Defence diplomacy
File:Anniversary session of the Council of the CIS Defence Ministers2.jpg (members of which are seen here) is a common example of defence diplomacy in practice.]]
In international relations, defence diplomacy (also known as military diplomacy{{Cite web |title=The use of military diplomacy in great power competition |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-use-of-military-diplomacy-in-great-power-competition/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}), refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives through the peaceful employment of defence resources and capabilities.
Origin of concept
Defence diplomacy as an organizing concept for defence-related international activity has its origin in post-Cold War reappraisals of Western defence establishments, led by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, and was a principle “used to help the West come to terms with the new international security environment.”Koerner, Wolfgang. Security Sector Reform: Defence Diplomacy. Library of Parliament, Parliamentary Information and Research Services PRB 06-12E. p. 2. While the term originated in the West, the conduct of defence diplomacy is by no means confined to Western countries.See, for example, [http://www.indianexpress.com/news/defence-diplomacy/721801/ Defence diplomacy], Indian Express, December 8, 2010 or [https://web.archive.org/web/20110706150512/http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2010/06/01/keep-defence-diplomacy-alive-hm Keep defence diplomacy alive], Brunei Times, July 6, 2011.
Development
While there is not yet a broadly accepted definition of defence diplomacy, it can be understood as the peaceful application of resources from across the spectrum of defence, to achieve positive outcomes in the development of a country's bilateral and multilateral relationships. "Military diplomacy" is a subset that tends to refer only to the role of military attachés and their associated activity. Defence diplomacy does not include military operations but subsumes such other defence activity as international personnel exchanges, ship and aircraft visits, high-level engagement (such as ministers{{cite web|title=Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas|url=http://www.cdmamericas.org/PublicPages/Home.aspx|website=Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas|access-date=July 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918223041/http://www.cdmamericas.org/PublicPages/Home.aspx|archive-date=September 18, 2010 |date=18 September 2010}} and senior defence personnel), bilateral meetings and staff talks,For example, the Canada-US Permanent Joint Board on Defence, {{cite web|title=The Permanent Joint Board on Defence|url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=00&id=298|website=www.forces.gc.ca|access-date=July 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316223451/http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=00&id=298|archive-date=March 16, 2011|date=16 March 2011}} training and exercises, regional defence forums (such as Shangri-La Dialogue, Halifax Forum), outreach, confidence and security building measures, and non-proliferation activities.
The United Kingdom identified defence diplomacy as one of the military's eight defence missions, and aims to “dispel hostility, build and maintain trust and assist in the development of democratically accountable armed forces” to make a “significant contribution to conflict prevention and resolution.”UK Ministry of Defence Policy Paper, “Paper no. 1: Defence Diplomacy”, p. 2 Defence diplomacy is often developed and implemented in close coordination with the foreign and development ministries to ensure coherence and focus across government.
Major General Ng Chee Khern, Air Force Chief of the Republic of Singapore, summed it up thus: "In defence diplomacy, we seek to develop mutually beneficial relationships with friendly countries and armed forces to contribute to a stable international and regional environment."Major General Ng Chee Khern, Chief of Air Force, Republic of Singapore, cited in Pointer 34:1 (2008)
Defence diplomacy is often associated with conflict prevention{{cite journal|url=http://www.afri-ct.org/The-defence-diplomacy-main?lang=fr|title= Afri 2002, Volume Iii - the "Defence Diplomacy", Main Component of the Preventive Diplomacy. Toward a New Symbiosis Between Diplomacy and Defence |publisher=Centre Thucydid|website=www.afri-ct.org |date= January 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023044040/http://www.afri-ct.org/The-defence-diplomacy-main |archive-date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=July 16, 2017}} and security sector reform.{{cite web |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0612-e.pdf |title=Security Sector Reform: Defence Diplomacy |author=Wolfgang Koerner |date=May 17, 2006 |publisher=Parliamentary Information and Research Service |website=parl.gc.ca |access-date=March 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105072113/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0612-e.pdf |archive-date=January 5, 2014 |url-status=dead }} It is distinct from the concept of gunboat diplomacy, which is generally understood to be motivated by a desire to intimidate potential adversaries.
See also
References
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External links
- [http://dro.dur.ac.uk/1967/ Reshaping defence diplomacy]
- [http://www.apo.org.au/research/dropping-autopilot-improving-australias-defence-diplomacy Indigenous imprisonment in NSW: a closer look at the trend] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722031801/http://apo.org.au/research/dropping-autopilot-improving-australias-defence-diplomacy |date=2012-07-22 }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20031119022101/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/EK11Ad02.html Defense diplomacy, Chinese style]
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