Instruments Of Diplomacy Analysis

Introduction

Diplomacy is a vital element in the foreign policy making of states. Many styles of diplomacy may vary across nations however they all serve a common goal. This essay is going to determine the effectiveness of the instruments of diplomacy and argues for which instrument is the most effective. I will start by defining diplomacy thereby identifying three of its instruments which are Negotiation, Economic Diplomacy and Public Diplomacy or Soft Power. The overarching example that I will use to evaluate the effectiveness is the UN diplomacy in the case of Iraq from 1991-2003.

Diplomacy

Very simply put, diplomacy is the manner in which states engage with each other. It is one of the instruments used by a state to implement its foreign

An actor can limit the imports and exports of goods toward another state, suspend its investments or freeze foreign assets in implementing its foreign policy interests. These tools are designed to prompt a state to change a policy that it otherwise would not, by inflicting economic harm. Therefore sanctions are characterized as a “battle of wills” (McGillivray & Stam, 2004: 158). Currently in the Middle East, neighbouring countries as well as allies has severed ties with Qatar by freezing land, sea and air links causing diplomatic isolation. The reason for this is against Qatar’s alleged support for terrorism. This being one example of economic diplomacy. With more than 30 sanctions in the 1990s, the United States has been the major sanctioning country however other countries like India and South Africa have started using sanctions. Although sanctions are said to be a non-violent tool, they do however come with economic, political and humanitarian costs. They can inflict serious civilian pain by rummaging health in the target county. They can also affect the levels of human rights, often unintentionally. Isolating these sanctioned states can also have a greater negative impact on press freedom and media along with other democratic freedoms (Peksen, 2010: 450-451). China’s government has increasingly started to make use of economic sanctions in the international system although being against governments that used the very same instrument. China’s economic sanctions have been used for short term purposes of a specific event. They are usually subtle, rarely publicly declared and targeted at companies and businesses of a certain country that rely on trade with China. For example when China stopped exporting rare earth elements to Japan after the latter arrested a Chinese fisherman. China prefers to use informal measures for the flexibility and