ADVANTAGES OF SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

Summit diplomacy can be said to refer to the diplomatic meetings between the heads of states, incumbent heads of governments, political leaders and highest representatives of an international organizations. Some meetings of international importance are nowadays referred to as summits this include meetings such as the WHO and finance ministers of various states.Foreign ministers are however not referred to as summit however important the gathering. Summit diplomacy was first referred so by Winston Churchill at the international parlance in 1950 when he started the meeting by referring leaders of the great powers ‘summit meeting’.

One of the main advantages of summit diplomacy is that the leaders or participants who are also the chief policy makers are involved in diplomacy directly rather than having to send someone to represent them. They are able to answer or solve problems which an ordinary diplomat may not able to do so, this indeed encourages the need to prepare and participate. It also promotes friendly relations among the leaders who aim at negotiating and giving the best they can.At the same time it encourage them to be familiarise with each other giving them a cordial relations which indeed help them create room for one another and hence understanding.

The heads of states without much experience in the international gathering gets time to learn from others, this indeed motivates them to work harder and develop themselves. Those with experience tend to give best presentations as they aim at marketing themselves in the international level which indeed reflect their leadership at home where they might be experiencing challenges. They also gather important information about other countries and their leaders clarifying intention, creating awareness, generating understanding and enhancing cooperation amongst members of the summit.

Summits makes package deals easier as they involve heads of governments with same level of authority who do not need to do a lot of consultation before making their final decision, leaders can sometimes make dramatic deals through, this also makes deals easier to seal, appropriately and in a forthright manner. Summit also promotes a better relationship which tends to bring an end of a dispute.

They also break deadlock as all the heads of governments are present, speeding up and  sustaining momentum due to its given deadlines for completion. A summit gives the government a good opportunity to gather information about their counter-part, breaking barriers of mistrust and suspicion. Summits also helps the participants to kill many birds with one stone as they can be able to meet and interacts with their counterparts from many different countries.

Summits normally promote foreign and domestic propaganda as they attract a big population around the world, it tend to give an idea that the government is busy doing something important.

References:

G V Krishnamurty (1980). Modern Diplomacy. US: Sagar. 

Johan Kaufmann (1998). The Diplomacy of International Relations. Netherlands: Kluwer Law International.