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DiploNews – Issue 160 – 14 May 2010

DiploNews – Issue 160 – May 14, 2010

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Last Call for Applications – Consular Diplomacy

In recent years, consular diplomacy has emerged as a priority in many foreign ministries, a dramatic turnaround from its earlier treatment as a “poor cousin” to the more glamorous political, economic, cultural, or media activities. The overseas flow of tourists and migrants has multiplied; as well, publics are also much more concerned with foreign affairs, and they connect with consular issues in diaspora diplomacy or emergency affairs management. This new course aims at comprehensive insight into all dimensions of consular diplomacy and its connections with interstate diplomacy.

Consular Diplomacy starts the week of 28 June, 2010. It is available as a Diplo certificate course; the application deadline is 24 May 2010. Late applications will be accepted as long as places remain.

Summer 2010 Online Courses

The course [21st Century Diplomacy] has helped me to redefine my role as a diplomat, appreciate the emerging challenges and responsibilities of diplomacy today. . . .
– Michael Bulwaka, Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uganda

You are invited to apply for the following courses beginning the week of 26 July 2010:

  • 21st Century Diplomacy
  • Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities
  • Multilateral Diplomacy II: Current Issues in the UN

These courses are available as University of Malta Accredited Courses (application deadline 24 May) and as Diplo Certificate Courses (application deadline 21 June). For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses above, or visit our courses website.

Diplo Training in Internet Governance Diplomacy

During May 12-13, DiploFoundation gave a training workshop on Internet governance diplomacy at the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Accra, Ghana in partnership with the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa, and as a preliminary to the Fourth Conference for Free and Open Source Software and the Digital Commons. Twenty-eight participants from regional and sub-regional organisations and governments took the floor to share knowledge with facilitators Vladimir Radunovic and Ginger (Virginia) Paque. Presentations on Internet governance issues, processes, and actors were applied directly to the development of negotiating and change techniques for African involvement in international Internet governance policy processes. In parallel, a Train the Trainers workshop was held with a smaller group of facilitators. The Capacity Development Programme is a partnership between The European Union and DiploFoundation. These two training workshops are part of the Diplo Programme assisting the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific region, and part of the @CP-ICT programme financed by the European Development Fund assisting the region to design, implement, and evaluate national and regional Internet and communication technology policies.

The Diplo E-Diplomacy Initiative

After successful events in Brussels, Washington, DC, and New York City, the DiploFoundation E-Diplomacy Initiative will hold a further event in Geneva on May 19, and another in Vienna on May 25, in preparation for the Malta International E-Diplomacy Conference. These pre-conference events will raise awareness about the appropriate use of online tools for diplomats and others. The Malta International E-Diplomacy Conference will take place from 3 to 4 June. Additional workshops will take place later in the year. Please find more information and join the discussions at the E-Diplomacy website.

Books on Diplomacy in May – Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

As we know that diplomats have little time to fit reading and study into their schedules, we hope that a monthly review of new publications may assist in choosing some of the most relevant of recently published material.

Charles Hauss. International Conflict Resolution. London/New York: Continuum Publishing Corporation, 2010.

Hauss describes the task he sets for himself as helping “the reader understand the way conflict is addressed today.” He argues that we need both new and traditional theories in explaining conflict and its resolution. After making some introductory remarks and commenting on the role of theory in conflict resolution, the main part of the book consists of case studies: South Africa, Northern Ireland, Israel, and Palestine, the global war on terror, Iraq, and Dafur. All in all, the book – by combining theory and case studies – gives useful background information and serves as a valuable reference for practitioners and scholars. Interested readers may find more information at the publisher’s website.

Amrita Narlikar (ed.). Deadlocks in Multilateral Negotiations: Causes and Solutions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Why do deadlocks in negotiations occur and how can they be overcome? This yet-to-be-published book begins by setting out a definition and description of deadlock. Each chapter of this edited volume has a different focus, in terms both of their cases and their approaches. Theory and case study are nicely combined across chapters. Case studies focus on the United Nations Security Council, the Doha Round (WTO), and the United States and climate change negotiations. Commentators suggest that this volume will be of great value to practitioners and analysts who deal with deadlocks that may arise in multilateral negotiations. A table of contents and an excerpt can be found at the Cambridge University Press catalogue website.

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