Abstract
For a range of policy fields from climate to health internationalize, the tasks of anticipating, preventing, and managing crises of global governance and state authority remain the core business of diplomacy. Looking at reforms of the German Federal Foreign Office since 2014 through a relational lens, this chapter discusses how diplomatic institutions adapt to the challenge of governing a global system and manage crises of state authority and governance with modern tools of crisis diplomacy, and the challenges they face in the process. Original research of how data-driven and scenario-based foresight methods are applied in diplomatic services shows that the integration of traditional modes of doing diplomacy with modern ways of evidence-based, structured analytical and managerial tasks remains a challenge.
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Notes
- 1.
Full original title: Directorate for International Order, United Nations and Arms Control, International Cyber Policy, Combating Terrorism and Drug Trade, International Development and Social Affairs, UN Global Compact, which—in addition to Directorate S—was added to the existing General Directorates for Political, Economic, Legal, Cultural Affairs, and Protocol and Management.
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Acknowledgments
For research referenced in this chapter, the author has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 769886 (EU-LISTCO project, 2018–21).
Special thanks to Sarah Brockmeier at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt for graciously sharing her expertise on diplomatic reform in Germany. The chapter reflects only the author’s views.
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Bressan, S. (2023). Crisis Prevention and Stabilization Made in Germany: Meeting the Demands of Modern Diplomacy?. In: Hare, P.W., Manfredi-Sánchez, J.L., Weisbrode, K. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Diplomatic Reform and Innovation. Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10971-3_11
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