Hayk Militonyan

Master RI 1

What are the main characteristics of classic modern diplomacy and how it
differs from the diplomatic practises used till 19th century

Modern diplomacy as it is known today was designed at the wake of 19th century
beginning with the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15. Since that time more or less permanent
exchange of diplomatic missions have been started. The missions were treated as the guests of
accepting country some kind of benefits were imposed to them, the guarantees for confidential
communication with home stated was given and so on. But after the collapse of the principles of
the so called Concert of Europe and the new reality after the World War II the Diplomatic
relations as we know it today were introduced. Before the diplomatic relation were regulating on
the basis of customary law or by treaties between two sides, regulating that particular bilateral
relation.
In the 1950s Yugoslavia initiated the creation of international convention on diplomatic
relations which ended up by signing the Convention of Diplomatic Relations 1961.

The Convention is based on 4 core principals1

Diplomatic immunity
Mission premises are inviolable
Protection of communication lines
No interference in domestic affairs of host state

These key principles are regulated by international law according to the Vienna
Convention ( the Convention of Diplomatic Relations 1961). 2

One of the main difference between the modern diplomacy and the pre-19th century
diplomacy was the mixture of diplomatic and consular services3. At the beginning, permanent
diplomatic missions have been established mostly to act as nowadays consular services and
spying in hosting country. Most commonly the important political issues were discussed by the
special envoys. Since the 19th century and especially after the introduction of the Vienna
Convention and later on Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 the political and civil
tasks of diplomatic missions were separated.

1
Understanding International Diplomacy: Theory, Practice and Ethics,Bjola, C. & Kornprobst, M. (2013),
p 65
2
http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_1_1961.pdf
3
Change in Consular Assistance and the Emergence of Consular Diplomacy(Maaike Okano-Heijmans)
Clingendael, 2010 pp. 3-5
 The other important change in the diplomatic relation is the diplomatic immunity for
diplomats. In Ottoman Empire,for example,the foreign diplomats or missioners easily could
ended up in jail just in case it turned out that they did not act properly. Even though diplomatic
immunity was practised in the diplomacy of Roman empire or in Islamic world but starting from
the 19th century some kind of guaranteed immunity was given to the diplomats, and Vienna
Convention summed up it as a law4. Before the Vienna Convention the rights of ambassadors
were formulated by Hugo Grotius in 17th century: i.e. being admitted, being free of violence etc.
This set of rights and laws were followed by 1815 Vienna Regulation, 1928 Havana Convention,
1932 Harvard Draft Convention on Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities5.

The diplomats as well as the members of their families are treated in the host country the
way that they cant be mistreated. The first permanent missions were established by the Italian
city states at the very beginning of 14th century, they mostly were keen to promote the economic
relation and, to put is easily, spying6. By the time the mediation and negotiation were added as
one of the tasks, but it is must be note that mostly this functions were carried out by the special
envoys rather than the permanent missions. The framework of tasks of modern diplomacy are
much more wider than it was at the beginning. Now it is not only about promotion of economic
ties and spying. New characteristics were added, such as political cooperation, better protection
of own citizens in host country and so on. Nowadays the messaging, the talks become important
part of diplomatic action.

One important change in diplomatic action is diversity of he actors. Now not only states
can act in diplomatic relations. Since the introduction of International organizations, they also
became the interested sides in international relations and as the result players at the level of
diplomatic relations7. It is also important to mention that nowadays very often even non-
international organizations also sometimes are being included as the actors8.

Taking into account all the above mentioned factors, it is also very important to mention
about changing context of diplomacy. Diplomacy is the serving tool of state power, it preserves
the needs of states and regulates the relation between states in the concrete international reality.

4
The Practice of Diplomacy. Its evolution, theory and administration, Keith Hamilton and Richard
Langhorne, pp.17-19, pp.25-27
5
http://www.mpil.de/files/pdf4/mpunyb_02_Wood_16.pdf
6
K. Hamilton and R. Langhorne, pp 43-48
7
The Changing Landscape of Diplomatic Actors and Venues, Section in Contemporary diplomacy:
representation and communication in a globalized world, G.Pigman, (2010), pp.19-20
8
Pigman, p.31, pp. 70-71