Diplomatic capital refers to the
trust,
goodwill, and influence which a
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...
, or a state represented by its diplomats, has within
international diplomacy
Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...
. According to political scientist
Rebecca Adler-Nissen, diplomatic capital is a kind of
currency
A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins.
A more general ...
that can be traded in
diplomatic negotiations
Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...
and that is increased when positive ″social competences, reputation and personal authority" are portrayed.
Accumulation and loss
Diplomatic capital can be accumulated for example by economic cooperation
and by contributions to the solution of
international crises,
It is strengthened when in other countries the sentiment prevails that the interests of a state or the diplomats representing it are aligned with their own interests. Conversely, it can be squandered when a country engages in a confrontation, an armed conflict or a war, if that is perceived as unjust or at odds with the interests of others.
Diplomatic capital is also linked to the extent of enforcement of
human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
.
See also
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Alliance
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Cultural diplomacy
Cultural diplomacy is a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpos ...
*
Mandate (politics)
In representative democracies, a mandate (or seat) is the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative.
Elections, especially ones with a large margin of victory, are often said to give the newly elected government or elec ...
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Political capital
Political capital is the term used for an individual's ability to influence political decisions. This capital is built from what the opposition thinks of the politician, so radical politicians will lose capital. Political capital can be understoo ...
*
Public diplomacy
In international relations, public diplomacy or people's diplomacy, broadly speaking, is any of the various government-sponsored efforts aimed at communicating directly with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influen ...
*
Social capital
Social capital is "the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively". It involves the effective functioning of social groups through interpersonal relationships ...
References
Political terminology
Diplomacy
Foreign relations
Government
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