Parliamentary Diplomacy Research Articles

Conceptualizing Parliamentary Diplomacy

Aim. The article reveals the conceptual foundations of parliamentary diplomacy.Methods. In order to fulfill the purpose, the author drew upon theoretical methodology namely modelling, chronological, comparative, complementary and parallel approaches.Results. The phases of development of parliamentary diplomacy are outlined. The theoretical model (institutional design) of parliamentary diplomacy is designed. The features of the international activities of representative authorities are outlined.Conclusions. First, the geopolitical processes of the second half of the 20th century have caused parliamentary diplomacy to transform into double legitimate diplomacy, a new form of soft power tool and independent holistic concept. Second, parliamentary diplomacy has acquired a complex body (model), including various dimensions, levels of institutionalization, tools, forms and formats of cooperation. Third, although parliamentary diplomacy has a number of advantages over cabinet diplomacy (greater flexibility, informality and less bias), the other side of its institutional features (reduced powers, limited resources and ideological colouring) may have a negative impact on applied outcomes.

Bridging the Atlantic: The case of EU–US parliamentary diplomacy

With the rise of non-executive forms of diplomacy, political scientists have increasingly focused on the role of parliaments as diplomatic actors. This article aims to deepen the study of European parliamentary diplomacy through an extensive case study of transatlantic parliamentary diplomacy (TPD) between the European Parliament and the US Congress during the Obama and Trump administrations (2009–21). It is hypothesised that the decrease in EU–US political alignment under the Trump administration resulted in a corresponding decrease in both the salience and positivity of TPD. Counter-intuitively, the data shows that the decrease in political alignment correlated with a higher quantity of TPD. However, a content analysis of the joint reports of the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue indicates that the attitude of this TPD is found to have become increasingly negative.

Parliamentary Diplomacy as a Key Factor to Conclude the Monitoring Process of the Council of Europe in Andorra and Monaco

The Principalities of Andorra and Monaco acceded to the Council of Europe with significantly different motivations of origin. The Principality of Andorra managed to approve a constitution and join the Council of Europe in 1994 after a very relevant campaign of parliamentary diplomacy exogenous to the country itself. In the case of the Principality of Monaco, the impetus of Prince Rainier led to the Principality’s entry into the Council of Europe in 2004 but with the obligation to undertake legal and institutional reforms in which parliamentary diplomacy played a central role. In both cases, parliamentary diplomacy served to remove obstacles and facilitated the accomplishment of the requirements that had to be honored to be part of the pan-European international organization. In the case of Andorra with an ex ante monitoring and in the case of Monaco with an ex post monitoring to its entrance to the organisation. This article studies the entrance of Andorra and Monaco to the Council of Europe, the political and parliamentary debates that the access provoked outside and within the respective countries, and how parliamentary diplomacy helped to establish the fulfillment of their obligations with the principles and standards of the International Organization.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and peaceful conflict resolution: international legal and political analysis

The study was focused on examining the legal status of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and determining its role in international relations within the OSCE region. The fact that this body is not part of the OSCE’s intergovernmental system, but is an independent international entity actively involved in international affairs, gives this research a specific scientific nuance and significance. There are few scientific studies in the international doctrine dedicated to this topic, especially with an emphasis on its international legal issues. One of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s priority areas is promoting peaceful conflict resolution through parliamentary diplomacy. However, parliamentary diplomacy, unlike traditional diplomacy, possesses unique characteristics and comparatively fewer opportunities for resolving serious international problems. Nevertheless, by enhancing the connectivity of the OSCE PA with the OSCE’s intergovernmental bodies through the efforts of parliamentarians in this direction, in our opinion, it will be possible to significantly increase the OSCE PA’s role in peaceful conflict resolution. The fact that parliamentarians are members of the legislative body and consequently participate in discussions and enactment of laws predetermines their role as qualified individuals who potentially can play a more significant role in the development of international law compared to professional diplomats. Thus, the goal of this study is to explore the potential of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in peacefully resolving conflicts from the perspective of international law and international politics, and to identify negative factors that hinder the more productive activity of this parliamentary body. According to the research findings, the activities of parliamentarians within the OSCE PA can bring considerable benefits not only for the peaceful resolution of specific conflicts but also for the entire OSCE dispute settlement system through the development of carefully considered projects of international legal documents in this area.

Parliamentary diplomacy in the European and Asian regions: international legal framework and comparative analysis

The article is dedicated to the study of the peculiarities of parliamentary diplomacy in the European and Asian regions. It is clear that it is important for the theoretical, constitutional, legal and international legal studies to pay attention to the essential characteristics of this phenomenon, the current parliamentary diplomacy with the participation of the European powers, their parliaments, as opposite of the Institute of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Asia and other regions. This form of international cooperation in the sphere of parliamentarism is based on an international treaty basis (Statute for the sake of Europe, Statute of the PS OIC) and internal organizational acts (Rules of Procedure of the PA OSCE) etc. Institutional mechanisms for the implementation of parliamentary diplomacy include in Europe - PACE, PA OSCE, PABSEC, PA GUAM, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, independent parliamentary organizations (Interparliamentary Union) etc.; in Asia – APA, Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, Association of Regional Health Sciences of New Asia, Along with mutual relations and changes in trust in Asia, PS OIC, Turkic Rada, Shanghai Organization of Social Development and etc. Ukraine, in particular parliamentary delegations, takes an active part in parliamentary diplomacy in the European region, especially in connection with the large-scale invasions of the russian federation and the need for international support. At the same time, there is an obvious need for coordination and interaction between the various parliamentary assemblies and parliamentary unions of different regions of the world, in the context of globalization and integration, the value of democracy, international security and law and order

Interpreting multilateral diplomacy in the Indonesian Parliament’s debates on climate crisis and sustainability

ABSTRACT Generally ‘diplomacy’ belongs to the tasks of the executive government, especially to the foreign affairs services. Nowadays, diplomacy includes everyone, including parliaments in a multilateral setting, especially when discussing global issues, such as climate change. This article discusses the parliamentary diplomacy practices of the Indonesian Parliament which are claimed to support multilateralism and foreign cooperation in international gatherings. The data is studied from the international events that this committee organized and Indonesian parliamentary meetings abroad in 2017–22, seen from the ideal parliamentary aspects of deliberation, representation, responsibility, and sovereignty. The data reveals that while the climate crisis is agreed to be more critical and awareness has been built among the members of parliament in this committee, the whole parliamentary members or the Indonesian Parliament as the institution does not fully acknowledge it yet. Legislation has not yet been enacted to tackle the climate crisis. Consequently, despite such sporadic efforts, the actions remain small, and inter-parliamentary diplomacy does not result in anything concrete. Multilateral diplomacy from parliament is still limited in this case.

THE PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY OF UZBEKISTAN AS AN INSTRUMENT OF REPRESENTING NATIONAL INTEREST

This article focuses on parliamentary diplomacy, its scholarly explanation, its forms and the ways how it can be exercised. As well as in this article the author brings information about the revitalized interparliamentary relations of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, its role in representing national interest and legal base for Oliy Majlis to carryout foreign policy of Uzbekistan.

The Ayotzinapa case (Mexico) and the role of the European Parliament as a moral tribune to promote human rights worldwide

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of the European Parliament as an international moral tribune for the promotion of human rights through a qualitative case-study design. It focuses on the emblematic Ayotzinapa case, which involved the enforced disappearance of 43 young rural students and the killing of other six civilians in Mexico in September 2014. The paper innovatively analyses the parliamentary diplomacy activity of four Members and their respective political groups: Franziska ‘Ska’ Keller (Greens/EFA, Germany), Josep-Maria Terricabras i Nogueras (Greens/EFA, Spain), Estefanía Torres Martínez (GUE/NGL, Spain) and Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio (EPP, Spain), during the 8th parliamentary term (2014–2019). It addresses: How does the European Parliament, acting as an international moral tribune, exercise its role in promoting human rights in practice? Importantly, how do individual members and their political groups contribute to fulfilling this role? The research findings reveal that the phenomenon of parliamentary diplomacy on human rights is highly complex, challenging the mainstream notion that the European Parliament is a monolithic player acting as a moral tribune in international relations. Results also provide important insight for understanding the (micro-)processes of parliamentary diplomacy and their relevance for human rights advocacy within the European Union’s external relations and its Member States’.

On Historical Relationship between Parliamentary and Humanitarian Diplomacy

The paper analyzes approaches to defining parliamentary and humanitarian venues of diplomatic cooperation. It is shown that institutionalized inter-parliamentary cooperation began to develop in the last quarter of the 19th century, while examples of the influence of parliamentarians on the foreign policy process in their nation-states can be traced back even earlier, at least since the time of the Great French Revolution. It has been revealed that the early forms of parliamentarian influence on foreign policy were based on humanistic arguments and appealed to a sense of humanity. The humanistic orientation of the emerging parliamentary diplomacy in the last third of the 19th century is explained by focusing on factors such as the development of the media and the growing influence of public opinion on the domestic and foreign policies of European nation-states. The similarity of the initial organizational forms of parliamentary and humanitarian diplomacy illustrates the example of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Both types of diplomatic interaction emerged via multilateral conferences. The final section of the paper is devoted to an analysis of the origins of Russian parliamentary and humanitarian diplomacy. It is shown that Russia played an active role in the development of these forms of diplomatic interaction. The paper concludes by arguing that a thorough definition of parliamentary diplomacy is only possible when both the actor and organizational dimensions of parliamentary diplomacy are taken into account. It argues further that the more or less common paths of development of parliamentary and humanitarian diplomacy result in their thematic affinity. The third conclusion is that the parliamentary methods accepted by diplomatic agents profoundly affected the development of cooperation between nation-states during the 20th century.

Региональный парламентаризм в условиях глобальных вызовов и неопределенности: опыт и уроки

This scientific and practical article has been prepared in order to summarize the experience of the Legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk Territory in the period of 2019–2024. The work describes the specifics of the process of formation of the dynamic regional parliament, external factors of the Duma's activities, legislative results, the contribution of the deputies of the seventh convocation to the development of the forms of parliamentary activity and parliamentary communications. The alteration of the majority faction in the Legislative Duma of the Territory in 2019 has been justified by the high demand of citizens for social changes and the requirement to reduce the distance of power. The leading external conditions of the Duma's work are characterized by pandemic shock, socio-political instability and protest phenomena in the region, constitutional changes in public authority, a special military operation and its goals. The results of the work of the deputies of the seventh convocation are the following: initiation and adoption of constituent and basic laws of the region, development of a variety of forms of the Duma's work, active communications including the Internet space, contribution to parliamentary diplomacy. The following lessons have been induced from the experience of the regional parliament: the lesson of a far-sighted attitude to parliamentary leadership; the lesson of long-term party work based on the principles of succession of generations; the lesson of flexible and socially dynamic lawmaking and parliamentary control; the lesson of openness and broad communication of the deputy team. The article is addressed to researchers and practitioners in the field of regional public administration, aimed at disseminating the experience of parliamentary management in conditions of change and high uncertainty.

Parliamentary diplomacy between the EU and the Republic of Korea

This paper studies the practice of parliamentary diplomacy in the context of EU–Korea relations arguing that this is an essential element in the bilateral relationship. Having defined the concept of parliamentary diplomacy, the development of interaction between the European Parliament (EP) and the National Assembly of Republic of Korea, Korean National Assembly (KNA) is being analysed. Their bilateral relations began in 1994 and further deepened in 2004 when the EP set up the Delegation for Relations with the Korean Peninsula. Subsequently, the EP Delegation and the KNA-EU Interparliamentary Council regularly met to discuss various issues, from trade agreements to security issues on the Korean Peninsula and defence matters more generally. This examination of parliamentary diplomacy also demonstrates the way in which bilateral relations have been influenced by electoral cycles on both sides and more generally by changes in the respective domestic political situations.

Gendering Parliamentary Diplomacy: The case of EU27-UK Relations

Abstract Parliamentary diplomacy (PD) is a contemporary feature of modern parliamentarism but remains, thus far, underexplored from a gender lens. PD incorporates the relationships that parliamentarians or parliaments as institutions have with other parliaments, parliamentarians, and nonstate actors to foster peace, democracy, understanding, dialogue, legitimacy, and scrutiny of governments. Parliaments are spaces of parliamentary and international negotiation and communication, practiced through rules, practices, and symbols. This article draws on a single case study of the European Parliament (EP) and of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) gendered PD, at the time of Brexit—a period when international agreements and relationships were shaped and how gendered PD was culturally legitimized. It is based on a unique qualitative dataset of 140 interviews and ethnographic research (2018–2020) generated at the time of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom’s MEPs from the EP. Based on this analysis, it further considers what a feminist PD might look like.

Rethinking, Remodelling and Retooling the Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in the Formulation and Execution of Foreign Policy in Zimbabwe (2000-2017)

Rethinking, Remodelling and Retooling the Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in the Formulation and Execution of Foreign Policy in Zimbabwe (2000-2017)

The Eurasian Vector as a Priority of Russia’s Parliamentary Diplomacy

The article discusses certain special aspects of Russia’s parliamentary diplomacy in the context of global confrontation with the West. It demonstrates that the Eurasian vector of the parliamentary dimension should become the priority thereof. The article researches multilateral and bilateral inter-parliamentary relations aimed at the formation of Eurasian law and the creation of conditions for functioning of Eurasian courts and arbitration tribunals. Certain features of the work of Eurasian parliamentary institutions are revealed, such as: the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, IPA CIS, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia on economic, political, military, humanitarian integration in the post-Soviet territory.Aim. Disclosure of the content of the Eurasian vector of Russia’s parliamentary diplomacy as a priority dimension in the context of global confrontation with the West.Tasks. Analyze features of the Western and Eurasian vectors of parliamentary diplomacy of Russia; explore forms and methods of parliamentary diplomacy in the post-Soviet territory; determine ways to strengthen the role of the parliamentary dimension in the processes of Eurasian integration.Methods. Systematic approach, comparative analysis, compilation of the best practices.Results. The study showed the need for a transition to bilateral forms of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Russia and unfriendly countries of the West and the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation with the countries of the East in order to develop Eurasian integration. The relevance of creating a parliamentary dimension in the EAEU and completing the formation of parliamentary institutions in the CSTO and the Union State has been substantiated.

Japanese Parliamentary Diplomacy on the Eve of the Cold War: Focusing on the Taiwan Channel

This study explores the diplomacy of the conservative ruling party lawmakers in Japan toward Asia on the eve of the Cold War. It shows— based on interviews and latest archival material released in Japan and Taiwan—that a structure for ending the Cold War existed in East Asia on the eve of the Cold War, which is different from the Second Cold War framework centered on the West. This research may also play a significant role in the study of the long-term governments of conservative parties and their foreign policies during the Cold War. Before the Cold War was over, the governments of Nakasone Yasuhiro and Takeshita Noboru in Japan had access to both China and Taiwan, and there were already movements within the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its factions toward a de-Cold War structure and ideology. Pro-Taiwan and pro-Korea factions in the party, which had overlapped since the formulation of the Cold War ideology, diverged. In this context, despite the timely utilization of personal relations between Taiwan and Japan since the prewar Japanese colonial period, an effective systematization of channels between the two governments that could be sustained over the long-term was not achieved.

Parliamentary Diplomacy - an Annotated Bibliography

Parliamentary Diplomacy - an Annotated Bibliography

Parliamentary Diplomacy in Supporting Palestinian Independence: Evidence from Indonesia

Parliamentary Diplomacy in Supporting Palestinian Independence: Evidence from Indonesia

Dyplomacja parlamentarna – nowy wymiar współczesnego parlamentaryzmu

The article analyses the phenomenon of parliamentary diplomacy. Although the international activity of parliamentarians was already observed in the 19 th century, it did not gain momentum until the 20 th and 21 st centuries, becoming an important element of international relations. The author indicates which manifestations of the international activity of parliamentarians deserve the name of parliamentary diplomacy and how this phenomenon, analysed in terms of “paradiplomacy”, influences the modification of the functions of modern parliaments, especially in terms of ensuring democratic control over the creation and implementation of the state’s foreign policy.

What Are UN General Assembly Resolutions for? Four Views on Parliamentary Diplomacy

Abstract The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has passed over eighteen thousand resolutions since its foundation. It is a very heterogeneous collection, containing at once landmark documents, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and scores of less important and even controversial pieces. Hence, scholarship for the past 75 years has been divided on the actual relevance of UNGA resolutions and on member states’ motivations in engaging with their drafting. We propose a novel theoretical typology to organize prevailing views on the role of UNGA resolutions. Relying on the dimensions of effect and consensus, that is, whether or not resolutions are deemed to have a real-world impact and to what extent they represent world opinion, we sort the literature into four ideal types: resolutions can be regarded as the fruit of deliberation, dispute, diversion, or drama. We discuss the rationale of each view and indicate proposals within the UNGA that exemplify these perspectives. Our typology contributes to scholarship by both tidying previous debates and highlighting unnoticed commonalities between the UNGA and topics from the political representation literature.

Parliamentary diplomacy and its importance in the conditions of martial law

The dynamic constitutional process since the proclamation of independence, taking into account the domestic experience of state-building and law-making, the results of constitutional, parliamentary and other reforms, has contributed to the expansion of functions and powers of parliament, forms of activity. In recent years, parliamentary diplomacy has become more important, structured, and new formats of parliamentary interaction have emerged. The importance of international parliamentary organizations and interparliamentary cooperation has grown due to the importance of developing and protecting universal norms of international law, establishing peace and security, protecting democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the world. Therefore, the current evolution of inter-parliamentary relations is characterized by the growing role of parliamentary diplomacy, although classical international law did not recognize such cooperation as an institution of diplomatic and consular law. In modern conditions in times of armed conflict, such tools are effective, sometimes the only acceptable compromise ways to resolve conflicts between states, with the participation of interparliamentary organizations, parliamentary assemblies of international organizations. The importance of parliamentary diplomacy as an element of multisectoral foreign military-political development in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the effects of martial law, of course, is growing and its available results are obvious. This leads to further scientific research in this area, broadening horizons and strengthening parliamentary democratic culture. Key words: parliamentary diplomacy, international interparliamentary cooperation, parliamentarism, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, martial law