New Diplomacy

The shift from old, to new diplomacy was due to the changes that occurred in international political system after the end of the cold war. The status of states as sole primary actors in the international political system diminished, thus, the boundaries of states’ sovereignty that emphasized and characterised the old diplomatic systems had to be redefined, due to pressures emerged from new Non – State actors as Non – Governmental Organisations and other international forces operating within the global political sphere.
Globalisation created an environment that was conducive for international forces to significantly defaced the national sovereignty with, a global concept. As such, traditional diplomatic structures of secrecy that elevated national security and trade as absolute responsibility of the state, to bilaterally or multilaterally interact with other states on the international platform evaporated because of the challenges mounted on the principles of state sovereignty by Non- state actors with a diversity of objectives, actively and aggressively engaged in diplomatic interaction on issues of environment, humanitarian, international health, and human rights on a global stage.
It can also be argued that, technological advancements in both traditional, and new media tools contributed to the dismantling of secrecy of the old diplomacy to openness of new diplomacy. The globalisation of information technology such as the internet and media networks might have forced states to reformulate diplomatic policies that can absorb and mitigate the impacts of globalisation to the sovereign of Nation states.


Bolewski, D. (2007): Diplomacy and International Law in Globalized Relations, Heidelberg, Springer