The Rise of Virtual Embassies in Modern International Relations

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of virtual embassies within the context of international relations. It begins by examining various models of diplomatic representation, including joint embassies, cross accreditation, non-resident ambassadors, and honorary consuls, before focusing on the concept of virtual embassies. The essay discusses the traditional role of embassies and how virtual embassies, utilizing modern technology, can perform diplomatic and consular functions. It also includes a SWOT analysis, highlighting the strengths (cost-effectiveness, convenience, informative nature, accessibility), weaknesses (lack of interpersonal relationships, identity verification issues, complexity), opportunities (representation for small countries, support for non-strategic countries), and threats associated with virtual diplomatic missions. The essay emphasizes the importance of skilled professionals in managing virtual embassies and ensuring clear, accessible information for users, ultimately concluding that virtual embassies can be a valuable tool in international relations, particularly for states with limited resources.

RUNNING HEADER: International relations
International relations
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1.1.1 Joint embassies
Both the British and Canadian governments made to the public their official signing of
the document deemed memorandum of understanding during the past one week which will
ensure that the two nations share the existing diplomatic mission aimed to lower costs incurred
and focus on the expansion of their diplomatic base.
Typically, two nations focused to uphold joint diplomatic missions and use common
embassy office buildings in overseas countries. The Canadian government has made a deal to
share some of its diplomatic outpost with Britain country at the same time entering the period of
nickel and dime diplomacy respectively. Thus Canadian diplomatic relations will establish
available space at the British embassies in those nation where Canada does not have a single
embassy. This step has been widely acknowledged as its view to be a cost-saving administrative
step which will have no effect on its foreign influences. The two nations decide to utilize their
existing diplomatic resources by explorations of several locations and through collaboration on
various consular services. This plan will begin in the two nations as British government shares a
particular space in Haiti while a Canadian diplomatic officer has installed a shop in an embassy
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belonging to British diplomats. Its flag will, therefore, be significantly flown together at
distinctive diplomatic posts where their diplomats are closely working together (Howell et al
2013).
In the year 2007, an announcement involving joint embassies installed together belonging
to Albani and Kosovo respectively were made. It's evident that cooperation is a common
phenomenon in the various representations of foreign nations as they continuously uphold
mutual relationships and cultural festivals.
A proposed evaluation for the enactment of joint embassies is not as confusing as earlier
viewed since it enables sharing of building instruments, technical employees, premises, and
equipment. It does not account for the sharing of duties or diplomatic officials. Two diplomatic
missions remain separate entities in their respective countries. For example, in UK and Canada,
one of the nations can solely become over-dominant of the other resulting in a product of various
acumen.
1.1.2 Cross accreditation
One model put into consideration is simultaneous multiple representations. This is also
commonly referred to as concurrent by different researchers. When a particular government
utilizes this effective technique, it ensures accreditation of one embassy belonging to two or
more nations. It is an efficient method for proper maintenance of parameters of bilateral
interrelationships without allowing separate embassies for each of the existing relations. In this
case, it involves three variants. In the first case, an ambassador is continuously accredited in two
countries in which the sender nations maintain physical diplomatic operations (Howell et al
2013). In the second case, both the current ambassador and embassy are accredited to other
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countries at the same time, where the country does not main the diplomatic activity. Thirdly,
only the ambassador is accredited to the existing states thus he/she might head a third state or as
foreigner minister of the home nation. This enables a certain state to acquire full diplomatic
relations without retaining the resident ambassador. This technique is relatively much
economical but simultaneously not employed by minor states.
1.1.3 Nonresident ambassador
Another technique employed is the non-resident ambassador who is direly in charge of
the relationships with the existing state from the home capital of the country. This proposed
possibility can be specifically designed to focus on creating a tiny embassy spearheaded by a
charge d'aflaires with the head ambassador residing in the capital and often visiting the assigned
state. He/she is appointed in order to aim at creating a presence where a full-scale assigned
embassy can be alternatively hypothesized in an unjustifiable manner. Howell et al (2013) argue
that non-resident ambassadors are nomadic diplomats destined to serve to two or more foreign
countries. Since they can only live in one geographical location, various countries have invested
in this technique due to its cost-cutting nature in areas where their outlying interests or available
resources insufficient to cater for the individual representatives.
1.1.4 Appointment of the honorary consuls
Some countries consider this as a more innovative solution to their problematic
representation. These are internationally recognized by sets of law involving Vienna convention
on consular relations that allows the judicial system and general framework for the correct
providence of consular services. Evidently, article 1, paragraph 2 of the law clearly states that
consular officers consist of two subgroups both called career and honorary. Chapter 3 then goes
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ahead to explain in detail the rules and regulations that specifically govern consular posts which
are served by honorary consular personnel's. The honorary consul can systematically operate the
similar functions as the fill diplomatic immunities and entitlement from which profession
diplomats acquires several forms of benefits. In most cases its composed of a citizen living in the
assigned state, thus his privileges are less than those of other diplomats as they are utilized on in
areas that are strictly connected to his consular activities (Howell et al 2013).
1.1.5 Virtual Embassy
Diplomatic mission activities usually play a huge role in the promotion of economic,
global trade and relationships of peoples in various cultural settings. Public diplomacy is a key
aspect in strengthening both cultural and educations service exchanges. Therefore, it is very
essential to acquiring the best alternative for the growth and development of international
cooperation's. One of the most significant alternative to focus on is the virtual embassy.
2.2 Traditional embassy and its role
Embassy refers to the diplomatic representation of states government in another state. It
conveys information to the host government as a sent from the home country. It also
continuously informs its home country government of significant political, social, economic and
various military operations taking place in the host nation. It also ensures that global treaties and
official country visits are done effectively. Efficient representation promotes the culture,
economies of scale and science art in the country.
2.3 Virtual embassy and diplomats
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In this case, diplomats operate from their receding end embassies and also reside in their
capital communicating with other states through computers. They require practical skills, for
example, those that follow important protocol in the internet exchange of information since it
does not replace the traditional means. Its effective for small and developing states which have
minimal resources (Howell et al 2013).
2.5 Diplomatic functions and accreditation
It can allow many diplomatic activities as outlined in the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic relations. It performs particularly from information interference, protects the citizen's
personal interests and invests both promotion and care among people abroad. The decisions
depend on how government designs and utilizes it, for instance, the decision process for the
developing states will be easier and propelled to initiate real diplomatic missions. A virtual
embassy can always have an accreditation process involving cyberspace.
2.6 Consular functions
Consular affairs are deemed computer friendly due to the clearly outlined consular
functions which are explained in detail. These are repetitive operations that utilize the concept of
standard procedural domains forming decision making criteria. With the increasing mobility of
individuals such as tourism and migration to other regions, there is a high likelihood of rising
need for virtual consular functions. These tools are readily available and need to integrate into
the policy and organization offering diplomatic services (Howell et al 2013).
2.8 SWOT analysis
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This evaluation can be used to account for merits and demerits of virtual Diplomatic
missions. This analysis is divided into subsections including strengths and opportunities,
weaknesses and threats in order to provide a full methodological analysis.
2.8. 1 Strengths
Virtual diplomatic missions usually save on cost as compared to the physical mission
counterparts. It is cheaper to maintain it since the information technology disciplines have
increasingly become much cheaper. They do not need staff to handle the main office which is
cost effective. Virtual diplomatic missions are very convenient since they are easy to access from
the comfort zone of an individual's home. It's even more convenient when delivering various
services through the internet thus saving people's money and time which would have otherwise
been used for traveling (Howell et al 2013).
They are absolutely informative since one can post a lot of different kinds of messages on
a website on matters regarding missions, goals set, principles, values, and other important
government policies. This would be problematic to reproduce in a physical setting (Howell et al
2013). The virtual missions are easily locatable. An end user can be driven to the website after
inserting the universal resource locator. This consist of a search engine that simply locates a
mission for a given time. Unlike physical missions, virtual diplomatic missions are readily
available since they are able to work 24 hours on a daily basis.
2.8.2 weakness of the virtual embassy
The strengths of the virtual diplomatic tend to be the efficiencies as indicated by the
online nature. This type of the nurture in other dimensions cause big weakness since they work
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with the deficiency of the interpersonal relationships. This virtual diplomatic missions in many
cases they will not be able to replace the culture that comes through the physical relationship in
the offices and even around the world. Deficiency of the interpersonal relation will also result in
other weakness; that is the deficiency of the identity verification within the country. Most of the
illegitimate will use this opportunity in order to exploit other people (Jackson & Sørensen,2016
p.51). Therefore, there is the need for the delicate maintenance which will facilitate the
development and the caring of the maintenance of the virtual diplomats. This means that most of
the information's from the online platforms need to be controlled by the professionals. This
means that diplomats will have a comprehensive measure on the information provided, they will
know the group targeted and also they will be able to understand any data that is concerning the
policies and the objectives of the government. In addition, it can be noted that most of the
information presented on the online platforms can facilitate the formation of the customary law.
Thus indicating that diplomatic websites should be controlled by qualified personnel (Jackson &
Sørensen,2016 p.67).
The idea of the added complexity also arises from the virtual diplomatic missions. This
shows that most of the users in the online have different competency levels and in so doing there
is need to make online information clear and understandable. Anyone accessing the online
homepages should be aware of what is needed. All the information's need to be in English
language and if possible some information can be provided by use of the local languages through
using appropriate link. All the links and other icons with the vernaculars should be well
presented and easily seen by the online. If all this not met, then there will be challenges for users
to access the online information.
2.8.3 Opportunities of the virtual embassy
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In small countries or the poor countries, they may fail to have physical representations to
the many countries and therefore they find themselves using the virtual embassies and virtual
consultees (Jackson & Sørensen,2016 p.97). Also, the virtual diplomatic missions can be helpful
to those countries which are not strategically fit and not vital to the mother and with no good
cooperation. Therefore, there is the need for this countries to form physical representations all
over the world. There were permanent missions which were carried out in the physical offices
based on the country of the international business just before the formation of the virtual
diplomatic missions. Most of the citizens in this home country were not supposed to access the
work and the developments of the permanent missions thus leaving the diplomats of the other
permanent missions to participate in the roles. The importance of the virtual is that it has
provided market opportunities by allowing the most of the citizens in the mother countries to
access the permanent missions (Jackson & Sørensen,2016 p.117).
Also, the mode of the interaction between the citizens and the diplomat's missions has
been enhanced and this has assisted most of the users to synthesize back the appropriate
information thus giving back the apt feedback and the thus contributing to the mission. The
concept of the virtual diplomatic is so far an extra step for the medium of the publicity. This
shows that most of the diplomats will be able to reach huge number thus being easy to influence
different groups when passing the appropriate information across. The home country can also be
boosted by developing the bilateral missions.
2.8.4 Threats of the virtual embassy
The increased vulnerability to attack the online information's by the unwanted
individuals have formed a big threat. There is need to devise new tools and measures that will
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focus to increase the security level thus preventing the unauthorized individuals to access the
information's from the websites.
The other threat is the misinterpretations of the various information are found in the
missions done by the diplomats. Formally the information was provided through the use of the
human beings unlike now the virtual diplomats who are using text-based method to obtain
information and thus you find that it is becoming more difficult to acquire the text-based
information's (Jackson & Sørensen,2016 p.123). This will give chances of the misinterpretation
since not all the information's will be presented directly from the origin.
There is the undoubted possibility of the interactivity between citizen and the diplomatic
missions which have been aided by the diplomatic missions. Due to the idea of the interactivity,
there is the threat that most of the citizens anticipate being incorporated in high positions to aid
the conduct of the diplomacy through the virtual diplomatic missions of which it has never
happened before. This suggests that citizen will not accept the decisions agreed since they were
not consulted. Changes in information have subjected the diplomatic missions to respond to the
environmental events thus portraying that those missions should focus to reduce the level of the
autonomy as done by the government. Important functions need to be created and if the functions
of the missions not adjusted to the appropriate standards by the government, then the consistency
that will be anticipated by home country should be raised as key issue thus leading to the reduced
level of the credibility (Jackson & Sørensen,2016 p.127).
2.9 Virtual Diplomatic Missions vs. Traditional: Coexistence or the replacement.
The diplomatic missions are grouped into three; consulates, permanent missions, and the
embassies. The use of the virtual has been well analyzed and most of its functions carried out
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were based on the traditional diplomatic missions. This has revealed that the virtual diplomatic
missions have changed to the online version of the traditional mission and thus creating harmony
between the two.
Therefore, depending on my point of view I can say that although there are weakness and
the opportunities that emanate from the virtual diplomatic missions, then some of the weaknesses
cannot allow the diplomatic missions to be replaced by the online information's. The issue of the
personal relationships is a major factor considered in diplomacy process. From the large
information's collected from the websites then it means that the diplomatic missions will check it
and thus help the home government in a country to take the appropriate decisions given. Also,
the diplomatic missions will not satisfy the responsibilities needed if they accept the issue of the
virtual representations within the countries (Jackson & Sørensen,2016 p.135). In addition, the
aspect of the virtual representations can also help to complement the diplomatic missions. This
can be achieved through the development of the diplomatic relationships which can be aided by
the technology available through the digital time.
Virtual diplomatic missions can be used alone whereby the concept of the physical
missions is not working. The use of the engagement activities, use of the visits, use of media and
also the remote follow-up of the activities through the fax, use of phones, use of the e-mail and
use of video meetings can be integrated to minimize the challenges of the virtual missions within
the country (Jackson & Sørensen,2016 p.189).
If the virtual diplomatic missions are used inappropriate, then it shows that it can be
integrated to the already created measures of the international relations and the organizations.
Therefore, as the rate of usage of the technology services increases within the world then it's
clear that the concept of the virtual diplomacy can work as the apt tool for diplomacy. Although
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it will be difficult for them to remove physical diplomatic missions thus allowing the virtual and
the physical diplomats to coexist. Virtual diplomatic missions should target to improve
traditional diplomatic missions.
References
Howell, J., Parno, B. and Douceur, J.R., 2013, April. Embassies: Radically Refactoring the Web.
In NSDI (pp. 529-545).
Jackson, R. and Sørensen, G., 2016. Introduction to international relations: theories and
approaches. Oxford university press.
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