A field that encompasses diplomacy and global affairs, international relations is an academic and professional discipline concerned with how governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and multinational corporations interact with one another. It examines the complexities and nuances of global politics, as well as how they are managed in the name of peace and prosperity.
A belief that the international system should be shaped by liberal, progressive ideals. This belief – that countries should be held to the same democratic standards as each other and that outsiders should have a role in reshaping them if they are not living up to these standards – underpins much of the world’s development cooperation.
Diplomacy is an essential tool in the field of international relations, and a critical part of it involves inter-state negotiations and relationship building that shape state interactions. Historically, diplomacy has evolved, from the formal and rigid practices used by the League of Nations to more contemporary practices that incorporate the principles of peacebuilding and collaborative problem-solving.
The state of being sandwiched between two powerhouses. Traditionally, this has meant weak states like Poland and Czechoslovakia, caught between the great powers of Germany and the Soviet Union after the first world war. More recently, the term has been used to refer to states such as Libya and Yemen being trapped between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
An alliance of 29 European countries that provides collective security and, during the Cold War, was the main bulwark against the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. Its Article 5 stipulates that an attack on a member is considered an attack on all members. The group also facilitates economic activity and diplomacy among its members.
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