In pursuing a country’s
interest in the global arena, be it primary, secondary or general, diplomacy is
a very vital instrument of pursuing national interest. Therefore the world
diplomacy simply means the conduct of relations among states in which every states
tries to do its own best interest.
According to Sir Ernest
Satow, diplomacy can be defined s “the application of intelligence and tact to
the conduct of official relations among the government of independent states”.
Diplomacy is one of the most effective instruments of pursuing a country’s
interest and goals in the modern world.
Diplomats, Heads of
Government, Statesmen etc, engage in negotiation, bargaining, persuasion,
intimidation and compromise in order to express the policies of their governments,
and as much as possible, muster support for such policies of the states.
FUNCTIONS
OF DIPLOMAT
A diplomat however
performs certain important functions, among them are:
Negotiation:
negotiation simply means the pursuit of agreement by compromise and direct
personal contact. Diplomats are by definition, negotiators. Therefore, they
draft a wide variety of bilateral and multi-lateral arrangements embodied in
treaties, conventions, protocols, and other document of political, economic and
social nature.
Representation:
a
diplomat is a formal representative of his country in a foreign state. He is
the normal agent of communication between his own foreign office and that of
the state to which he is accredited. A diplomat is the eye of the country he
represents and his country is judged according to the personal impression he
makes.
Protection:
a diplomat should try as much as possible to
further the best interest of his own country. Although a diplomat is expected
to get along with the authorities of the state to which he is accredited, he
must be “persona grata” to the government of a state. His duty is to look after
the interests of his country.
Reporting:
Diplomats must above all, be a good reporter and as well have the abilities to
estimate trends accurately. They are to keep an eye to all useful information’s
and present a concise and intelligent report. The reports gathered by diplomats
are use in foreign policy formulation.