International Relations and Diplomacy
Course Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Azhari Karim
Course Objectives
- To give a good grasp of the theories of international relations to enable students to analyse issues in the international scene and the changing role and place of the state and non-state actors in international relations.
- Explore the approaches, practices and processes of diplomacy; the environment in which diplomacy is played out; the functions of diplomacy in this environment; the fora in which is it conducted; styles and tactics within the framework of international law; diplomacy in the post-9/11world and the conduct of Malaysia’s external relations.
- To introduce students to the concepts of conflict resolution and management; crisis management; conflict prevention and the role of the international institutions and regional organizations in conflict resolution and management.
- Understanding contemporary issues in international politics and diplomacy.
The scope of international relations is wide. It has gone beyond war and peace although today conflicts and terrorism are on the agenda. It covers a whole range of issues be it of an economic nature (trade, investment, debt, development aid, the financial architecture), political (human rights, humanitarian assistance, famine, migration, refugees), environmental/ecological (global warming, desertification, deforestation, all forms of pollution, energy) or cultural (the “clash of civilizations” or the “dialogue of civilizations”). These issues are interrelated. For example, poverty can have many causes including roots in the international economic system with consequences that have social, environmental and even international consequences, implications and responses which impinge on state sovereignty.
Into this world of multi-faceted international relations are sovereign states, the actors who deal, negotiate, find solutions and compromises over these issues for the most part without resort to force. But states are not the only actors on the international scene. There are also the international institutions like the UN and its agencies, the Bretton Woods institutions and the WTO which states have invented or consented to be members and consequently committed to obligations which membership entails. There are also the regional organisations, the best known in Asia being ASEAN and APEC. In Europe, the notable examples are the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). How do we differentiate their roles from the international ones? Do they complement one another? Newer on the scene is international civil society composing of the many non-governmental organizations which lobby governments and international institutions and input into international policy-making and on which the international institutions and states have come to rely on for expertise to execute policies or to have their support.
In this international system there is diplomacy conducted by states and international institutions like the United Nations which accord respect to public international law. International Civil Society, which has become a stakeholder in the global system, is obliged to follow the rules of international diplomacy and is increasingly becoming adept at international diplomacy. The boundaries between state and non-state actors are merging whereby the actors in the international system switch roles. The criss-crossing of roles and responsibilities is more frequent in the developed world.
This core course on International Relations and Diplomacy will be addressing the needs of both practioners at the national and global levels.