International Diplomacy and the Olympic Movement

Abstract

This chapter places the debate about so-called Olympic diplomacy in the wider context of developments in diplomatic practice. The chapter considers contending arguments concerning the characteristics of diplomatic discourse and relates these to recent developments in diplomatic practice. In particular, it considers contrasting interpretations of the role of the state and explores how these contribute to an understanding of the activities of non-state and sub-state organizations in interest representation and the pursuit of collective interests. Addressing the conceptual debate, the chapter explores challenges faced when attempting to explain the operation of diplomacy in the new global environment, particularly the emergence of new actors in the diplomatic frame. It locates discourse on diplomacy within the wider body of International Relations literature, as writers bring together personal reflections on diplomatic practice with evolving theories on the behaviour of international actors. A consideration of the diffusion of diplomatic discourse and its articulation through the so-called Multi-Stakeholder model is introduced as a way of exploring new interpretations of the behaviour of traditional and emerging actors in the diplomatic frame. The key characteristics of the Olympic Movement are then identified, before the chapter moves to consider the development of diplomatic discourse in the context of the Olympic Games.