PUBLIC IN DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY

/. Concept of state bodies of external relations

State bodies of external relations are the central bodies of external relations and foreign bodies of external relations.

The diplomatic dictionary gives more complete definition: "Bodies of external relations is set of state bodies and persons, competent to represent interests of the state and its citizens during the realisation of international communications".

The central bodies of external relations are subdivided into bodies of a political management and bodies of special external communications of the state with other countries. These bodies differ in their functional duties and work on the basis of the Constitution of the country. To such bodies concern, for example, ministry of foreign

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trade, committee of foreign economic relations etc. Number of bodies of special external communications is guided in their activity by normative acts of the state, decrees, and governmental decisions and inside body orders of international departments of the ministry of culture, ministry of public health services, ministry of defense, etc. The departments of external relations of these ministries work under the general management of MFA of the country.

The activity of bodies of special external communications is not diplomatic and is defined by the professional character of this or that body. The activity of the central bodies of external relations has diplomatic character. The high legislative bodies of authority (parliaments), Heads of states, governments, minister of foreign affairs and central staff of the ministry of foreign affairs belong to the central constitutional political bodies and officials of external relations.

The high legislative bodies of authority, elected by the people, determine foreign policy course of the country, solve problems of war and peace, hear reports on external policy activity and take appropriate decisions, ratify international agreements.

In the countries with the monarchic form of power the high state body of external relations is the monarch-king. In constitutional monarchy form his authority is limited by parliament.

The head of a state also is the second central body of external relations. He represents the state in the international relations, carries out a management of international relations and external policy of the given state.

Concrete volume of activity and responsibility of the head of a state in the field of external policy is defined by the constitution.

Minister of foreign affairs is the head of the body of external relations, carries out the relations with other states, represents the state and the government in the work of the General Assembly, the UN security council etc.

Thus, head of a state, head of a government and minister of foreign affairs carry out basic functions in the field of external relations, using all conventional rules and diplomatic privileges.

In many countries of the world international rules of law are included

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in national laws on a diplomatic service for the realisation foreign policy activity of a state.

2. Central staff of the body of foreign affairs

The body of foreign affairs carries out daily activity of the realisation of external policy of the state.

The ministry of foreign affairs represents daily a government and a state in external relations abroad and also in relations with representations of foreign states in the country.

MFA conducts operative activity on the realisation of external policy of a state, prepares the information for a government on external policy and realises accepted decisions. In a number of countries the body of external relations co-ordinates the activity of various departments, which in their work adjoin to the problems of external activity and render them some help.

The functions of MFA are the management of the activity of diplomatic and consular establishments of the state abroad, representations and delegations in the international organisations, communications with foreign diplomatic representations and consular establishments in the country. MFA prepares the external policy staff, issues official documents on external policy.

The structure of the MFA central staff is under construction depending on the put tasks and character of the activity.

In basically the structure of all foreign policy bodies are identical. The central staff is headed by the minister and his assistants. Further there are divisions, in the majority of countries they are called departments. The departments are subdivided into territorial and functional ones. The territorial departments solve the problems of external relations with certain group of countries. Functional departments are consular, protocol, standard-legal, international organisation and other problems. In their turn departments have internal structure - divisions (sections).

The functions of external policy bodies are focused on analysis and generalisation of information about the situations of different countries of the world, preparation of proposals for their governments concerning the position of the country on those or other

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international problems, development of projects of treaties and agreements etc,

3. Foreign bodies of external relations

The foreign bodies concern by the second group of state bodies of external relations. They, in their turn, are divided into constant and temporary bodies. The embassies and missions, representations at international organisations refer to constant bodies. The temporary bodies are various delegations directed abroad, the observers at international conferences, congresses, international commissions, separate representatives for state anniversaries, crowning etc. If there is no special representative, the ambassador of the country, where passes an event, is authorised to be present at a ceremony.

The constant bodies of external relations depend on the character of the activity, on carried out functional duties of diplomatic bodies (diplomatic representations, i.e. representation of one state in another one, representation in international organisations, changeable or special missions which are carrying out the special assignment or representation functions). These constant bodies carry out political functions and use all rights of diplomatic representations.

The state foreign bodies depending on their functions are subdivided into diplomatic and non-diplomatic bodies.

The representations on various specialised, branch, technical congresses, exhibitions do not carry diplomatic character. They can be both temporary and constant.

4. Non- state bodies of external relations
Intergovernmental organisations, nongovernmental organisations,

transnational corporation both other public forces and movements working on global arena concern to non state bodies of external relations. The increase of a role and influence of these organisations in the international relations forces us to consider this issue more attentively. The multilateral co-operation of various states of the world has resulted in appearance of intergovernmental organisations (IGO) in the international arena. These are stable associations based on international treaties, having constant bodies. IGO of political character arose after

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the First World War (League of nations, the International organisation of labor etc.) and also in a course and after the Second World War, when United Nations Organisation was formed in San Francisco, Simultaneously with development of the specialised bodies of the UN intergovernmental organizations of interregional and regional character directed on widening of co-operation of states in various areas are created: Organization of economic co-operation and development uniting 24 most advanced countries (1960), Council of Europe (1949), Organization of African unity (1963) etc.

There are various types of IGO: universal (UN), interregional (Organization of Islamic conference), regional (Latin American economic system), sub regional (Benelux). There are also other criteria of classification of IGO. AH of them carry conditional character.

Set of international nongovernmental organizations (NGO) appeared last decades. Against IGO non-governmental organizations are, as a rule, no territorial formations, their members are not sovereign states. They have three characteristic features: the international character of a structure, private character of a founder, and voluntary character of an activity. The first international nongovernmental organizations appeared even in the 19 th century (British and International society of struggle against slavery). The process of creation of NGO especially has amplified after formation of the UN. Now they are totaled more than 4000. The founders of NGO are not states, they are various public organizations, institutes, unions, groups, private organizations and separate persons. Non-govemmentai organizations are created with the purposes of assistance to the international co-operation in political, economic, cultural, scientific, technical and other spheres. These organizations are established on the basis of intergovernmental agreements and there are no commercial objectives.

NGO supports communications with international intergovernmental organizations, receiving from them an advisory status. The advisory communications of NGO establish also with regional intergovernmental organizations. NGO render influence on the activity of governmental bodies in the sphere of information, rights, control, and investigation. Legal status of NGO inside the state is defined by the national legislation.

The change in the character of international relations has resulted in

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appearance of nongovernmental international organizations -transnational corporations (TNC). They become the independent participants of international relations, carry out operations of global scale, bringing to mutual understanding various national corporations. Largest TNC have huge economic resources, giving them advantage not only before small states but also even before the Great powers. It gives them an opportunity to influence political sphere of all over the world. The international community tries to bring some restrictions in their activity, having subordinated their certain rules. While appreciable results are not present.

In the modern world NGO are totaled more than 7000, having about 30000 branches worldwide in all continents. The activity of NGO promoted the accelerated economic integration in Europe, America and Asia, strengthening of a competition and make modifications in international relations, as the economic interdependence of the states amplifies.

NGO has the certain autonomy in decisions and activity, which can make changes in international relations. This factor began to be taken into account by states in their external policy.

5. Participation of a public in diplomatic activity

By virtue of increased necessity to operate the decisions of urgent problems various public organizations enter direct contacts with their colleagues in other countries for the coordinated actions with them. The religious organizations (for example, Acumen council of churches), Organization of scientists (Pagoush movement), sports (FIFA) etc. and various separatist organizations concern to such organizations. Examples of the participation of a public in diplomatic activity are Associations of twin towns, Council of commune of Europe etc., where regional and local administrations, separate persons are involved. These international organizations are formed outside the frameworks.

In federal states the subjects of a federation establish direct international communications for defending their interests. Sometimes development of such diplomatic activity appears with the consent of appropriate states and within the framework of international law. For example, since 1882 Kvebek (Canada) has its general representative in

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France. In some cases there are conflicts between central and local authorities. So, in Russia some subjects of the Federation independently hold their external communications. In this connection the President of the Russian Federation has issued the decree " About the co-coordinating role of the Ministry of foreign affairs in the realisation of the external policy uniform of the Russian Federation ".

Recently, especially after the disintegration of the USSR, there is an intensive establishment of contacts and exchanges between the representatives of states having common interests and needs. Those are the relations between the inhabitants of China and Russia, Kazakhstan and Russia.

From the given brief lecture you can see, what cardinal changes have come in international relations, when not only state bodies of external relations, but also international organizations and other no conventional bodies of external relations act in the international arena. In these conditions the state and the regions become no tight for ideas, capitals, goods, new technologies. The appearance of new international organizations and institutes, transnational companies is connected with delegated part of powers of states.

The activity of state bodies of external relations should be adequately to changes appearing in the world. The leading countries of the world put economic, financial and trade interests at the head of their external policy activity, while there is the process of globalization and reganalisation of economy and trade, and the world becomes the uniform market.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 636