiribati and Fiji westward around the globe to Samoa. People of all cultures joined in—not only those for whom the millennium might be thought to have a special significance. The Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza were lit as brightly as Manger Square in Bethlehem and St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Tokyo, Jakarta and New Delhi joined Sydney, Moscow, Paris, New York, Rio de Janeiro and hundreds of other cities in hosting millennial festivities. Children’s faces ref...

Saving the Mediterranean: The Politics of International Environmental Cooperation

The text discusses the complexities of international environmental cooperation in the Mediterranean region, focusing on the political aspects involved in efforts to save the environment.

The road to dignity by 2030: ending poverty, transforming all lives and protecting the planet

The message emphasizes the goal of achieving dignity by 2030 through ending poverty, transforming lives, and preserving the environment.

Governance fore Health in the 21st Century: A study conducted for the WHO Regional Office for Europe

The study conducted for the WHO Regional Office for Europe focuses on governance for health in the 21st century.

Envisioning Reform: Enhancing UN Accountability in the Twenty-first Century

The text discusses the need to enhance UN accountability in the twenty-first century through reform.

The Organization of Global Negotiations: Constructing the Climate Change Regime

The text discusses the importance of organizing global negotiations to construct the Climate Change Regime effectively.

Summits: Six Meetings that Shaped the Twentieth Century

Summits: Six Meetings that Shaped the Twentieth Century" explores the impact of six key summits in the 20th century, highlighting their significance in shaping global politics and history. These meetings, involving world leaders like Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and Kennedy, influenced major events such as the Cold War, arms control negotiations, and diplomatic relations. Through detailed analysis, the book demonstrates how these summits played a crucial role in shaping the geopolitical landscape of the 20th century.

The inertia of Diplomacy

Diplomacy is used to manage the goals of foreign policy focusing on communication. New trends affect the institution of diplomacy in different ways. Diplomacy has received an additional tool in the form of the Internet. In various cases of interdependence and dependence interference in a country’s affairs is accepted. Multilateral cooperation has created parliamentary diplomacy and a new type of diplomat, the international civil servant. States and their diplomats are in demand to curb the excesses of globalization. The fight against terrorism also brought additional work for diplomac...

Modernising Dutch Diplomacy

The Dutch government is making investments in the modernization of its diplomatic services to enhance its efficiency, effectiveness, and digital capabilities. This upgrade aims to position the Netherlands as a leader in global diplomacy by adapting to the changing international landscape and embracing innovation.

Searching for Meaningful Human Control. The April 2018 Meeting on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (Briefing Paper #10)

In this briefing paper, Ms Barbara Rosen Jacobson analyses the debate of the April 2018 meeting of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). The group was established to discuss emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS).

Ahead of the Curve? UN Ideas and Global Challenges

Ideas and concepts are arguably the most important legacy of the United Nations. Ahead of the Curve? analyzes the evolution of key ideas and concepts about international economic and social development born or nurtured, refined or applied under UN auspices since 1945. The authors evaluate the policy ideas coming from UN organizations and scholars in relation to such critical issues as decolonization, sustainable development, structural adjustment, basic needs, human rights, women, world employment, the transition of the Eastern bloc, the role of nongovernmental organizations, and global govern...

The globalization of public health: the first 100 years of international health diplomacy

Global threats to public health in the 19th century sparked the development of international health diplomacy. Many international regimes on public health issues were created between the mid-19th and mid20th centuries. The present article analyses the global risks in this field and the international legal responses to them between 1851 and 1951, and explores the lessons from the first century of international health diplomacy of relevance to contemporary efforts to deal with the globalization of public health.

UN conferences on the spot – voices from civil society

In the fourth chapter of the book, Britta Sadou, focuses on non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Sadou introduces this particular group as civil society actors and continues by discussing possibilities provided to NGOs by various UN summits. The author highlights some of the main world conferences during the 1990s and early 2000s and poses two important questions - Has the time of those huge events come to an end? What could be the alternatives?

Climate for Change: Non-state Actors and the Global Politics of the Greenhouse

The text explores the role of non-state actors in global climate politics, analyzing their impact on greenhouse gas emissions and environmental policies. These actors include businesses, NGOs, and local governments, who often operate independently of national governments to address climate change. Their efforts are crucial in mitigating the effects of global warming and pushing for stronger environmental regulations on a global scale.

Reforming the United Nations: The Challenge of Working Together

Reforming the United Nations: The Challenge of Working Together" discusses the complexities of reforming the United Nations to enhance its effectiveness. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cooperation among member states to address global challenges and make the organization more responsive to current needs. The article highlights the need for transparency, accountability, and flexibility in the reform process to ensure the United Nations remains a relevant and impactful international institution.

Security for small states

The text discusses the importance of small states being proactive in ensuring their security by engaging in partnerships, investing in defense capabilities, and utilizing diplomatic strategies. It emphasizes the need for small states to take ownership of their security and collaborate with allies to navigate global challenges effectively.

Consensus Rule Processes

The text highlights the benefits and challenges of consensus processes, emphasizing that while they ensure decisions meet all parties' interests and garner support, they can be slow, have a high probability of failure, and may not work for quick decisions, favoring those who oppose change and can delay progress by refusing compromise, necessitating control of escalation and skilled facilitation for successful outcomes.

Regional and Multilateral Trade Agreements: Complementary Means to Open Markets

The article discusses the benefits of both regional and multilateral trade agreements in opening markets effectively.

21st century health diplomacy: A new relationship between foreign policy and health

The 21st century sees a shift towards the integration of foreign policy and health, emphasizing the importance of health diplomacy in global affairs.

UN Conferences: Media events or genuine diplomacy?

The text scrutinizes the nature of UN conferences, questioning whether they serve primarily as media spectacles or genuinely effective diplomatic forums for addressing global challenges.

Summitry as intercultural communication

In one of his last essays before his premature death in 1972, Martin Wight described international conferences as ‘the set pieces punctuating the history of the European states-system, moments of maximum communication’.

A History of the United Nations. Volume I: The Years of Western Domination 1945-1955

The United Nations was formed in 1945 with a focus on maintaining world peace and promoting cooperation among nations. Initially dominated by Western powers, the organization's structure and policies evolved over the years to address global challenges and represent a more diverse membership.

International Diplomacy Volume II: Diplomacy in a Multicultural World

The text discusses the importance of multiculturalism in diplomacy to achieve mutual understanding and cooperation among nations, emphasizing the significance of cultural sensitivity and respect in international relations.

How should the WHO reform: An analysis and review of literature

The WHO should focus on enhancing its governance structure, accountability, and flexibility to effectively address global health challenges. Strengthening collaboration with other organizations, improving funding mechanisms, and prioritizing transparency and inclusivity are crucial for successful reform.

The Reform of the United Nations

The text discusses the Reform of the United Nations.

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International Relations and Global Climate Change

International relations play a crucial role in addressing global climate change. Cooperation among nations is essential to develop and implement effective solutions to combat climate change. Additionally, international agreements like the Paris Agreement serve as frameworks for countries to work together towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change on a global scale. By fostering collaboration and sharing resources, countries can make significant progress in the fight against climate change.

Democratic Intergovernmental Organizations? Normative Pressures and Decision-Making Rules

At first sight, the very choice of the title of this book may indicate that the author, Alexandru Grigorescu, was not sure about the existence of such thing. Indeed, to be or not to be democratic is not a top concern on the internal agenda of international organizations. Therefore, Grigorescu’s fresh endeavour to find an answer to such a purposeful question is ab initio a praiseworthy academic démarche.

Power: The nexus of global health diplomacy?

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A New Wave for the Reform of the Security Council of the United Nations: Great Expectations but Little Results

The reform of the Security Council of the United Nations (UNSC) has been an elusive issue at the United Nations (UN). While practically all Member States agree on the need to change the structure of the most powerful body of the world organization, so far there has been no agreement about what elements of that reform or about the substance of the reform itself.

International Organisation in World Politics

The text highlights the increasing importance of international organizations since the end of the Cold War, particularly the United Nations and the European Union, in addressing major security issues and global challenges, while also emphasizing the emergence of a structure of global governance and the role of international non-governmental organizations and social movements in shaping global civil society.

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The International Climate Change regime: A Guide to Rules, Institutions and Procedures

The International Climate Change regime is a comprehensive guide that outlines the rules, institutions, and procedures related to addressing climate change on a global scale.

Multilateralism and the End of History

The essay delves into the significance of multilateralism in the post-Cold War era, exploring its role in shaping global politics during a time when some believed that the end of the Cold War marked the "end of history." It discusses how multilateralism has become a key feature in navigating international relations and addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with this cooperative approach to diplomacy. The essay concludes by emphasizing the continued relevance and potential of multilateralism in today's complex and interconnected world.

Negotiating and Navigating Global Health: Case Studies in Global Health Diplomacy

The text presents case studies illustrating the complexities and strategies involved in negotiating and navigating global health issues, shedding light on the dynamic intersection of health diplomacy and international relations.

Leadership Selection in the Major Multilaterals

Inspired by the damaging leadership contest fiascos of recent years in certain international organizations, not least that in the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1998-9, this is a timely and important book. Kahler emphasises that if these bodies do not abandon their old, creaking 'club system of governance' and get their acts together, they will lose their already precarious support in the US Congress and forfeit that of their increasingly assertive members among the developing countries, particularly the large emerging market-economies. With the institutions of global governance thus put at...

Hanging In There: The G7 and G8 Summit in Maturity and Renewal

The G7 and G8 summits have evolved over time, transitioning from a focus on economic issues to a broader range of global challenges. Despite criticism, they remain relevant due to their ability to adapt and address current issues like climate change and cybersecurity. The summits have provided a platform for dialogue and cooperation among world leaders, underscoring the importance of multilateralism in today's interconnected world.

Engineering Influence: The Subtile Power of Small States in the CSCE/OSCE

The text discusses the significant impact small states have within the CSCE/OSCE through their diplomatic strategies and ability to shape agendas and outcomes.

Internet Governance: A Grand Collaboration

This publication is an edited collection of papers contributed to the United Nations ICT Task Force Global Forum on Internet Governance (New York, 25 - 26 March 2004). The papers provide useful information on how many different organizations are already governing the Internet and its effects on society.

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How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance

The book "How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance" presents a blueprint for solving global problems by leveraging networks of individuals and organizations. It explores the potential for a new era of collaboration and innovation to address pressing issues on a global scale, highlighting the power of interconnectedness and collective action in shaping a better future for all.

Multilateral Diplomacy for Small States: The Art of Letting Others Have Your Way

The Hypocrisy Threatening the Future of the Internet

The message highlights the threat of hypocrisy to the future of the internet, raising concerns about the negative impact of inconsistent actions and standards on the digital landscape.

International Diplomacy Volume III: The Pluralisation of Diplomacy

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Strengthening Regional Management: A Review of the Architecture for Regional Co-operation in the Pacific

The review focuses on the architecture for regional co-operation in the Pacific and aims to strengthen regional management in the area.

Prenegotiation and Mediation: The Anglo-Argentine Diplomacy after the Falklands/Malvinas War (1983-1989)

This paper studies the process of prenegotiation and the role of mediators during the negotiations between the Argentine and British governments about the dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands from immediately after the war of 1982 to 1990. In this period, the relationship between both governments evolved from rupture and no-relations to the agreement on the conditions to negotiate the renewal of full diplomatic relations concluded in early 1990. In a preliminary process of prenegotiation, the governments of Switzerland, initially, and the United States played a ro...

Multilateral Conferences: Purposeful International Negotiation

The message will provide insights on the purpose and significance of multilateral conferences in facilitating international negotiations.

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The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary

The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary offers an in-depth analysis of the United Nations Charter. It explores the history, structure, and principles of the Charter, highlighting its role in promoting peace and cooperation among nations. The commentary also delves into the Charter's provisions on issues such as human rights, security, and international law, providing valuable insights for scholars, diplomats, and practitioners in the field of international relations.

WHO reform process: documents

The World Health Organization (WHO) reform process involves various documents that outline proposed changes and improvements to the organization.

Multistakeholder Diplomacy – Challenges and Opportunities

This book is a collection of papers from Diplo’s February 2005 conference in Malta and from research interns involved in our Multistakeholder Diplomacy internship programme.

Small States in International Relations

The text discusses how small states navigate the complexities of international relations, highlighting their unique challenges and strategies for exerting influence on the global stage.

The Roads from Rio: Lessons Learned from Twenty Years of Multilateral Environmental Negotiations

The text discusses key lessons learned from two decades of multilateral environmental negotiations, emphasizing insights gained since the Rio conference.

The Milennium Development Goals Report 2015

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 reflects on the progress made towards achieving the eight goals set by world leaders in 2000. It highlights significant accomplishments in areas such as poverty reduction, child mortality, and access to clean water. However, challenges remain, including disparities among regions and persistent inequalities. The report emphasizes the need for continued efforts to address these issues and accelerate progress towards sustainable development.

Message on Switzerland’s International Cooperation in 2013-2016

The text discusses Switzerland's international cooperation activities from 2013 to 2016.

The IberoAmerican System and its Influence in the Ibero-American Regional Summit Diplomacy

The IberoAmerican System plays a crucial role in the Ibero-American Regional Summit Diplomacy, fostering collaboration and partnership between participating countries in the region.

What’s the World Health Organization For?

The text discusses the purpose and functions of the World Health Organization (WHO), highlighting its role in global health and disease prevention.

Managing Global Chaos

The message deals with strategies for managing global chaos. It discusses the importance of adaptability, resilience, and communication in navigating turbulent international waters. Leaders are advised to anticipate challenges, foster collaboration, and maintain a proactive approach to addressing crises on a global scale. The text emphasizes the need for flexibility and innovation to effectively manage chaos in a rapidly changing world.

European Union external action structure: Beyond state and intergovernmental organisations diplomacy

This dissertation analyses the organisation of the external action structures of the European Union. As an international actor which is beyond a state, but also different to traditional international organisations, the EU has created a “diplomatic constellation” in which diplomacy from member states is not substituted but complemented by EU external action.

The future of (multilateral) diplomacy? Changes in response to COVID-19 and beyond

The year 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN). It is also the year that the world was faced with responding to the emergence of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, an unprecedented global challenge that has left no area of society and no individual life untouched.

The European Union and the Latin American and the Caribbean Dialogue: Building a Strong Partnership

The text discusses the importance of building a strong partnership between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean through dialogue.

The United Nations and Development: From Aid to Cooperation

The text examines the evolution of the United Nations' approach to development, emphasizing the transition from traditional aid-based strategies to collaborative cooperation frameworks aimed at sustainable development outcomes.

Global Health, Aid Effectiveness and the Changing Role of the WHO

The text discusses the changing role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the context of global health and aid effectiveness.

EU Strategy for Africa

The EU Strategy for Africa aims to strengthen partnerships with African countries through political dialogue and cooperation on various issues, including peace and security, migration, trade, and investment. It prioritizes sustainable development, job creation, green growth, and digitalization to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between the EU and Africa. By working together, the EU and African countries can address common challenges, promote prosperity, and achieve shared goals for the benefit of both regions.

Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade

The Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade emphasizes the importance of a rules-based multilateral trading system in fostering sustainable development and economic growth. It calls for the preservation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the cornerstone of global trade governance. The statement stresses the need for WTO reform to address current challenges, defend against protectionism, and ensure that the organization remains responsive to the evolving needs of its members. It highlights the significance of multilateral cooperation in promoting a level playing field for all countries a...

Use of language in diplomacy

Part of Language and Diplomacy (2001): Ambassador Stanko Nick takes a practical approach, examining issues such as the choice of language in bilateral and multilateral meetings, the messages conveyed by language choice, difficulties posed by interpretation, and aspects of diplomatic language including nuance, extra-linguistic signalling, and understatement. Language, according to Nick, is not a simple tool but "often the very essence of the diplomatic vocation."

Security Council reform: Why it matters and why it’s not happening

This message discusses the importance of Security Council reform and the challenges hindering its progress.

What are the priorities for small states in the international system?

There is no evidence that the vigorous political action needed to implement the recommendations of previous reports on the vulnerability of small states in the Commonwealth will be forthcoming in the near future. In matters of security, economics and particularly the environment, the collective interests of small states do not appear to have been recognized in the international community. Major donors find dealing with small individual demands from multiple small states difficult, but a regional approach simplifies matters and should be the primary area of concern. The Vulnerability Index prov...

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The ‘Working’ Non-Aligned Movement: Between Belgrade, Cairo, and Baku – The NAM’s Leadership Visibility

The objective of this chapter is to highlight lessons learned, promote best practices, and carry takeaways that are useful for other levels of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), or even other forums.

Renewing the United Nations System

Our object in this study is to analyse the present state of the UN 'system' and to suggest changes and reforms which might allow it to function in a more systematic and effective manner. This study is the fourth in a sequence analysing salient problems in the working of the United Nations system and recommending how to equip it better to meet the enormous challenges of a new era. Each study has benefited from the sponsorship and consistent encouragement of the Dag Harnrnarskjold Foundation (Uppsala, Sweden) and the Ford Foundation (New York, USA). The work began in 1989-1990 with issues ...

Switzerland’s good offices: a changing concept, 1945-2002

Switzerland's role in international diplomacy evolved from the end of World War II to 2002, showcasing its changing concept of good offices.

Regional water cooperation in the Arab – Israeli Conflict: A case study of the West Bank

The conflict between Israel and Arab countries, with several devastating wars, is about territory and land, and maybe just as crucially on the water that flows through that land. This dissertation, an analysis of the management of water in the West Bank, as a case study, seeks to underline the possibility of using soft power diplomacy, in addition to mediation and water cooperation, for a more collaborative kind of approach to the conflict.