Understanding Diplomatic Communications: Terms & Processes of Correspondence and Demarches, Study notes of Acting

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Diplomatic Communications

Communication with Host Government:

Terms

• Aide-memoire —A diplomatic note. An informal summary of a diplomatic interview or conversation that serves merely as an aid to memory. It does not begin with a formula of courtesy, but it must indicate clearly in the first two lines to which ambassador, minister, or mission it is being addressed. Usually left at the foreign office by the ambassador or minister concerned (or representative), or handed to the ambassador or minister concerned (or representative) at the foreign office.
• Chargé d'Affaires ad interim —Usually the counselor or secretary of the embassy or legation, who automatically assumes charge of a diplomatic mission in the temporary absence of an ambassador or minister.
• Demarche – A formal diplomatic representation of one government’s official position, views, or wishes on a given subject to an appropriate official in another government or international organization.
• Diplomatic Correspondence —Official correspondence between the agents authorized by a state to conduct its foreign relations either at home or abroad, with similarly authorized representative of foreign governments.
• First Person Note --A first-person note is used for the most important correspondence. First-person notes are prepared in the Department to be signed by the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, an under secretary, an assistant secretary, or a deputy assistant secretary. At post, first-person notes are used for correspondence between a chief of mission and the head of a foreign ministry or a foreign diplomatic mission. When an embassy is notified by the foreign office that the head of the foreign ministry will be absent, the note should be addressed to the acting head of the office, i.e., Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Acting Minister of Foreign Relations, etc.

DEMARCHE

demarche: a petition or protest presented through diplomatic channels

• A demarche is a formal diplomatic representation of one government’s official position, views, or wishes on a given subject to an appropriate official in another government or international organization. Demarches generally seek to persuade, inform, or gather information from a foreign government. Governments may also use a demarche to protest or object to actions by a foreign government.
• b. A U.S. Government demarche to a foreign government is made on the basis of front- channel cable instructions from the Department of State. Although the content of a given demarche may originate in another U.S. Government agency, only the State Department may also instruct a post to deliver the demarche.
• c. Any State Department officer or other official under the authority of the chief of mission can make a demarche. Unless the Department provides specific instructions as to rank (e.g., “the Ambassador should call on the Foreign Minister”), the post has discretion to determine who should make the presentation and which official(s) in the host government should receive it.

Demarche: Preparation

Format for Demarche Instructions: (1) OBJECTIVE: The objective is a clear statement of the purpose of the demarche, and of what the U.S. Government hopes to achieve. (2) ARGUMENTS: This section outlines how the Department proposes to make an effective case for its views. It should include a rationale for the U.S. Government’s position, supporting arguments, likely counter- arguments, and suggested rebuttals. (3) BACKGROUND: The background should spell out pitfalls; particular sensitivities of other bureaus, departments, or agencies; and any other special considerations. (4) SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS: Suggested talking points should be clear, conversational, and logically organized. Unless there are compelling reasons to require verbatim delivery, the demarche instruction cable should make it clear that post may use its discretion and local knowledge to structure and deliver the message in the most effective way. (“Embassy may draw from the following points in making this presentation to appropriate host government officials.”) (5) WRITTEN MATERIAL: Use this section to provide instructions on any written material to be left with the host government official(s). Such material could take the form of an aide-memoire, a letter, or a “non-paper” that provides a written version of the verbal presentation (i.e., the talking points as delivered). Unless otherwise instructed, post should normally provide an aide-memoire or non-paper at the conclusion of a demarche. Classified aide-memoire or non-paper must be appropriately marked and caveated as to the countries authorized for receipt, i.e., Rel. U.K. (Releasable to U.K.)

Communication with HQ: CABLES

A diplomatic cable , also known as

a diplomatic telegram or embassy cable , is a

confidential text message exchanged between

a diplomatic mission, like an embassy or a

consulate, and the foreign ministry of its parent

country.

Some similarities with Op-ed writing

• Brevity is important
• Be accurate
• Nutgraph/main point up high
• A catchy subject is always good

Some differences

• Cables usually have to have a recommendation –

“Closed ending”

• Simple declarative sentences
• Can be full of jargon

We must never forget the reasons why the international community was obliged to act in the first place. As Libya descended into chaos with Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi attacking his own people, the Arab League called for action. The Libyan opposition called for help. And the people of Libya looked to the world in their hour of need. In an historic resolution, the United Nations Security Council authorized all necessary measures to protect the people of Libya from the attacks upon them. By responding immediately, our countries, together with an international coalition, halted the advance of Qaddafi’s forces and prevented the bloodbath that he had promised to inflict upon the citizens of the besieged city of Benghazi.

Cable or Column? Qaddafi II

Cable or Column? A Dagestani Wedding

An hour before the wedding reception was set to begin the "Marrakech" reception hall was full of guests -- men taking the air outside and women already filling a number of the tables inside, older ones with headscarves chaperoning dozens of teenaged girls. A Dagestani parliamentarian explained that weddings are a principal venue for teenagers -- and more importantly their parents -- to get a look at one another with a view to future matches. Security was tight -- police presence on the ground plus police snipers positioned on the roof of an overlooking apartment block. Gadzhi even assigned one of his guards as our personal bodyguard inside the reception. The manager told Gadzhi there were seats for over a thousand guests at a time. At the height of the reception, it was standing room only.

A Caucasus Wedding

• Thursday, 31 August 2006, 06: C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 MOSCOW 009533 SIPDIS SIPDIS EO 12958 DECL: 08/30/ TAGS PGOV, ECON, PINR, RS SUBJECT: A CAUCASUS WEDDING Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel A. Russell. Reason 1.4 ( b, d)
• Summary

---

• 1. (C) Weddings are elaborate in Dagestan, the largest autonomy in the North Caucasus. On August 22 we attended a wedding in Makhachkala, Dagestan's capital: Duma member and Dagestan Oil Company chief Gadzhi Makhachev's son married a classmate. The lavish display and heavy drinking concealed the deadly serious North Caucasus politics of land, ethnicity, clan, and alliance. The guest list spanned the Caucasus power structure -- guest starring Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov -- and underlined just how personal the region's politics can be. End Summary.

Communicating with the people: Public

Diplomacy (Culture)