The Clinton Global Initiative. A Role Model for 21st Century Diplomacy? (PDF)

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - Topic: International relations, grade: 1,0, Sheffield Hallam University (Faculty of Development and Society), language: English, abstract: This paper has taken the discourse on changes in global diplomacy as a foundation for an in-depth case study of the Clinton Global Initiative which appeared and proved to be an excellent example for the realization of recent trends in real politics. By applying a mixed-methodology, the organizational structure and membership were investigated as to effectively be able to make statements about the initiative's approach towards the global issue of climate change. Via a consecutive comparison to the state-centric United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, strengths and weaknesses of the Clinton Global Initiative as an international organization could be identified, and recommendations could be given as to how modern diplomacy could be designed more effectively. This research sets out to answer the following questions: 1. How does the Clinton Global Initiative address contemporary global issues, specifically climate change? 2. What lessons can other international organizations such as the UN learn from the Clinton Global Initiative for the practice of diplomacy?

Recent trends such as the communications revolution and the increasing importance of transnational non-state actors have led to increasing levels of global interdependence. At the same time, global public goods issues such as pollution, poverty, or health call for collective action at a worldwide scale. Both trends are interrelated and have led academics to recognize a development towards a "new diplomacy" that is characterized by a growing involvement of public and private actors from civil society and the business world, by flat hierarchies and inter-sectoral partnerships, by an increasing impact of individuals, and by flexible and solution-focused approaches. There is no agreed position as to whether this "new diplomacy" is to be placed in opposition to more traditional, state-centric accounts of diplomacy, or whether it rather adds to a polycentric world system.