Diplomacy
Introduction
Diplomacy can be regarded as an application of intelligence and tact to the conduct of official relations between the governments of independent States. Whereas the terms diplomacy and foreign policy are often used interchangeably, diplomacy is an instrument of foreign policy. Foreign policy is orientated towards settling goals, occasionally with mention to the strategies and tactics to be used. Diplomacy is used to its accomplishment. The purpose of diplomacy is to strengthen the State and to serve in its relations with others. One of the functions of diplomacy is to minimize frictions and conflicts with other states through negotiations.
Three kinds of diplomacy can be discerned: bilateral diplomacy or diplomacy between two states (i.e. diplomatic representation of the sending state in a receiving state), multilateral diplomacy which involves diplomacy regarding regional or global issues and is used with a plurality of States through an international organization or at international conferences, and ad hoc diplomacy which involves other forms of diplomacy than the two aforementioned types of diplomacy. For example one can think of special missions to which States resort in order to entrust a diplomatic officer with the task to carry out one or many diplomatic assignments in a foreign State even though this officer does not belong to a permanent mission accredited to a country. In Academia, diplomatic studies is regarded as a new discipline, a sub-area of international relations.
This Research Guide is intended as a starting point for research on Diplomacy. It provides the basic materials available in the Peace Palace Library, both in print and electronic format. Handbooks, leading articles, bibliographies, periodicals, serial publications and documents of interest are presented in the Selective Bibliography section. Links to the PPL Catalogue are inserted. The Library's systematic classification → Public international law and subject heading (keyword) Diplomacy are instrumental for searching through the Catalogue. Special attention is given to our subscriptions on databases, e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. Finally, this Research Guide features links to relevant websites and other online resources of particular interest.
New titles
1. The decline of the Congress system
Keywords: Italy, Formation of states, Diplomacy, Diplomatic conferences, Peace conferences, Diplomatic history, International relations,
Bibliography
Reference works
- Berridge, G.R. and L. Lloyd, The Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Diplomacy, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.
- Cooper, A.F., J. Heine and R. Thakur (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2013.
- Kleiner, J., Diplomatic Practice: Between Tradition and Innovation, Singapore, World Scientific, 2010.
- Roberts, I. (eds.), Satow's Diplomatic Practice, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Serres, J., and L. Stefanini, Manuel pratique de protocole, Paris, Adhoc, 2016.
- Smolinska, A. M., Droit International des Relations Diplomatiques et Consulaires, Bruxelles, Bruylant, 2015.
Books
- Barder, B., What Diplomats Do : the Life and Work of Diplomats, Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
- Barston, R.P., Modern Diplomacy, Harlow, Pearson, 2013.
- Behrens, P., Diplomatic Interference and the Law, Oxford, Hart Publishing, 2016.
- Behrens, P., Diplomatic Law in a New Millennium, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017.
- Betmann, M., Space diplomacy: Shedding Light on the Current Initiatives to Prevent Conflict in Outer Space,Vienna, European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), 2016.
- Biskupski, M.B.B., War and diplomacy in East and West : a Biography of Józef Retinger, London, Routledge, 2017.
- Bjola, C., and M. Kornprobst, Understanding International Diplomacy : Theory, Practice and Ethics, London, Routledge, 2013.
- Dahan, P. (dir.), Diplomates: Dans le Secret de la Négociation, Paris, CNRS Éditions, 2016.
- Denza, E., Diplomatic law : Commentary on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016.
- Farer, T., "Diplomacy and International Law", In: Cooper, A.F. (et al.), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2013, pp. 493-509.
- Fox, H., The Law of State Immunity, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2013.
- Jenne, E.K., Nested security: lessons in conflict management from the League of Nations and the European Union, Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 2015.
- Kerr, P., Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories and Practices, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2013.
- Macalister-Smith, P., and J. Schwietzke, Diplomatic Conferences and Congresses : A Bibliographical Compendium of State Practice 1642 to 1919, Graz-Feldkirch,Wolfgang Neugebauer, 2017.
- Mallard, G., Fallout: Nuclear Diplomacy in an Age of Global Fracture, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 2014.
- Meerts, P.W., Diplomatic Negotiation: Essence and Evolution, Enschede, Gildeprint, 2014.
- O'Keefe, R., The United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and their Property : a Commentary, Oxford University Press, 2013.
- Pamment, J., New Public Diplomacy in the 21st Century: a Comparative Study of Policy and Practice, London, Routledge, 2013.
- Paech, N., Völkerrecht und Machtpolitik in den Internationalen Beziehungen : Ein Studienbuch - aktualisierte Neuauflage, Hamburg, VSA-Verlag, cop. 2013.
- Pease, K.K., Human Rights and Humanitarian Diplomacy, Manchester, Manchester, University Press, 2016.
- Pinfari, M., Peace Negotiations and Time: Deadline Diplomacy in Territorial Disputes, Routledge, 2013.
- Pouliot, V., International Pecking Orders: The Politics and Practice of Multilateral Diplomacy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016.
- Ronzitti, N. (ed.), Coercive Diplomacy, Sanctions and International Law, Leiden, Brill Nijhoff, 2016.
- Satow, E.M. and I. Roberts (ed.), Satow's diplomatic practice, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017.
- Sending, O. (eds.) (et al.), Diplomacy and the Making of World Politics, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2015.
- Sofer, S., The Courtiers of Civilization: a Study of Diplomacy, New York, State University of New York Press, 2013.
- Smith, M., The Diplomatic System of the European Union : Evolution, Change and Challenges, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016.
- Sowerby, T. A., and J. Hennings, Practices of Diplomacy in the Early Modern World c. 1410-1800, London, Routledge, 2017.
- Stahn, C., Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency : Rethinking Human Security and Ethics in the Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Strauss, M.J., Territorial Leasing in Diplomacy and International Law, Leiden, Brill Nijhoff, 2015.
- Susskind, L.E. and S.H. Ali , Environmental Diplomacy: Negotiating More Effective Global Agreements, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015.
- Tassani, G., Diplomatico Tra Due Guerre: Vita di Giacomo Paulucci di Calboli Barone, Firenze, Le Lettere, 2012.
- Winter Roeder Jr., L. and A. Simard, Diplomacy and Negotiation for Humanitarian NGOs, Heidelberg, Springer Verlag, 2013.
Articles
- Bentall, P., "United Nations Targeted Sanctions and Other Policy Tools: Diplomacy, Legal, Use of Force" in: Biersteker T.J. (et al.), Targeted Sanctions: the Impacts and Effectiveness of United Nations Action, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016.
- Blockmans, S., "EU Global Peace Diplomacy: Institutional Framework", in: Stahn, C. and H. Melber (eds.), Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency: Rethinking Human Security and Ethics in the Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Boutros-Ghali, B., "The Challenges of Preventive Diplomacy: the Role of the United Nations and its Secretary-General", In: Cahill, K.M., History and Hope : the International Humanitarian Reader, The Center for International Humanitarian, 2013.
- Cohen, R., "Diplomacy through the Ages", In: Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories and Practices, P. Kerr and G. Wiseman (eds.), New York, Oxford University Press, 2013, pp. 15-30.
- Foucher, M., "Diplomatie: Un Art et un Technique", dans: Dahan, P. (dir.), Diplomates: Dans le Secret de la Négociation, Paris, CNRS Éditions, 2016, pp. 19-36.
- Murthy, S.L., "Can International Water Law be a Tool for Water Diplomacy?", in: Humanitäres Völkerrecht, vol. 27, afl. 1, pag. 17-25, 2014.
- Muchlinski, P.T., "The Diplomatic Protection of Foreign Investors: a Tale of Judicial Caution", in: International Investment Law for the 21st Century: Essays in Honour of Christoph Schreuer, New York, NY, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 341-362.
- Odier, A., "De la Diplomatie Financière à la Géopolitique de la Finance", in: Politique étrangère; afl. 4, pag. 145-156, 2015.
- Pouliot, V.,"Hierarchy in Practice : Multilateral Diplomacy and the Governance of International Security", In: European Journal of International Security; vol. 1, afl. 1, pag. 5-26, 2016.
- Terry, F., "Humanitarian Diplomacy: the ICRC Experience", In: Acuto, M. (editor), Negotiating Relief : The Politics of Humanitarian Space, London, Hurst & Company, 2014.
- Toscano, R., "The Ethics of Modern Diplomacy", In: J.-M. Coicaud and D. Warner (eds.), Ethics and International Affairs: Extent and Limits, Tokyo, United Nations University Press, 2013.
- Wallensteen, P., "Dag Hammarskjöld's Diplomacy: Lessons Learned", In: Stahn, C. and H. Melber (eds.), Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency: Rethinking Human Security and Ethics in the Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Willmot, H. (et al.) (eds.), "Security Council Diplomacy on the Protection of Civilians: a Convoluted History", in:
The Protection of Civilians, Stagno Ugarte, B., Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016.
Periodicals, serial publications
- Archives diplomatiques pour l'histoire du tems et des états
- British and Foreign State Papers
- Clingendael Diplomacy Papers
- DEP: diplomacia, estratégia, política
- Diplomacia Academia Diplomática de Chile
- Diplomatic Studies
- Discussion Papers in Diplomacy
- History of International Relations, Diplomacy, and Intelligence
- I documenti diplomatici italiani
- Studia Diplomatica
- The Green Bag
- The Hague Journal of Diplomacy
Bibliographies
New titles
1. The decline of the Congress system
Keywords: Italy, Formation of states, Diplomacy, Diplomatic conferences, Peace conferences, Diplomatic history, International relations,
Librarian's choice
Trager, R.F., Diplomacy: Communication and the Origins of International Order, Cambridge, United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2017.
View this title in our link resolver PlinkletHow do adversaries communicate? How do diplomatic encounters shape international orders and determine whether states go to war? Diplomacy, from alliance politics to nuclear brinkmanship, almost always operates through a few forms of signaling: choosing the scope of demands on another state, risking a breach in relations, encouraging a protégé, staking one's reputation, or making a diplomatic approach all convey specific sorts of information. Through rich history and analyses of diplomatic network data from the Confidential Print of the British Empire, Trager demonstrates the lasting effects that diplomatic encounters have on international affairs. The Concert of Europe, the perceptions of existential threat that formed before the World Wars, the reduction in Cold War tensions known as détente, and the institutional structure of the current world order were all products of inferences about intentions drawn from the statements of individuals represented as the will of states. Diplomacy explains how closed-door conversations create stable orders and violent wars.
Alcoceba Gallego, M.A., La Protección Diplomática de los Derechos Humanos : La Necesaria Reformulación de Una Institución Clásica de Derecho Internacional Público, Cizur Menor, Thomson Reuters Aranzadi, 2017.
View this title in our link resolver PlinkletLa obra propone una reformulación de la figura de la protección diplomática diez años después del proyecto de la CDI, en coherencia con la dimensión axiológica del Derecho Internacional y relevancia de los derechos humanos. La obra reflexiona sobre la escasa utilización de esta figura por parte de los Estados, sobre el modo en que la internacionalización de los derechos humanos exige su evolución, y sobre su utilidad actual en el marco de la protección de los derechos humanos.
CARACTERÍSTICAS
El trabajo hace balance de la protección diplomática a los diez años del Proyecto de la CDI y propone su reformulación con objeto de utilizar la protección diplomática para proteger los derechos humanos, en coherencia con el papel central de los derechos humanos y el individuo en el siglo XXI, incrementando así las fórmulas de protección de los derechos humanos.
Behrens, P. (ed.), Diplomatic Law in a New Millennium, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017.
View this title in our link resolver PlinkletThe granting of diplomatic asylum to Julian Assange, the dangers faced by diplomats in troublespots around the world, WikiLeaks and the publication of thousands of embassy cable - situations like these place diplomatic agents and diplomatic law at the very centre of contemporary debate on current affairs.
Diplomatic Law in a New Millennium brings together 20 experts to provide insight into some of the most controversial and important matters which characterise modern diplomatic law. They include diplomatic asylum, the treatment (and rights) of domestic staff of diplomatic agents, the inviolability of correspondence, of the diplomatic bag and of the diplomatic mission, the immunity to be given to members of the diplomatic family, diplomatic duties (including the duty of non-interference), but also the rise of diplomatic actors which are not sent by States (including members of the EU diplomatic service). This book explores these matters in a critical, yet accessible manner, and is therefore an invaluable resource for practitioners, scholars and students with an interest in diplomatic relations. The authors of the book include some of the leading authorities on diplomatic law (including a delegate to the 1961 conference which codified modern diplomatic law) as well as serving and former members of the diplomatic corps.
Fedele, D., Naissance de la diplomatie moderne (XIIIe-XVIIe siècles): l'ambassadeur au croisement du droit, de l'éthique et de la politique, Baden-Baden, Nomos, 2017.
View this title in our link resolver PlinkletThe author investigates the birth of modern diplomacy. Drawing on a wide-ranging body of textual materials dealing with the ambassador from the 13th to the 17th century, he analyses how that figure was developed within a complex constantly renewed field of interaction between law, ethics and politics, where theory and practice are intertwined in an unresolved dialectical interaction. The first part examines how the legal status of the ambassador was shaped during the late Middle Ages and how this process influenced early-modern scholarship on diplomacy. The second part investigates how the emergence of the modern State both reinvigorated and reshaped the scholarly approaches to the different themes linked to the figure of the ambassador. The third part proposes an account of how the professional status of the ambassador developed within the examined body of literature. Through the prism of these approaches, diplomacy appears as a foundational matrix of modern political rationality.
Macalister-Smith, P. and J. Schwietzke, Diplomatic Conferences and Congresses: A Bibliographical Compendium of State Practice 1642 to 1919, Graz-Feldkirch, Wolfgang Neugebauer, 2017.
View this title in our link resolver PlinkletA survey of diplomatic conferences and congresses convened worldwide from 1642 to 1919 with extensive references to their published documents. Includes additionally a synopsis of the resulting acts, agreements, conventions, declarations and other instruments adopted by the states participating in each conference or congress. The meetings of the conferences and congresses are arranged thematically in 111 groups starting at Münster and Osnabrück to prepare the Peace of Westphalia. In total 280 conferences and congresses are recorded. Over one third of the conferences and congresses were held from 1827 to 1919 at London and Paris. Other leading cities in order of diminishing frequency were Brussels, Bern, The Hague, Berlin, Istanbul, Washington and Vienna. The compendium closes with the peace of Brest-Litovsk (1917) and the Inter-Allied Conference of the Powers held in Paris and environs from 1919 to 1920. The Latin American and Pan American congresses are well represented, for example at Buenos Aires, Guatemala, Lima, Managua, Mexico, Montevideo, Panama, Rio de Janeiro, San José, San Salvador, Santiago and Tegucigalpa. Annexes supply further information on the Versailles treaty with Germany and the Covenant of the League of Nations.
Stavridis, S. and D. Janc̆ić (eds.), Parliamentary Diplomacy in European and Global Governance, Leiden, Brill, 2017.
View this title in our link resolver PlinkletIn Parliamentary Diplomacy in European and Global Governance, 27 experts from all over the world analyse the fast-expanding phenomenon of parliamentary diplomacy. Through a wealth of empirical case studies, the book demonstrates that parliamentarians and parliamentary assemblies have an increasingly important international role. The volume begins with parliamentary diplomacy in Europe, because the European Parliament is one of the strongest autonomous institutional actors in world politics. The study then examines parliamentary diplomacy in relations between Europe and third countries or regions (Mexico, Turkey, Russia, the Mediterranean), before turning attention to the rest of the world: North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia. This pioneering volume confirms the worldwide nature and salience of parliamentary diplomacy in contemporary global politics.
Roberts, I. (ed.), "Satow's Diplomatic Practice", Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017.
View this title in our link resolver PlinkletFirst published in 1917, Satow's Diplomatic Practice has long been hailed as a classic and authoritative text. An indispensable guide for anyone working in or studying the field of diplomacy, this seventh, centenary edition builds on the extensive revision in the sixth edition. The volume provides an enlarged and updated section on the history of diplomacy, including the exponential growth in multilateral diplomacy, and revises comprehensively the practice of diplomacy and the corpus of diplomatic and international law since the end of the Cold War. It traces the substantial expansion in numbers both of sovereign states and international and regional organisations and features detailed chapters on diplomatic privileges and immunities, diplomatic missions, and consular matters, treaty-making and conferences.
The volume also examines alternative forms of diplomacy, from the work of NGOs to the use of secret envoys, as well as a study of the interaction with intelligence agencies and commercial security firms. It also discusses the impact of international terrorism and other violent non-state actors on the life and work of a diplomat. Finally, in recognition of the speed of changes in the field over the last ten years, this seventh edition examines the developments and challenges of modern diplomacy through new chapters on human rights and public/digital diplomacy by experts in their respective fields.
Database
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Asylum, Diplomatic, by Prakash Shah.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Démarche, Diplomatic, by Jean Salmon.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Diplomacy, by Eduardo Jara Roncati.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Diplomatic Communications, Forms of, by Paul Behrens.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Diplomatic Courier and Bag, by Eduardo Jean d'Aspremont.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Diplomatic Protection, by John Dugard.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Diplomatic Protocol, by Martina Wohlan.
Blogs
In Memoriam: Kofi A. Annan (1938–2018)
Mr Annan, one of the world’s most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the UN passed away peacefully on Saturday in Bern, Switzerland. He was 80 years old. Annan passed away after a short illness. The Ghanaian top diplomat was the seventh Secretary-General and served for two terms between 1997 and 2006. He was awarded the Nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work jointly with the UN as an organisation in 2001. “Kofi Annan was a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world. During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law,” the Kofi Annan Foundation and Annan family said in a statement.
Read moreCollective Expulsion of Russian Diplomats
The collective expulsion of Russian diplomats was all over the news the past few days. The United States, Canada and 18 European countries have ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack in the United Kingdom. We have created a bibliographic overview on diplomacy and expulsion, intended as a starting point for research. It provides materials available in the Peace Palace Library catalogue, both in print and electronic format.
Read moreBook Review: War, Peace and International Order?
This book attempts to assess the history and on-going relevance of the 1899 and 1907 Hague peace conferences, the conventions they brought into being, the institutions they established and the precedents they set. The exact legacies of the two conferences remain unclear. On the one hand, diplomatic and military historians, who cast their gaze to 1914, traditionally dismiss the events of 1899 and 1907 as insignificant footnotes on the path to the First World War. On the other, experts in international law posit that The Hague’s foremost legacy lies in the manner in which the conferences progressed the law of war and the concept and application of international justice.
Read moreDiplodocus Carnegii, Peace Diplomacy by Dinosaur
The New York Journal and Advertiser of the 11th of December 1898 had an article on page 29; “Most Colossal Animal Ever on Earth Just Found Out West”.
It announced the discovery of a “gigantic brontosaur” in Wyoming by Mr. William H. ReedAndrew Carnegie, the steel magnate, decided to secure the find for the new Museum of Natural History at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburg. The Director of the Museum, Dr. William J. Holland, was ordered by Andrew Carnegie to purchase the find for the museum and contacted the discoverer.
Read moreThe Raid on the Medway, 1667: Forcing Peace at Breda
350 Years ago, the Treaty of Breda was signed at the Dutch city of Breda, 31 July, 1667, by England, the Dutch Republic, France, and Denmark-Norway. It brought a hasty end to the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667) in favour of the Dutch. It was a typical quick uti possidetis treaty. In the latter stages of the war, the Dutch had prevailed. Lieutenant-Admiral-General Michiel de Ruyter virtually controlled the seas around the south coast of England. His presence encouraged English commissioners to sue for peace quickly. Negotiations, which had been long protracted, and had actually begun in Breda before the raid, took only ten days to conclude after resumption of talks.
Read moreAleppo, Ankara and Berlin: Atrocities, Violence and Terror
Humanitarian Crisis in Syria. In the eastern part of Aleppo, a Syrian city held by rebels, thousands of civilians were trapped. People were being executed in those parts of Aleppo that had been retaken by Assad forces. Recently the trapped residents that were stuck in a small area with no safe zones posted final “goodbye” messages, pictures and tweets on social media. They have thanked supporters, and questioned how the world allowed the situation in Aleppo to happen. The situation in Syria has been described as a “stain on the world’s collective conscience”.
Read moreInterview Sigrid Kaag
This month, we have the honor of interviewing Ms. Sigrid Kaag, a top Dutch diplomat who currently serves as a United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL). Last month, the Dutch Carnegie Foundation awarded Sigrid Kaag the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize. Before the ceremony took place, we took the opportunity to interview Ms. Kaag to discuss her work at the UN, in particular, the succesful UN-OPCW joint mission Ms. Kaag led to eliminate the chemical weapons programme in Syria. We also discussed the role of international law in her daily work at the UN. Here’s what she had to say.
Read moreNuclear Deal, Sanctions, Nuclear Diplomacy
After nearly two years of arduous negotiations a comprehensive agreement on the nuclear program of Iran was signed in Vienna on 14 July 2015. In exchange for reducing Iran’s nuclear activities drastically, the United States and the European Union would lift their nuclear-related sanctions on the Iranian economy. Most countries and international organizations welcomed the agreement. Will U.S. President Obama be remembered as initiator of this ‘historic’ deal? The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a nuclear agreement signed in Vienna on 14 July 2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany), and the European Union.
Read moreThe Youth Peace Initiative 2014 and the Roadmap to Israeli-Palestinian Permanent Peace!
Between 11 and 18 October the Youth Peace Initiative 2014 took place in The Hague, international City of Peace and Justice. The Youth Peace Initiative 2014 (YPI 2014) has been set up to get Israeli and Palestinian youth involved with the current peace negotiations between their nations. The YPI 2014 participants discussed and deliberated a whole week to achieve consensus on ideas and solutions for the peace process.
Read moreBuilding a ‘Temple for Peace’: the 1899 Hague Peace Conference
This year, the Peace Palace, will celebrate its 100-year Anniversary. As official celebrations will commence in August, the Peace Palace Library starts with a series of library blogs in retrospect. The foundation of the Peace Palace in 1913 marked a pivotal point between two centuries. At the end of the 19th century, the idea of world peace was blooming as never before. At the dawn of the 20th century however, expectations had toned down considerably.
Read moreThe Peace of Christmas Eve
Peace is an elusive thing. For many, the attraction of the Christmas season is the momentary fulfillment of that dream, the wonderful moment of ‘Peace on Earth’. For one night, it seems possible. As Christmas approaches, we experience a sense of ‘Peace on Earth’. A few times in history, this sense of peace at Christmas had real impact on human affairs. A little known example is the the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1814, ending a war, the War of 1812, between the United States and the British Empire and their allies.
Read moreTexas Executes Mexican National in Defiance of ICJ Rulings
Late Tuesday night, 5 August, the State of Texas executed José Ernesto Medellín, despite a call from the UN Secretary-General urging the United States (US) not to go ahead with the execution and to respect the judgements of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Read moreTsvangirai seeks diplomatic protection
Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, fearing for his safety, has taken refuge in the Dutch embassy in the capital Harare. Zimbabwean authorities said to respect the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations of 1961 [PDF]
Read more
The embassy has diplomatic immunity and cannot be entered without permission of the ambassador.
Famous cases involving embassies are ; the Iran-US Hostage crisis in 1979, the Hungarian Cardinal József Mindszenty lived for 15 years in the American embassy in Budapest.
Keywords for more literature on diplomatic protection : Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, Hostages, Iran, Diplomatic and consular protection