Research
You will find a complete range of our monographs, muti-authored and edited works including peer-reviewed, original scholarly research across the social sciences and aligned disciplines. We publish long and short form research and you can browse the complete Bristol University Press and Policy Press archive.
Policy Press also publishes policy reviews and polemic work which aim to challenge policy and practice in certain fields. These books have a practitioner in mind and are practical, accessible in style, as well as being academically sound and referenced.
Since the establishment in 1963 of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union (AU), the continent has been steadfast in promoting African unity and solidarity while also attempting to prevent Africa’s marginalization from the international arena. The continent has refined its diplomatic efforts and practices in the context of the Constitutive Act. One such practice has been the increased adoption of common African positions (CAPs) on areas of common African concern as well as on broader international matters. The aim of this chapter is to analyse CAPs as an African diplomatic instrument. It presents a conceptual analysis of common positions as a diplomatic instrument, and focuses on the elements, nature and objectives of CAPs. It outlines the diplomatic path leading to the crafting and adoption of a CAP before exploring the notion of commonality in the context of CAPs. African states’ universal application, promotion and implementation of CAPs is discussed.
While the understanding of science diplomacy continues to evolve, its application in statecraft needs further analysis. The political nature of science diplomacy means that it is more than activities of scientific cooperation, where cooperation itself can create ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in the race to address global challenges leading to further structural divisions. In the main, the literature uncritically claims science diplomacy as a panacea for building mutually positive relations between parties; yet, given the global international structure, this is often a one-sided affair dominated by those with a developed capacity in science diplomacy. This exploratory study begins by addressing the concept of science diplomacy, its political purpose and its place as a tool in the diplomatic toolbox. The chapter then considers the role of science diplomacy in the African context and in facilitating communication, negotiation and representation. This aims to move discussions away from addressing the meaning of the concept of science diplomacy, to considering questions of capacity, application and its impact in practice.
The essence of diplomacy can be regarded as the process to establish and maintain goodwill between states while simultaneously advancing national interests and resolving issues of international concern in a peaceful way. Cultural diplomacy can be defined as a state’s goal to ensure that its cultural assets and accomplishments are recognized abroad and embedded in its foreign policy to advance the interests of the state as well as communicate aspects of its culture. This chapter focuses on Ghana’s utilization of cultural diplomacy as an instrument of its foreign policy, and to promote tourism and to attract FDI. The chapter highlights the cultural identity and architecture of the people, the government and the diaspora of Ghana to position the Ghanaian state as a pacesetter in cultural engagements by reconnecting them to their roots and culture, and to contribute to the development of Africa, particularly Ghana, through FDI. Furthermore, the chapter examines the challenges that hinder Ghana from fully benefitting from the cultural engagements alongside what the country stands to achieve in strengthening its cultural diplomatic relations with other states.
This book attempts to help readers understand how African states practise diplomacy. It does not aim to make contributions to diplomatic theory, despite a clear and ever-present intellectual gap that remains in this area. It is a first attempt in this process. The chapter is dedicated to introducing the reader to African diplomacy as a sub-discipline of diplomatic studies and international relations. It briefly unpacks how the perceptions about Africa as an international actor have changed over time before explaining how the change in perception is inspired by African diplomacy. It argues that African diplomatic practice is unique as it amplifies the need to expand our routine understanding of why diplomacy is practised. The chapter concludes by offering a brief overview of the chapters that follow.
Africa’s unique position as an international diplomatic actor has not always been given the attention it deserves. This volume bridges this gap by offering a fresh, comprehensive and realistic overview of African diplomacy.
The book examines African diplomatic practice. Chapters explore how different types of diplomacy have developed over time, including energy diplomacy, economic diplomacy and quiet diplomacy. Crucially, the book assesses how certain events have allowed Africa to use certain types of diplomacy to yield better outcomes for itself.
Including contributions from an international team of scholars, policy makers and experts from the diplomatic world, the book provides a comprehensive guide to African diplomacy and challenges the current dominant usage of Northern perspectives on diplomacy studies.
Diplomacy is an enduring state practice, and maritime diplomacy developed alongside the different domains of diplomatic practice that have taken shape over time. Contemporary diplomacy has many facets to cover the ever-expanding matters states wish to address in pursuit of their national interests. Maritime diplomacy is a unique type of diplomacy directed at pursuit of maritime state interests and operates in parallel with and as an adjunct to the general practice of diplomacy. This chapter demarcates and describes maritime diplomacy and then turns to African maritime agenda and interests in the early 21st century. It covers three broad topics to define maritime diplomacy and to highlight Africa’s maritime debate and the continent’s maritime diplomacy. It delimits diplomacy as a practice before outlining the exercise of defence, naval and maritime diplomacy. The chapter covers Africa’s maritime debate, threats and vulnerabilities before offering illustrative examples of maritime diplomacy from African actors, and instances of external maritime diplomacy directed towards the continent.
This chapter explains and analyses Morocco’s diplomatic relations with the rest of the continent despite its ostensible isolation and exclusion between 1984 and 2016. Religion is a major aspect of Morocco’s identity and culture, and therefore a significant driver of the country’s cultural diplomacy. The chapter outlines Morocco’s practice of cultural diplomacy as an instrument of its foreign policy with special emphasis on its relations with African states. Cultural diplomacy, as a distinct diplomatic practice, can be defined as cultural cooperation between states and government intervention to use culture to advance national interests. Drawing upon these definitions, the chapter describes the evolution, tenets and practice of Morocco’s cultural diplomacy with other African states and significant African non-state actors. It discusses the evolution of Morocco’s cultural diplomacy and the role of religion in its cultural diplomacy with Africa, concluding with an assessment of Morocco’s cultural diplomacy.
The first known peace treaty was signed about 2300 BC between a king of Ebla in present-day Syria and a king of Assyria. Early forms of diplomatic interaction reveal a system with a common language, with its own law, customs and protocol. In 432 BC, the basic rules and conduct of diplomacy were adopted by the ancient Greeks at the Congress of Sparta. This became a template for much of the diplomacy of the next 22 centuries until the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo in 1812. By force of arms, the Romans established a general peace, the Pax Romana, over what was a world empire. Yet Rome made major contributions to what in future would become international law by incorporating into Roman law some of the laws and customs of the peoples of non-Roman origin living within the empire. This played an important part in the development of international law by Grotius. The chapter describes the origins of the modern states system before proceeding to outline the start of the global states system. Following this predominantly European focus, it then turns to Africa and positions the continent as a diplomatic actor.
There are six African small island developing states (SIDS): Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Seychelles. As a grouping, they are an underexplored area of study in small state literature. This is slowly being remedied. This chapter aims to contribute to that process through its analysis of African SIDS and the prospects for usage of smart diplomacy as a tool in their foreign policies. Although small island states face unique challenges and vulnerabilities, what drives the foreign policies of African SIDS is ultimately not dissimilar from those drivers in other states. The chapter investigates what role is played by diplomacy, and in particular smart diplomacy, as an instrument of foreign policy in the African SIDS’ ability to maximize their influence on the global stage. It also assesses the strengths and limitations of smart diplomacy for the African SIDS.
This chapter discusses the concept and character of quiet diplomacy. Attention is given to the characterization of quiet diplomacy when non-state actors are involved in the process. A brief literature review pertaining to quiet diplomacy is provided; emphasis is placed on the scarcity of quiet diplomacy within the African context, particularly outside of the South Africa–Zimbabwe paradigm. The chapter discusses Boko Haram as a case study, focusing on its track record with negotiation as well as the occurrences surrounding the Chibok abductions. Following discussion of the case study, the characteristics of quiet diplomacy are applied to the Chibok abductions. The final section of the chapter reflects on the lessons that can be learnt from the negotiation process with Boko Haram and summarizes the main arguments.
