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SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MULTILATERAL DIPLOMAT TODAY
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27.02.2009, 00:04
SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MULTILATERAL DIPLOMAT TODAY
SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MULTILATERAL DIPLOMAT TODAY
(by Ambassador Don Mills)
What, then, is required of individuals engaged in
diplomatic work in multilateral organizations? Brian Urquhart has put the
matter as follows: "The art of multilateral diplomacy consists to a large
degree in long and intricate negotiations, contacts and conversations.
Multilateral diplomacy is usually a laborious and nerve-racking process that
requires great stamina as well as intuition, intellect, understanding and negotiating
ability".
And what type of person is best suited to this kind of
work. Perhaps it ought to be said at the outset that some persons discover, on
being sent to the United Nations, that they have a natural aptitude for the
multilateral environment, which is different in important respects from a
bilateral forum. Of course, some diplomats have worked in both environments, as
well as in their own national ministries, and this three-dimensional experience
is useful, if not essential, particularly in the matter of coordinating work on
specific issues. This coordination is especially helpful to smaller countries
with relatively limited resources. It is inevitable that some persons will be
posted to work in multilateral organizations without having had much experience
in diplomacy in any form. But experience - for example, in government agencies
whose work has international dimensions - can be an asset to the new diplomat
as well as to the multilateral organization itself.
In the multilateral system, diplomats play multiple
roles. First and foremost is their function as the representative and promoter of
their country s interests. But the United Nations seeks to serve the interests
of the global community, and its members must also contribute to that broader
endeavor.
In some instances regional interests are involved, and
this will also demand consideration. Not to be overlooked is the fact that
there is often a measure of positive fallout for a country in this process.
Johan Kaufmann notes that "a country can build up its influence in the UNO
to be used in pursuit of its own objectives in the future". — whether
these objectives are related to UN issues or to matters outside the
organization. Another of the multilateral diplomat's roles is to serve as
political adviser to national authorities on particular issues, but the
diplomat must at the same time be guided by the instructions of national
authorities. On some issues where special knowledge is required, the diplomat
must be both student — tutored by the appropriate national ministry on a
particular issue — and researcher — able to delve into the subject
independently.
The community in which the UN diplomat operates is composed
of representatives of other governments, UN staff at all levels, and
representatives of the media and of NGOs. Within each group there is great
diversity with respect to nationality, culture, race, and interests. And
contacts between and among members of this community can take place at any
time, formally or informally, in committee rooms or lounges, at receptions,
lunches, dinners, and other events.
It would be difficult to develop a profile of the
typical diplomat at the United Nations or any other multilateral organization.
In fact, they present an infinite variety. But it is possible to list some of
the most desirable characteristics for those who aspire to such work. Fluency
in a second language, one of the six officially used in the organization, is
an important asset for the multilateral diplomat. Even more important,
perhaps, is an advanced education and a capacity for continued learning, for
there is much to learn in such work. Today, some special knowledge of international
economics (including trade matters) can be a very useful asset, as can a
background in international law, since there is so much technical content
related to these fields in the issues that diplomats sometimes have to address.
Then too, since many issues and relationships in the international sphere have
long-standing roots, a background in history can be useful. Of course, formal
training in international relations offers a good basis for diplomatic work. In
an increasingly complex and changing world, all training programmes for diplomats
must keep abreast of developments in the UN system. In this respect, training
programmes, offered by the UN Institute for Training and Research have been of
special value.
For work in the United Nations especially, it helps to
have any outgoing personality and a capacity to establish strong personal relationships
— even with
representatives of countries whose positions on important issues are opposed to
one's own. These characteristics will also go a long way toward overcoming differences
of culture, race, and national interest, and are especially helpful for
diplomats who are new to a multicultural milieu. The ability to speak
convincingly at meetings and to prepare statements for oneself and for one's
seniors is essential for diplomats: at the United Nations, as are negotiation
and arbitration skills, since these are the dominant activities of multilateral
diplomacy today. The UN's seemingly endless series of meetings, committee
sessions, working groups, regional caucuses and other encounters are the venue
in which these skills are most demanded.
Diplomats have extraordinary opportunities to practice
their leadership skills at the highest level in the UNO, because the presidents
and chairpersons of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and other
bodies, agencies, and committees are drawn from the ranks of member states'
representatives. This calls for a sound understanding of structure, workings,
and evolution of the organization, as well as a command of its procedures and
rules.
The increasing role and presence of NGOs at the United
Nations requires diplomats and their governments to understand this dimension
of multilateralism: the nature of the participation, of such interests at both
the national and global levels, their interaction with delegations, and the
fact that in some instances individuals from such organizations are included
into national delegations. Moreover, NGO-sponsored seminars and conferences
outside the UNO provide UN diplomats with opportunities to broaden their
horizons — and with platforms
for expressing their views on particular issues. These venues also provide a
chance to correct the public's misconceptions about the United Nations and
even, in some cases, about the diplomat's own country.
The fact is that diplomats today will find work at the
UNO just as demanding as did yesterday's diplomats. Nevertheless, the experience
is a broadening one, which can be of real benefit in the development of a
career.