Diplomacy pp 142-160 | Cite as

Conferences

  • G. R. Berridge
Chapter

Abstract

If the role of the resident ambassador was modified in the course of the twentieth century, this is, in part, because of the explosion in the number of conferences attended by three or more states — multilateral diplomacy. These conferences vary hugely in subject, scope, size, level of attendance, longevity, and extent of bureaucratization. At one extreme is an ad hoc conference on a mundane topic lasting perhaps for a week, and attended at the level of officials and experts; in between will be found an ‘informal forum’ such as the Group of 20 (see Box 9.1); and, at the other extreme, a major permanent conference, or international organization, such as the United Nations, grappling with many topics of major importance. In 1909, there were already 37 international organizations and, by 1962, the number had risen to 163. In 1985, a peak was reached when the existence of 378 was recorded (IO: 2357). This chapter will consider why this enormous expansion has occurred, and look at the characteristic procedures associated with what, in the earlier decades of the twentieth century, was inevitably called the ‘new diplomacy’.

Keywords

Europe Turkey Straw Argentina Indonesia 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Further reading

  1. Alexander, Michael (ed.) with an introduction by Keith Hamilton, Managing the Cold War: A view from the front line (RUSI: London, 2005).Google Scholar
  2. Armstrong, D., The Rise of the International Organisation: A short history (Macmillan–now Palgrave: Basingstoke, 1982).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Armstrong, D., L. Lloyd, and J. Redmond, International Organisation in World Politics, 3rd edn (Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke/New York, 2004).Google Scholar
  4. Bailey, S. D. and S. Daws, The Procedure of the UN Security Council, 3rd edn (Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Bourantonis, D. and M. Evriviades (eds), A United Nations for the Twenty-First Century (Kluwer: The Hague, 1996): ch. 3, by Henrikson.Google Scholar
  6. Bourantonis, D., The History and Politics of UN Security Council Reform (Routledge: London/New York, 2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Boutros-Ghali, B., Unvanquished: A U.S.–U.N. saga (I. B. Tauris: London/New York, 1999).Google Scholar
  8. Buzan, B., ‘Negotiating by consensus: developments in technique at the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea’, American Journal of International Law, 72(2), 1981.Google Scholar
  9. Caron, D. D., ‘The legitimacy of the collective authority of the Security Council’, American Journal of International Law, 87, 1993: 552–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Congress’, in Encyclopedia Britannica (1911 edn), written by Walter Allison Phillips [www].Google Scholar
  11. Fennessy, J. G., ‘The 1975 Convention on the Representation of States in their Relations with International Organizations of a Universal Character’, American Journal of International Law, 70, 1976.Google Scholar
  12. Global Policy Forum, Security Council Reform: Crucial documents [www].Google Scholar
  13. Hampson, Fen Osler, with Michael Hart, Multilateral Negotiations: Lessons from arms control, trade and the environment (Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 1995).Google Scholar
  14. Hankey, Lord, Diplomacy by Conference: Studies in public affairs 1920–1946 (Benn: London, 1946).Google Scholar
  15. Heikal, Mohamed, Secret Channels: The inside story of Arab–Israeli peace negotiations (HarperCollins: London, 1996): ch. 11, on the Madrid Conference, 1991.Google Scholar
  16. Jenks, C. W., ‘Unanimity, the veto, weighted voting, special and simple majorities and consensus as modes of decision in international organisations’, Cambridge Essays in International Law: Essays in honour of Lord McNair (Stevens: London; Oceana: Dobbs Ferry, NY, 1965).Google Scholar
  17. Kahler, M., ‘Multilateralism with small and large numbers’, International Organization, 46(3), 1992.Google Scholar
  18. Kahler, M., Leadership Selection in the Major Multilaterals (Institute for International Economics: Washington, November 2001): esp. 23–4, 62–75, 80, 85.Google Scholar
  19. Kissinger, H. A., Years of Upheaval (Weidenfeld & Nicolson/Michael Joseph: London, 1982): ch. 17.Google Scholar
  20. Langhorne, R., ‘The development of international conferences, 1648–1830’, in Studies in History and Politics, 11, pt 2, 1981.Google Scholar
  21. Luard, E., The United Nations: How it works and what it does, 2nd edn, rev. by D. Heater (Macmillan–now Palgrave: Basingstoke, 1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Luck, E. C., Mixed Messages: American politics and international organization, 1919– 1999 (Brookings: Washington, DC, 1999).Google Scholar
  23. MacMillan, Margaret, Peacemakers: The Paris Conference of 1919 and its attempt to end war (John Murray: London, 2001).Google Scholar
  24. Parsons, A., ‘The United Nations in the Post-Cold War era’, International Relations, 11(3), December 1992: 189–200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Peters, J., Building Bridges: The Arab–Israeli multilateral talks (RIIA: London, 1994).Google Scholar
  26. Randle, R. F., Geneva 1954: The settlement of the Indochinese War (Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, 1969).Google Scholar
  27. Steinberg, Richard H., ‘In the shadow of law or power? Consensus-based bargaining and outcomes in the GATT/WTO’, International Organization, 56(2), Spring, 2002: 339–74.Google Scholar
  28. Thompson, K. W., ‘The new diplomacy and the quest for peace’, International Organization, 19, 1965.Google Scholar
  29. UN Chronicle, ‘The process of informals in the Fifth Committee’, March–May, 2002. ‘A More Secure World–Our Shared Responsibility: Report of the Secretary-General’s high-level panel on threats, challenges and change’ (United Nations: 2004): ch. 14 [www].Google Scholar
  30. Walker, Ronald A., Multilateral Conferences: Purposeful international negotiation (Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke/New York, 2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Webster, Sir C., The Art and Practice of Diplomacy (Chatto & Windus: London, 1961): ch. 4.Google Scholar
  32. Weiss, Thomas G., ‘The illusion of UN Security Council reform’, Washington Quarterly, Autumn, 2003 [www].Google Scholar
  33. Zamora, S., ‘Voting in international economic organizations’, American Journal of International Law, 74, 1980.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© G. R. Berridge 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  • G. R. Berridge
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.University of LeicesterUK
  2. 2.DiploFoundationMalta

Personalised recommendations