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Introduction
 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand and
DiploFoundation, Malta and Geneva, will host a conference on foreign ministries at Bangkok on June 14-15, 2007 (Thursday and Friday), titled
Foreign Ministries: Adaptation to a Changing World. This builds on the successful two-day conference organized by Diplo at Geneva in May 2006, attended by representatives from around 35 foreign ministries (the proceedings of that conference will be available by April 2007).
Foreign ministries are located at the interstice of a complex transformation in the external and domestic environment in world affairs, with the entry of new actors, state and private, expanded dialogue arenas, subject plurality and evolution in diplomatic methods. In many countries, the foreign policy process is undergoing reform. An exchange of experiences and knowledge sharing among professional diplomats, scholars and academics is of demonstrated utility.
The 2007 Conference will be held at the Royal Orchid Sheraton, Bangkok, and will focus on the following themes:
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Economic Diplomacy: for long a priority activity, it has gained in salience as a result of globalization. Promotion of exports and foreign investments remain high on the agenda of all states. A complex, competitive external economic environment has given new importance to the diplomacy of regional and bilateral trade regulation.
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Public Diplomacy: is it a new paradigm, or old wine in new bottles? An increasing number of foreign ministries now have specialized departments and boards that cover external and domestic public outreach. Some view public diplomacy as an expression of soft power; others link it with the management of the country’s external image.
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Performance Management: accountability, value-for-money and need for efficiency are the drivers for public service reform. For foreign ministries this translates into action at three levels: the performance of the organization and its units, especially the embassies; optimization of human resource management; and accounting to publics on the results achieved in external affairs.
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Diplomacy of Small States: Size is a factor in the level and mode of participation in the international system, for the small countries and for the other states that deal with them. How far is small states diplomacy a distinct subset of external affairs, at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels?
The conference will bring together foreign ministry officials, scholars and representatives of institutes and thinktanks that study external affairs. About 24 papers will be presented during eight sessions, with two sessions held in parallel. Ample time will be provided for discussion at each session, and for informal networking among the participants during the lunch and tea & coffee breaks.
For further information please contact
us.
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