Diplomacy is a practice by which a government influences the actions of other governments through nonviolent tactics such as dialogue and negotiation. It is typically carried out by a country’s representatives abroad, known as diplomats, who act on behalf of their country in international relations and in negotiating adjustments to relationships and resolving quarrels between countries and peoples. Diplomacy is a key element of any foreign policy and, when used wisely, can be a powerful tool for a government’s political goals.
Diplomatic practices have been in place for thousands of years. The first recorded treaties in Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq, date to 2850 B.C.E. In the early modern era, a more formal approach to diplomacy developed through the use of diplomatic missions, which were established in many cities throughout Europe and the world. Larger states sent ambassadors, while smaller nations often had envoys – a rung below the ambassador, called minister plenipotentiary – to represent them. Diplomats were accorded a certain sanctity and enjoyed diplomatic immunity. The sanctity of diplomats has sometimes been violated, particularly during times of hostility or in cases of diplomatic poisoning.
Today, diplomacy focuses on multilateral diplomatic negotiations, such as those that occur in the United Nations and other international forums. A country may also use diplomacy to resolve conflicts and tensions that are too large for bilateral diplomatic negotiations, in which case it might send a formal arbitration or mediation commission to hear all sides of an issue and come up with some sort of binding international law-based decision.