The Role of Experts in Diplomacy
By Seyyed Ali Mahmoudi, foreign affairs analyst
Errors are human, but human is doing its best to minimize these errors. As a field of human practice, foreign diplomacy is not devoid of mistakes and errors. The present article is an effort to present a brief guideline on how to minimize errors in diplomacy. Some premises however need to be taken into consideration before we elaborate on the guideline:
One. The fact that human commits errors is a globally accepted fact. The structure of human’s mind, their various practices and experiences make error inevitable.
Two. Diplomacy is a blend of knowledge and skills to enforce of foreign policies. Diplomacy, aptly called a ‘technique’, is an extremely complicated, delicate and high-risk practice.
Three. The ‘science’ of politics, which encompasses foreign policy and diplomacy, is complex in nature, constrained by probabilities and possibilities.
Four. Developments in today’s world are highly diverse in nature, and their pace in the age of globalization is fairly startling. In post-industrial world, with increasing complexity of developments, analysis and decision-making are turning into difficult tasks.
Apparently commanding foreign policy requires knowledge, skill, experience, innovation and courage. But how can we reduce risks in foreign policy?
Creating an environment for dialogue, critique of foreign policy and suggestion of constructive solutions is a necessity. Foreign policy demands an open atmosphere which encourages expression of opinions and presentation of realistic solutions. Freedom and security, when entering the corridors of foreign ministry, motivate administrators and experts to analysis, evaluate and enforce policies. It turns diplomacy into a field of innovation, self-motivation and pro-active practice. Top-to-down, authoritarian management that tends to repress others’ opinion will merely discourage and isolate the diplomatic apparatus, hence fertilizing the ground for irreversible diplomatic mistakes.
Priority of national security and national interests over self-centeredness, personal or partisan preferences and ideological inclinations should not be undermined. National security and national interests are two objective, definable and compatible concepts. Suffering will be the only achievement if foreign policy is based on personal ‘taste’. Adherence to legal mechanisms and observation of common norms and rules, along with application of the ‘cost-benefit’ rule is the best option.
Logical, objective, realistic and efficient policy-making is a key factor to minimize errors in foreign policy. A diplomatic body pregnant with knowledge, wisdom, efficiency and innovation but forced to obey quixotic policies will face noting but failure. It is necessary, but not sufficient, to have seasoned diplomats to carry out assigned missions. Diplomacy becomes effective when diplomats are assigned to comprehensible, possible, realistic missions that serve national security and national interests.
Following the process of decision-making in order to come to ‘final decision’ will reduce foreign policy errors, considering how filled with twists and turns this field is. Decision-making itself implies free circulation of information. When a state decides to block all channels of information, it shouldn’t expect its experts and administrators to have a clear understanding of events happening around the globe, to provide correct analyses or to present efficient solutions.
Decision-making is a dialectical process. Experts engage with international and regional developments; they experience and exert effect on these developments. The resultant synthesis will be the base of decision-making in foreign policy. In diplomacy, experts’ product is not a formality, since everything comes out of the ‘network relations’ between the experts (which starts from a correct understanding of events, evaluation, development of an efficient policy and effective planning).
Political parties, civil institutions, mass media and other activists of the public domain have a key role in reducing errors of the diplomatic apparatus. As observers, they monitor and assess diplomatic behavior of politicians, warn them with the defects and provide them with suggestions. The state is most prone to error if it deprives itself from civil watchdogs.
Experts are the guardians of national security and national interests. They will not waste their time on adventurism or making new enemies instead of realizing constructive diplomacy. They know the weaknesses and strengths of the country; they can defend their record by presentation of objective data and not by boastful claims. Experts know how to use diplomatic language to respect and be respected. They won’t isolate the country and don’t put it in a situation which leads to acceptance of unfair treaties.
A knowledge-based, norm-based, realistic and logical diplomacy experiences fewer failures and is a better guardian of the country’s dignity, security and interests
One. The fact that human commits errors is a globally accepted fact. The structure of human’s mind, their various practices and experiences make error inevitable.
Two. Diplomacy is a blend of knowledge and skills to enforce of foreign policies. Diplomacy, aptly called a ‘technique’, is an extremely complicated, delicate and high-risk practice.
Three. The ‘science’ of politics, which encompasses foreign policy and diplomacy, is complex in nature, constrained by probabilities and possibilities.
Four. Developments in today’s world are highly diverse in nature, and their pace in the age of globalization is fairly startling. In post-industrial world, with increasing complexity of developments, analysis and decision-making are turning into difficult tasks.
Apparently commanding foreign policy requires knowledge, skill, experience, innovation and courage. But how can we reduce risks in foreign policy?
Creating an environment for dialogue, critique of foreign policy and suggestion of constructive solutions is a necessity. Foreign policy demands an open atmosphere which encourages expression of opinions and presentation of realistic solutions. Freedom and security, when entering the corridors of foreign ministry, motivate administrators and experts to analysis, evaluate and enforce policies. It turns diplomacy into a field of innovation, self-motivation and pro-active practice. Top-to-down, authoritarian management that tends to repress others’ opinion will merely discourage and isolate the diplomatic apparatus, hence fertilizing the ground for irreversible diplomatic mistakes.
Priority of national security and national interests over self-centeredness, personal or partisan preferences and ideological inclinations should not be undermined. National security and national interests are two objective, definable and compatible concepts. Suffering will be the only achievement if foreign policy is based on personal ‘taste’. Adherence to legal mechanisms and observation of common norms and rules, along with application of the ‘cost-benefit’ rule is the best option.
Logical, objective, realistic and efficient policy-making is a key factor to minimize errors in foreign policy. A diplomatic body pregnant with knowledge, wisdom, efficiency and innovation but forced to obey quixotic policies will face noting but failure. It is necessary, but not sufficient, to have seasoned diplomats to carry out assigned missions. Diplomacy becomes effective when diplomats are assigned to comprehensible, possible, realistic missions that serve national security and national interests.
Following the process of decision-making in order to come to ‘final decision’ will reduce foreign policy errors, considering how filled with twists and turns this field is. Decision-making itself implies free circulation of information. When a state decides to block all channels of information, it shouldn’t expect its experts and administrators to have a clear understanding of events happening around the globe, to provide correct analyses or to present efficient solutions.
Decision-making is a dialectical process. Experts engage with international and regional developments; they experience and exert effect on these developments. The resultant synthesis will be the base of decision-making in foreign policy. In diplomacy, experts’ product is not a formality, since everything comes out of the ‘network relations’ between the experts (which starts from a correct understanding of events, evaluation, development of an efficient policy and effective planning).
Political parties, civil institutions, mass media and other activists of the public domain have a key role in reducing errors of the diplomatic apparatus. As observers, they monitor and assess diplomatic behavior of politicians, warn them with the defects and provide them with suggestions. The state is most prone to error if it deprives itself from civil watchdogs.
Experts are the guardians of national security and national interests. They will not waste their time on adventurism or making new enemies instead of realizing constructive diplomacy. They know the weaknesses and strengths of the country; they can defend their record by presentation of objective data and not by boastful claims. Experts know how to use diplomatic language to respect and be respected. They won’t isolate the country and don’t put it in a situation which leads to acceptance of unfair treaties.
A knowledge-based, norm-based, realistic and logical diplomacy experiences fewer failures and is a better guardian of the country’s dignity, security and interests