The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015 35 The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy My rst reaction to e Oxford Hand- book of Modern Diplomacy (Oxford Univer- sity Press, 2013) was that it was anything but a handbook at 950 pages! But after reading many of its standalone chapters, I consider it an important contribution to modern diplomacy. Inspired by work done in the Center for International Governance Innovation, and edited by distinguished CIGI practitioner- scholars Andrew Cooper, Jorge Heine and Ramesh akur, e Oxford Handbook contains a range of insightful articles and case studies by practitioners and theoreti- cians from around the world. Many of these experts are familiar, like Joseph Nye, who writes the article on “Hard, Soft and Smart Power” in the “Tools and Instruments” sec- tion. But other authors I rarely nd in print. In that regard, consider the superb chapter on “Mediation” in the “Modes of Practice” section by former Finnish president and Nobel Prize recipient Martti Ahtisaari, written together with Kristiina Rintakoski. After describing mediations in which he served as a United Nations special envoy and the lessons he learned from them, Ahtisaari concludes his chapter on an important note about the relevance of mediation today and urges his fellow mediators to tap the comparative advantages that non-state entities can bring to con ict management and resolution. “ e old techniques of power and deterrence seem increasingly less relevant to deal with the problems and con icts confronting us,” he writes. “Media- tion may well o er the most coherent and e ective response to these issues. To ensure that it can also be successful, we need to develop a better under- standing of the process and o er consistent guide- lines to the many actors involved in mediation.” Moreover, Ahtisaari continues, “Networks have become a vital tool for a mediator. Actors include transnational nongovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, international organiza- tions and regional organizations. Engaging a considerable number of players at di erent levels of diplomacy, and exploit- ing their comparative advantages while being able to manage the complexity for the bene t of the peace process, form a part of a mediation process design. Often the potential of several tracks of diplomacy is underutilized.” I often tell my students that what is sometimes lacking in con ict resolution is not the will of the parties, critical as that is, but the design of the negotiation process. It would be pro t- able, as Ahtisaari suggests, that mediations be analyzed to determine what made them successful or not. While e Oxford Handbook approaches traditional areas of diplomacy with a mod- ern focus, much of its value comes from the sections devoted to the evolving realms of “non-traditional” forms, such as the chap- ters on “Economic Diplomacy” and “Trade and Investment Promotion.” Anyone who has served in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, or at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Develop- ment, will appreciate that these authors possess a strong grasp of the subject matter. Other sections discuss the role global and transnational rms play in the “network” diplomacy of the 21st century. Two of the 10 case studies in the concluding section also treat economic matters: “ e Doha Development Agenda” and “ e Economic Diplomacy of the Rising Powers.” Speaking as a former environment, science, technology and health o cer, I was pleased to nd chapters in e Oxford Handbook addressing subjects like health, climate change and food security. I had hoped to also see the subject of religion and diplomacy among the chapters on nontraditional diplomacy, because the appointment by Secretary of State John F. Kerry of Dr. Shaun Casey as director of the new O ce of Faith-Based Community Initiatives is a long-overdue watershed event in American diplomacy. Its absence from the Oxford tome is an indication that diplomacy continues to evolve. I recommend e Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy to students and practitioners alike. Its content is up to date and largely free of the jargon one nds in too much academic writing. While there is footnoting, it is accessible and useful to anyone wishing to go deeper into the material. I plan to keep this work on ready reserve for the course I teach at New York University and assign The Dutch diplomat Abraham de Wicquefort (1606-1682), above, wrote one of the first great texts on diplomacy, The Ambassador and His Functions . Wikimedia Commons