External Affairs Research Articles

Briefing: What does the new Labour government mean for infrastructure – and what are the ICE’s priorities for engagement?

Laura Cunliffe-Hall is Lead Policy Manager in the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Policy and External Affairs team. She discusses the Institution’s plans for engaging the new government and the announcements of note for infrastructure and development.

Pentadic Cartography and India’s Foreign Policy: Insights from Jaishankar’s GLOBSEC Forum Interview

ABSTRACT India’s rise as the world’s largest democracy and its challenge to the Western-defined global order have attracted significant scholarly, political, and media attention. Using Anderson and Prelli’s pentadic cartography to enhance discursive analysis in international relations, this paper looks at journalist Maithreyi Seetharaman’s interview with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister at the GLOBSEC Forum in Bratislava, Slovakia. Depicting three interlocking maps of the symbolic landscape of the interview, we highlight the use of Seetharaman and Jaishankar’s scene-act ratio, situating India’s actions in its geopolitical contexts. Jaishankar’s dual use of materialist and idealist discourses presents India as both a reactive agent influenced by external circumstances and a proactive agent with its own distinct goals and ethical considerations. This approach offers a comprehensive understanding of international politics, balancing dominant empirical narratives in IR and emphasising a complex interplay of motives that drive state behaviour. Through this case study, we advocate for a broader application of pentadic cartography in international relations to uncover the deeper meanings and contexts that shape state actions, providing a richer, more textured understanding of geopolitics, global diplomacy and state interaction.

Quality of life and interpersonal support among adult patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy at an academic cancer institute.

370 Background: The National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines quality of life (QOL) as “overall enjoyment of life.” Increasingly, cancer treatments like chemotherapy are focused on not only increasing survival time but on maintaining and/or improving QOL. Interpersonal support has been shown to have an impact on QOL. Assessment of both can help focus efforts to improve quality of care for cancer patients. Methods: This study enrolled patients from the Lifespan Cancer Institute at The Miriam Hospital (TMH) in Rhode Island who were adults 18+ and on chemotherapy infusion treatment with an active cancer diagnosis. Patients were randomly selected for an in-person interview during scheduled chemotherapy infusion appointments from February 9 to April 26, 2024. We collected patient demographics and study staff administered the 16-item Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) and 12-item Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL). Results: Of 432 total eligible cancer patients at TMH, 96 (22%) completed the prospective survey. The average (SD) age was 68.4 years old (10.3). The majority of patients were male (51%), Caucasian (80%), married (65%), on Medicare (62%), diagnosed in 2023 or 2024 (59%), and the most common cancers were gastrointestinal (30%), genitourinary (24%), and breast (17%). Overall, patients demonstrate mostly high satisfaction in certain QOL and interpersonal support domains with variation across others. Over 80% of patients are “delighted” or “pleased” with their material comforts, close family and friends, entertainment, and independence. However, approximately 50% of patients report a mixed or worse level of satisfaction with their health, participation in organizations/public affairs, and active recreation and varying levels of satisfaction with other QOL domains. Over 60% of patients report the highest level of perceived interpersonal support across all domains (appraisal, belonging, tangible) with indication of stronger appraisal support compared to belonging and tangible. Conclusions: Our results indicate a strong satisfaction among patients with their close interpersonal networks rather than external affairs or activities. Satisfaction with health and active recreation among chemotherapy patients is much more variable. These findings suggest possible benefits of wellness and health maintenance programs during treatment. Lowest areas of interpersonal support indicate a need to build more comprehensive support resources for tangible tasks like moving, assisting with chores, or other physical activities and building support groups to increase belonging. Opportunities to build community among chemotherapy patients or utilize clinical social workers will likely improve satisfaction in many of the more low and variable QOL and interpersonal support domains, particularly for patients navigating a new or first-ever cancer diagnosis.

‘Life Will Be Very Different after the War’: Administrative, Political and Academic Tensions in the Development of Papua New Guinea after the Second World War

ABSTRACTAt the end of the Pacific War (1941–1945) in Papua and New Guinea and the restoration of Australian rule, the Australian Labor government anticipated a self‐governing colony. It was not an act of decolonisation per se. Rather it was a step toward a self‐governing colony under the umbrella of Australia. Independence was for the future. The change of government at the end of 1949, and the replacement of the administrator J.K. Murray in 1952 by Donald Cleland, further weakened the momentum for reform as envisaged by the previous Labor government. Percy Spender, the new Minister for External Affairs and Territories, said that the ‘indigenous inhabitants … will be unable, for many years to come, to play any part in the executive government of the country’. The abandonment of the Ward policy and what it explicitly and implicitly offered was a betrayal of the promises made during and shortly after the Pacifc War, that is, that there would be change for the better and New Guineans would be able to control their destiny.

Briefing: Closing the climate resilience infrastructure gap

Laura Cunliffe-Hall has been leading the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Policy and External Affairs team’s work on climate resilience and adaptation. She discusses the role of resilience and adaptation in developing a stronger and more innovative infrastructure system.

Exploring the impact of United Nations peacekeeping operations on the external affairs of host states

Studies of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations (PKOs) typically give scant attention to an important aspect of host states’ development: their external affairs. This article identifies ways in which UN PKOs can shape the external affairs of host states, focusing on UN peacekeeping in the post-Cold War period. We present the findings of a quantitative content analysis of key UN peacekeeping documents to establish which aspects of host state external affairs have been of concern to the UN. We then provide a conceptual framework that maps three areas of external affairs in which PKOs are particularly influential: relationship-building; institution- and diplomatic capacity-building; and the shaping of policy in domains of external affairs. We identify three pathways through which PKOs shape the external affairs of host states: mandated roles, improvised actions, and unintended consequences. Drawing on documentary analysis and original interview data, we illustrate our conceptual framework through an exploration of the impact of peacekeeping on the external affairs of two countries that have hosted large-scale UN-led peacekeeping missions in recent decades: Timor-Leste (East Timor) and Liberia.

‘Following along with things’ in different ways Zhuangzi’s thoughts on how to manage external affairs

ABSTRACT What underlies Zhuangzi’s thought is the fundamental finitude of the self, meaning that we cannot and should not alter or control things around us at whim or solely in our favour. Consequently, Zhuangzi recommends that we remain open to things instead of going against them, leading to a fulfilled life. This article discusses Zhuangzi’s underlying philosophy of openness, noting that he proposes two different strategies to do so with a distinction between the natural and the human. The former primarily appears in Zhuangzi’s discussions of life and death. To overcome the fear of death, Zhuangzi calls on us to see it in the light of the ‘heavenly patterns’ or processes that can be grasped through the circularity of life and death. Yet, this picture reveals only half of Zhuangzi’s thoughts—he also shares his wisdom on how to address human affairs that are barely discernable or absent in such patterns. Here, Zhuangzi urges us to apply a different strategy: closely and attentively sensing the situations and their vicissitudes and preparing our actions as per such (shifting) data.

Chabahar Port: A Geopolitical Need Or, Economic Compulsion for India

In the year 2024, in the case of Chabahar port in Iran, two important events took place; first, the visit of Mr. S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister to Tehran in January 2024 and second, one is the terror attack on Chabahar port by Jaish-al-Ahad on 3 April 2024. Both these developments are pole apart as far as the development of Chabahar port and the realisation of The International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) is concerned. The first one talks about development, hope, connectivity, and the future of trade through a new corridor and the second one is about the existing security challenges in the region which has put this project on a slow grind since the year 2002. As we are aware the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) is a multi-modal transportation network connecting India, Iran, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe. It aims to facilitate the movement of goods and reduce transportation costs by providing an alternative route to traditional sea routes. The Chabahar Port, located in southeastern Iran, plays a crucial role in the INSTC as a key maritime gateway.

Furthering a social justice mission

Portia Allen‐Kyle's career has focused on advocacy and driving meaningful change. Her work has involved advancing equity through nonprofit organizations, government, and academia. Currently Chief of Staff and Interim Head of External Affairs at Color of Change (COC), an online racial justice platform, she works to advance the organization's vision, impact, and efficiency.

A Kingdom of Possibility

A Kingdom of Possibility

Cold War “Cultural Safaris”: Canadian Art, Cultural Diplomacy, and the Asian Commonwealth Tour

In 1955, the National Gallery of Canada circulated an exhibition of Canadian art to the “Asian commonwealth”—Pakistan, India, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Developed in tandem with Canada’s involvement in the Colombo Plan for Co-operative Economic Development in South and Southeast Asia, the tour was part of a wide-angled strategy of cultural engagement that, despite its humanitarian trappings, was grounded in Cold War politics. Featuring a small display of relatively unimportant works in venues of limited interest to the National Gallery, the tour nonetheless marks a significant juncture in the development of the Canadian cultural state—a turning point in the relationship between the gallery and Canada’s Department of External Affairs, which in the immediate postwar decades sought to coordinate with the National Gallery in pursuit of an active role in the information brokering and cultural work it identified in the gallery’s promotion of Canadian art abroad. In this article, we position the Asian commonwealth tour as a case study that reveals the inherent tension in the relationship between the cultural and policy spheres of the state that informed Cold War mobilization of the liberal values art was thought to express.

The Indian Media’s Interface with Diplomacy

Diplomacy and its institutions have been constantly changing. The manner in which diplomacy was practised in the earlier centuries is vastly different from how it is being practised in the twenty-first century. These changes range from the emergence of the training of messengers, the start of record keeping of diplomatic exchanges, the establishment of resident embassies, codification of formal diplomatic processes, widening domain of actors and issues, the use of multilateral conferences, use of summitry and many others. This evolution has been both a result of and further resulted in changing the larger socio-political-economic dimensions that the world has undergone. Among the myriad contextual changes, the revolution in communications, information and media technology has been phenomenal. This has brought into focus terms like the CNN effect and Vietnam War Syndrome where it is argued that media has had an influence in directing foreign policy choices of countries. Hence, this article seeks to analyse the media’s interface with the most important institution of diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It specifically focuses on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India. Has the news media acted either as an impediment or an accelerator to diplomatic practice? Has the information overload caused the diplomatic fraternity to face a loss of autonomy in any manner? With the objective of seeking an answer to these questions from diplomacy’s perspective, the article explores the evolution of the External Publicity Division of the MEA, India. The External Publicity Division as it is generally known has been the nodal division leading the institutions’ interface with the media. The actuality of media’s interface with diplomacy in India’s case will be set in the backdrop of the existing literature in the fields of media, diplomacy and foreign policy.

Public access to documents in EU external relations

As the EU's competences and activities in the area of external relations expand, it becomes increasingly relevant for citizens and civil society to be able to access documents related to EU external action in order to effectively participate in the democratic life of the EU. Yet many of the documents held by EU institutions on external affairs potentially fall within the scope of the ‘international relations’ and ‘defence and military matters’ exceptions contained in the EU's Access to Documents Regulation 1049/2001. This contribution critically assesses the application of these exceptions by the Court of Justice of the EU, the Ombudsman and the EU institutions themselves, and identifies which rationales might warrant withholding access to specific types of documents that concern EU external relations. In light of the expansion of the EU's external competences, this article argues that EU institutions should properly substantiate any refusal to disclose a document in this field, and the CJEU should apply stronger judicial scrutiny of the use of these exceptions, in order to safeguard the fundamental right of access to documents, and safeguard the democratic legitimacy of decision-making in the EU.

Thicker Than Sanctions: The Persistence and the Development of Iran’s “Looking East” Approach

“Looking East” has recently become a rather trendy topic among Iranians from all walks of life at a critical time: when Iran has deeply engaged its major partners in the East while getting involved in a rather lengthy negotiations with the “5+1” party concerning the fate of the nuclear deal, which the Trump administration quit in May 2018. Although from the beginning Iran’s “Looking East” orientation was by and large about going around the US-led international sanctions and punitive measures levied against the Islamic Republic, the approach has survived to now become Tehran’s preferred policy toward the outside world. Not only is the “Looking East” policy pursued by Tehran in itself in itself an understudied topic of considerable significance, Iran sanctions are yet to be fully investigated by interested scholars despite their tremendous ramifications on almost every aspect of Iranian internal and external affairs, including the Islamic Republic’s “Looking East” proclivities, over the past several decades. Indeed, after playing a truly instrumental role in shaping the contours of Iran’s increasingly growing multifaceted relationship with its Eastern friends and partners, the US-spearheaded sanctions have turned “Looking East” into the main doctrine behind the dynamics of Iran-East interactions for the foreseeable future.

Global cities as subjects of international relations in the 21st century

Global cities are becoming increasingly influential actors in international relations in the 21st century. That is why this work uses a city as the primary unit of analysis, which, although traditionally considered a state actor, currently develops autonomous initiatives that go beyond internal borders and have a global reach. The goal is to examine the potential and resources of global cities for independent participation in international relations and thereby evaluate their role in foreign policy. To explain this process, the concept of actorness is used. Actorness as a character of the city was discussed in more detail in the example of Sao Paolo by applying Duran?s four-dimensional model, whose criteria are authority, opportunities, autonomy, and presence. This model was applied in search of an answer to the main research question: Can we talk about Sao Paolo as an actor in international relations? The analysis of the case study will be based on an extensive review of primary and secondary data sources, including official documents of the city municipality and the city office for external affairs, media reports, scientific publications, and works on the topic of the city?s international engagements. Based on the analysis of the mentioned data, each of these characteristics has been met in the international activity of Sao Paulo. The intention is to contribute to the existing literature by expanding the geographical scope of the study of international urban activism and shifting the academic focus away from the Eurocentric discourse. The paper adopts a multilingual approach in search of relevant information on the role of cities in international relations in Spanish and Portuguese in order to enrich the debate and fill the gaps found in the literature in English.

Sufism in the Modern and Contemporary Iranian Politics

"The objective of this article is to explore how political Sufism, in conjunction with political Shī’ism, influences contemporary Iranian internal and external affairs, the decision-making process, and the future political ideology. While religion has consistently been an integral part of Iranian state and culture, the primary faith has not always played a definitive role in political decisions throughout history, particularly in recent decades. To gain a deeper understanding of Iranian politics and its future trajectory, it is essential to comprehend the role of Sufi elements within it. This work elucidates the core political Sufi ideas and their persistence and development within Persian borders up to the present day, despite facing substantial opposition from the ulama. Furthermore, in order to identify these Sufi elements within the current Iranian political landscape, the article analyzes all presidential administrations since the Revolution and highlights how political Sufism has become ingrained in both the decision-making process and political propaganda. Key-words: Sufism, Iran, politics, Shī’ism, propaganda, eschatology"

Indian diaspora in the twenty-first century: population and regional distribution

ABSTRACT The article critically examines the two population estimates (i.e. 2000 and 2018) of overseas Indians/Indian diaspora. Both estimates were released by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and appear to be definitive documents on the subject. It also presents the global/regional distribution of the contemporary Indian diaspora apart from a brief account of the historiography of the population estimates of overseas Indians/Indian diaspora since India’s independence. Finally, a critique is also made of the latest diaspora population estimates and a new diaspora category of students suggested in the 15th Report of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs on ‘Welfare of Indian Diaspora: Policies/Schemes’ pertaining to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Caught up by Geopolitics: Sanctions and the EU's Response to Russia's War Against Ukraine.

Russia's war against Ukraine unfolded unprecedented geopolitical, economic and energy-related tension in the European Union (EU). Amidst this situation, decision-makers and scholars alike have returned to concepts of geopolitics to reflect the EU's external affairs and its position in the international (trade) system. Indeed, geopolitical considerations help us to understand the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia. The restrictive measures against Russia and the Russian-controlled areas in Ukraine are, to date, the most comprehensive measures adopted autonomously by the EU. They reflect the EU's geopolitical considerations in carving out a strong response to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the unparalleled political and security threat in Europe.

Peace, Propaganda, and Natural Resources: The Geoeconomics of Rwandan Peacekeeping in Mozambique and Implications for European and African Regionalism Projects

Since the end of the genocide in Rwanda, the small nation has solidified its reputation as an economic powerhouse among African countries, as well as the continent’s largest peacekeeping force. Some foreign governments have explicitly called on Rwanda for peacekeeping and military interventions before calling on larger regional organizations (namely, the Southern African Development Community). At the same time, other entities and analysts have questioned the legitimacy of Rwanda’s missions as well as the country’s ability to finance such missions, claiming the funds secretly arrive from France to protect French interests in Africa. This essay focuses on Rwanda’s peacekeeping missions in resource-rich areas of Mozambique, positing that, besides any geo-economic interest that may derive from Rwanda’s presence in such areas, the unilateral nature of Rwandan peacekeeping may represent a threat to African regionalism projects. Furthermore, French funding to Rwanda would imply a lack of alignment between the EU and its member states on dealings with foreign governments and security forces. The essay concludes with a series of proposals for the EU and AU, including ensuring greater alignment with its member states on external affairs and facilitating locally led peacebuilding and reconciliation platforms to root ownership of natural resources within the local population of northern Mozambique.

Invigorating Ethical Citizenship and Protecting Democracy: An Interview With Kettering Foundation Director of External Affairs, Brad Rourke

Invigorating Ethical Citizenship and Protecting Democracy: An Interview With Kettering Foundation Director of External Affairs, Brad Rourke