This chapter focuses on the negotiations that preceded the 1961 Vienna Conference (which led to t... more This chapter focuses on the negotiations that preceded the 1961 Vienna Conference (which led to the conclusion of the VCDR). The author challenges the view that the successful codification was an obvious step and refers in this regard to a history of intense negotiation which spanned fifteen years. With particular reference to the International Law Commission (ILC), the chapter explores the difficult task faced by ILC members to strike a balance between the codification of existing practice and progressive development of diplomatic law. It reaches the finding that the ILC negotiations were crucial for the success of the Conference, but notes also that certain States supported a less-binding form of codification. The chapter also underlines the fact that many issues that had caused friction between the Cold War parties were settled during the preparatory meetings and remained largely untouched during the 1961 negotiations.
focused, ‘traditional’ security studies, css has broadened the study of security to include quest... more focused, ‘traditional’ security studies, css has broadened the study of security to include questions about human emancipation, development, migration, terrorism and the biosphere.This book is distinguished by its contextualisation of css within politico-theoretical frameworks. The first half includes chapters on Critical Security Studies (capital letters suggest the ‘Aberystwyth school of thought’ and emancipatory Critical Theory), feminist approaches, post-colonial approaches, post-structuralism/international political sociology (associated with the ‘Paris school’ of css) and securitisation theory (the ‘Copenhagen school’). The authors acknowledge that telling the ‘narrative’ of css with reference to ‘schools’ is problematic, and they encourage readers to ‘travel without maps’ in exploring css (p. 11).The second half addresses issues of environmental security, terrorism, human security, borders, and technology and mediatised war. No less theoretical, it touches on biopolitics and surveillance; the politics of ‘exception’; and the politics of fear deployed by ‘risk advisory systems’. The feminist css chapter is perhaps the least interesting, as it primarily reviews the same arguments feminist scholars have made within IR for twenty years (some of which are essentialist and some of which focus on too-easy targets, like the gendered language of weapons operations). The chapter on post-colonial studies also reflects unfinished business with respect to the operation of cultural privilege and marginalisation in the context of (Europe-dominated) css. The most provocative chapter addresses human security and development. Here, the authors problematise the discourse of human security by linking it to a new form of state-centrism and a justification for colonial powers to maintain their dominance over developing countries via continued surveillance, military engagement and the imposition of economic and political liberalism. Critical Security Studies: An Introduction accepts the plurality of approaches that constitute ‘critical security studies’, rather than trying to assimilate these into a single framework. Well written and organised, this text offers a thoughtful analysis of a range of approaches and issues, and provides a concise guide to a burgeoning and complex sub-field.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/CONTENTS/FIGURES/ABBREVIATIONS/INTRODUCTION PART I: THE PREPARATORY STAGE: 1949-... more ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/CONTENTS/FIGURES/ABBREVIATIONS/INTRODUCTION PART I: THE PREPARATORY STAGE: 1949-1960 1 CODIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW: ORGANS AND PROCEDURES Evolution of the International Law Commission, 1947 to 1960/ The Sixth (Legal) Committee of the United Nations General Assembly/ The Codification Process/ Conclusion 2 THE INTERNATIONAL LAW COMMISSION ON DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES, 1949 - 1958 The Fifth to Eighth Session of the International Law Commission, 1953 to 1956/ The Ninth Session of the International Law Commission in 1957/ The Tenth Session of the International Law Commission in 1958/ Conclusion 3 BRITAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY- PROCESS: PREPARING FOR THE 1961 VIENNA CONFERENCE Coordinating Britain's View on the Codification of Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities/ Dealing with the 1957 Set of Provisional Draft Articles/ Preparing the Commentary for the 1958 ILC Draft Articles Whitehall Comments on the ILC Drafts/ Her Majesty's Home Office/ The Lord...
The article looks at changes in current bilateral and multilateral diplomatic practice and the im... more The article looks at changes in current bilateral and multilateral diplomatic practice and the impact that the shift into a conceptual age will have on diplomacy conducted in the 21st century.
From an Asian perspective, this article looks at the dynamics of diplomatic relations between Ind... more From an Asian perspective, this article looks at the dynamics of diplomatic relations between India and the Gulf States. It helps to understand India-GCC relations and hints to what might be next on the diplomatic agenda.
In 2014, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations celebrated its fiftieth anniversary since ... more In 2014, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations celebrated its fiftieth anniversary since its coming into force in 1964. Setting out the privileges and immunities accorded to diplomats and diplomatic missions, the negotiations of this convention were part of the United Nations' plan to strengthen the international rule of law. This article analyses the role of Britain, one of the major actors in the negotiation process. It explores how Britain's negotiation position was shaped by diplomatic realities of the 1950s, and the strategies used to ensure Britain's interests being reflected in the final convention. The focus will be on the overall political pressure that underlined Britain's negotiation position, in order to reveal the general UK position on the codification of diplomatic privileges and immunities. Despite the remarkably friendly atmosphere at the 1961 Vienna conference, Britain could not press through all its amendments which, through the concluding legislation process, protracted Britain's ratification process. The article shows while London was supporting the codification of international law, codification by convention was not its ultimate choice. Therefore, the subsequent legislation process was marked by an inter-departmental dispute between the Foreign Office and Treasury, inter alia, on the exemption of Scotch whisky from excise duties.
A global debate was sparked last week following the 'Panama Papers' leak by the Panama-based law ... more A global debate was sparked last week following the 'Panama Papers' leak by the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. The documents, which included the names of...
This article explores UAE-India relations and the synergy effect that the new comprehensive, stra... more This article explores UAE-India relations and the synergy effect that the new comprehensive, strategic partnership promises to bring for both countries. How can Wipro, Tata Group and Kalyan Jewellers on one side, and DP World and the 34 other Emirati government related entities position themselves strategically to benefit from a calculated 60% trade increase by 2020?
This article is available online for free in the March issue of Extraordinaryinar and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist (pp 36-41).
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MA Degree in European P... more Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MA Degree in European Politics and Culture, Keele University
This ppt presentation outlines the conceptual changes of diplomacy and draws on practical consequ... more This ppt presentation outlines the conceptual changes of diplomacy and draws on practical consequences for Dubai's city diplomacy. The presentation supported my talk given at Paris-Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi at a research seminar on 17 February 2015.
The following is a short opinion article, published in Gulf News on 30 November 2014, reflecting ... more The following is a short opinion article, published in Gulf News on 30 November 2014, reflecting on Dubai's recent growth and the growing role of global cities in International Relations. It shortly draws on Dubai's Expo 2020 bid as a strategic move to lead Dubai into the diplomatic realities of the 21st century.
Published in the 2014 May issue of the Diplomatist Magazine, the article analysis the reasons of ... more Published in the 2014 May issue of the Diplomatist Magazine, the article analysis the reasons of success of the a convention which some 50 years after its coming into force, and despite a drastic change in the structure of the international system, has been accepted by 190 states which literally turned its provisions to general international law.
Presentation given at the 50 Years Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations conference at Edinbu... more Presentation given at the 50 Years Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations conference at Edinburgh University Law School.
The International Law Commission (ILC) had an outstanding role in the preparation of what later became the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). The presentation focused on the improved codification process, the composition of the ILC and its power of agenda setting, and the type and form of codification chosen.
An internal US inspection report released this summer criticized the US ambassador to the UAE, HE... more An internal US inspection report released this summer criticized the US ambassador to the UAE, HE Michael Corbin, for misusing parts of his diplomatic privileges. Not only in the UAE the granting of diplomatic privileges and immunities is a controversially debated topic. In the public eye diplomats seem to enjoy traditional prerogatives enabling them to float above the law. In the light of abuses of diplomatic immunities such as parking, speeding or even more serious crimes such as drug and people trafficking the upcoming Monday night speaker lecture will raise the question why states grant diplomatic immunities.
In order to create a basic understanding the lecture will analyze the historical evolution of legal doctrines underlying the concession of diplomatic privileges and immunities. Diplomatic law governing the inviolability of permanent mission premises and immunities of their staff are regulated in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). We will look at the codification history of the VCDR and discuss cases of abuses of diplomatic immunities in order to get a feel for the link between legal theory and diplomatic practice to deepen our understanding of the benefits of such long-standing diplomatic practice.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) was signed at the height of the Cold War mor... more The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) was signed at the height of the Cold War more than fifty years ago. The agreement and its negotiation have become a cornerstone of diplomatic law.
A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy, which is based on archival research in the National Archives (London), the Austrian State Archives (Vienna) and the Political Archive (Berlin), delivers the first study of the British policy during the negotiation of the key convention governing diplomatic privileges and immunities: the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The book provides a complete commentary on the political aspects of the codification process of diplomatic law. By clearly presenting the case with accessible analysis, author Kai Bruns makes the relations between international law and politics understandable, stressing the impact of the emergence of the third world in UN diplomacy.
Slide deck to presentation given at the Innovation & Entrerpreneurship Teaching Symposium, 24 Feb... more Slide deck to presentation given at the Innovation & Entrerpreneurship Teaching Symposium, 24 Feb 2018 at the Petroleum Institute at Abu Dhabi. It explores the evolution of the concept of design, contrasts facilitating a design thinking workshop with teaching design thinking, identifies best teaching practices and suggests a focus on growth mindset, creative confidence and integrative thinking training exercises within the design thinking process to develop new patterns of behaviours.
Reflection on nine Design Thinking sprints that I conducted in Fall 2017 with our freshmen studen... more Reflection on nine Design Thinking sprints that I conducted in Fall 2017 with our freshmen students at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK).
This chapter focuses on the negotiations that preceded the 1961 Vienna Conference (which led to t... more This chapter focuses on the negotiations that preceded the 1961 Vienna Conference (which led to the conclusion of the VCDR). The author challenges the view that the successful codification was an obvious step and refers in this regard to a history of intense negotiation which spanned fifteen years. With particular reference to the International Law Commission (ILC), the chapter explores the difficult task faced by ILC members to strike a balance between the codification of existing practice and progressive development of diplomatic law. It reaches the finding that the ILC negotiations were crucial for the success of the Conference, but notes also that certain States supported a less-binding form of codification. The chapter also underlines the fact that many issues that had caused friction between the Cold War parties were settled during the preparatory meetings and remained largely untouched during the 1961 negotiations.
focused, ‘traditional’ security studies, css has broadened the study of security to include quest... more focused, ‘traditional’ security studies, css has broadened the study of security to include questions about human emancipation, development, migration, terrorism and the biosphere.This book is distinguished by its contextualisation of css within politico-theoretical frameworks. The first half includes chapters on Critical Security Studies (capital letters suggest the ‘Aberystwyth school of thought’ and emancipatory Critical Theory), feminist approaches, post-colonial approaches, post-structuralism/international political sociology (associated with the ‘Paris school’ of css) and securitisation theory (the ‘Copenhagen school’). The authors acknowledge that telling the ‘narrative’ of css with reference to ‘schools’ is problematic, and they encourage readers to ‘travel without maps’ in exploring css (p. 11).The second half addresses issues of environmental security, terrorism, human security, borders, and technology and mediatised war. No less theoretical, it touches on biopolitics and surveillance; the politics of ‘exception’; and the politics of fear deployed by ‘risk advisory systems’. The feminist css chapter is perhaps the least interesting, as it primarily reviews the same arguments feminist scholars have made within IR for twenty years (some of which are essentialist and some of which focus on too-easy targets, like the gendered language of weapons operations). The chapter on post-colonial studies also reflects unfinished business with respect to the operation of cultural privilege and marginalisation in the context of (Europe-dominated) css. The most provocative chapter addresses human security and development. Here, the authors problematise the discourse of human security by linking it to a new form of state-centrism and a justification for colonial powers to maintain their dominance over developing countries via continued surveillance, military engagement and the imposition of economic and political liberalism. Critical Security Studies: An Introduction accepts the plurality of approaches that constitute ‘critical security studies’, rather than trying to assimilate these into a single framework. Well written and organised, this text offers a thoughtful analysis of a range of approaches and issues, and provides a concise guide to a burgeoning and complex sub-field.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/CONTENTS/FIGURES/ABBREVIATIONS/INTRODUCTION PART I: THE PREPARATORY STAGE: 1949-... more ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/CONTENTS/FIGURES/ABBREVIATIONS/INTRODUCTION PART I: THE PREPARATORY STAGE: 1949-1960 1 CODIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW: ORGANS AND PROCEDURES Evolution of the International Law Commission, 1947 to 1960/ The Sixth (Legal) Committee of the United Nations General Assembly/ The Codification Process/ Conclusion 2 THE INTERNATIONAL LAW COMMISSION ON DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES, 1949 - 1958 The Fifth to Eighth Session of the International Law Commission, 1953 to 1956/ The Ninth Session of the International Law Commission in 1957/ The Tenth Session of the International Law Commission in 1958/ Conclusion 3 BRITAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY- PROCESS: PREPARING FOR THE 1961 VIENNA CONFERENCE Coordinating Britain's View on the Codification of Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities/ Dealing with the 1957 Set of Provisional Draft Articles/ Preparing the Commentary for the 1958 ILC Draft Articles Whitehall Comments on the ILC Drafts/ Her Majesty's Home Office/ The Lord...
The article looks at changes in current bilateral and multilateral diplomatic practice and the im... more The article looks at changes in current bilateral and multilateral diplomatic practice and the impact that the shift into a conceptual age will have on diplomacy conducted in the 21st century.
From an Asian perspective, this article looks at the dynamics of diplomatic relations between Ind... more From an Asian perspective, this article looks at the dynamics of diplomatic relations between India and the Gulf States. It helps to understand India-GCC relations and hints to what might be next on the diplomatic agenda.
In 2014, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations celebrated its fiftieth anniversary since ... more In 2014, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations celebrated its fiftieth anniversary since its coming into force in 1964. Setting out the privileges and immunities accorded to diplomats and diplomatic missions, the negotiations of this convention were part of the United Nations' plan to strengthen the international rule of law. This article analyses the role of Britain, one of the major actors in the negotiation process. It explores how Britain's negotiation position was shaped by diplomatic realities of the 1950s, and the strategies used to ensure Britain's interests being reflected in the final convention. The focus will be on the overall political pressure that underlined Britain's negotiation position, in order to reveal the general UK position on the codification of diplomatic privileges and immunities. Despite the remarkably friendly atmosphere at the 1961 Vienna conference, Britain could not press through all its amendments which, through the concluding legislation process, protracted Britain's ratification process. The article shows while London was supporting the codification of international law, codification by convention was not its ultimate choice. Therefore, the subsequent legislation process was marked by an inter-departmental dispute between the Foreign Office and Treasury, inter alia, on the exemption of Scotch whisky from excise duties.
A global debate was sparked last week following the 'Panama Papers' leak by the Panama-based law ... more A global debate was sparked last week following the 'Panama Papers' leak by the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. The documents, which included the names of...
This article explores UAE-India relations and the synergy effect that the new comprehensive, stra... more This article explores UAE-India relations and the synergy effect that the new comprehensive, strategic partnership promises to bring for both countries. How can Wipro, Tata Group and Kalyan Jewellers on one side, and DP World and the 34 other Emirati government related entities position themselves strategically to benefit from a calculated 60% trade increase by 2020?
This article is available online for free in the March issue of Extraordinaryinar and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist (pp 36-41).
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MA Degree in European P... more Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MA Degree in European Politics and Culture, Keele University
This ppt presentation outlines the conceptual changes of diplomacy and draws on practical consequ... more This ppt presentation outlines the conceptual changes of diplomacy and draws on practical consequences for Dubai's city diplomacy. The presentation supported my talk given at Paris-Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi at a research seminar on 17 February 2015.
The following is a short opinion article, published in Gulf News on 30 November 2014, reflecting ... more The following is a short opinion article, published in Gulf News on 30 November 2014, reflecting on Dubai's recent growth and the growing role of global cities in International Relations. It shortly draws on Dubai's Expo 2020 bid as a strategic move to lead Dubai into the diplomatic realities of the 21st century.
Published in the 2014 May issue of the Diplomatist Magazine, the article analysis the reasons of ... more Published in the 2014 May issue of the Diplomatist Magazine, the article analysis the reasons of success of the a convention which some 50 years after its coming into force, and despite a drastic change in the structure of the international system, has been accepted by 190 states which literally turned its provisions to general international law.
Presentation given at the 50 Years Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations conference at Edinbu... more Presentation given at the 50 Years Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations conference at Edinburgh University Law School.
The International Law Commission (ILC) had an outstanding role in the preparation of what later became the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). The presentation focused on the improved codification process, the composition of the ILC and its power of agenda setting, and the type and form of codification chosen.
An internal US inspection report released this summer criticized the US ambassador to the UAE, HE... more An internal US inspection report released this summer criticized the US ambassador to the UAE, HE Michael Corbin, for misusing parts of his diplomatic privileges. Not only in the UAE the granting of diplomatic privileges and immunities is a controversially debated topic. In the public eye diplomats seem to enjoy traditional prerogatives enabling them to float above the law. In the light of abuses of diplomatic immunities such as parking, speeding or even more serious crimes such as drug and people trafficking the upcoming Monday night speaker lecture will raise the question why states grant diplomatic immunities.
In order to create a basic understanding the lecture will analyze the historical evolution of legal doctrines underlying the concession of diplomatic privileges and immunities. Diplomatic law governing the inviolability of permanent mission premises and immunities of their staff are regulated in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). We will look at the codification history of the VCDR and discuss cases of abuses of diplomatic immunities in order to get a feel for the link between legal theory and diplomatic practice to deepen our understanding of the benefits of such long-standing diplomatic practice.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) was signed at the height of the Cold War mor... more The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) was signed at the height of the Cold War more than fifty years ago. The agreement and its negotiation have become a cornerstone of diplomatic law.
A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy, which is based on archival research in the National Archives (London), the Austrian State Archives (Vienna) and the Political Archive (Berlin), delivers the first study of the British policy during the negotiation of the key convention governing diplomatic privileges and immunities: the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The book provides a complete commentary on the political aspects of the codification process of diplomatic law. By clearly presenting the case with accessible analysis, author Kai Bruns makes the relations between international law and politics understandable, stressing the impact of the emergence of the third world in UN diplomacy.
Slide deck to presentation given at the Innovation & Entrerpreneurship Teaching Symposium, 24 Feb... more Slide deck to presentation given at the Innovation & Entrerpreneurship Teaching Symposium, 24 Feb 2018 at the Petroleum Institute at Abu Dhabi. It explores the evolution of the concept of design, contrasts facilitating a design thinking workshop with teaching design thinking, identifies best teaching practices and suggests a focus on growth mindset, creative confidence and integrative thinking training exercises within the design thinking process to develop new patterns of behaviours.
Reflection on nine Design Thinking sprints that I conducted in Fall 2017 with our freshmen studen... more Reflection on nine Design Thinking sprints that I conducted in Fall 2017 with our freshmen students at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK).
Reflection article on classroom practices and approaches on teaching critical thinking and global... more Reflection article on classroom practices and approaches on teaching critical thinking and global awareness. The article reflects on didactic theories that guide my teaching, including Burch's Four Stages of Learning, Robert Kegan's social maturity and Karl Popper's Three Worlds of Knowledge.
This article looks at the argument that Qatar is the most stable of the Gulf states and the regio... more This article looks at the argument that Qatar is the most stable of the Gulf states and the region's leader in higher education, hence the July 2017 diplomatic crisis will have a severe effect on the entire region. It concludes that while Qatar has a high number of international campuses, student numbers are low, and that particularly in recent statistics the UAE has taken the lead.
By exploring the theoretical basis of diplomatic privileges and immunities, including the absolut... more By exploring the theoretical basis of diplomatic privileges and immunities, including the absolute inviolability of diplomatic means of transport, this paper will help understand the link between diplomatic theory and practice. Diplomatic privileges and immunities were largely codified at the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). An analysis of the background to the negotiations of the 1961 VCDR will show that while diplomatic prerogatives have a clear theoretical basis, theory was secondary during the negotiation process. Being based mainly on functional necessity, and partly on the representative character theory, the theoretical approach has been applied inconsistently throughout the convention. Finally, this paper will show that the extension of absolute inviolability of mission premises to means of transport was a last minute proposal and eventually slipped through due to time constraints at the end of the 1961 Vienna Conference.
Since the early 2000s, the majority of people live in urban areas, and expectations are that by 2... more Since the early 2000s, the majority of people live in urban areas, and expectations are that by 2050 75% of the world population will be living in urban settings. Assuming that we have entered an urban age the role of cities as the closest political link to citizens, automatically, will have an effect on how we perceive their legitimacy as diplomatic actors. In the future, global cities such as London, Shanghai and Dubai will have a special role to play which is sometimes referred to as city diplomacy. However, the legitimacy of cities as diplomatic actors and subjects of public international law is a bone of contention. Can we even call cities’ international activity diplomacy or should it not be better-called city lobbying? Looking at the state system, key concepts to our understanding of the functions of sovereignty, hegemony and balance of power will lead to an understanding that sovereignty is an ideal construct and most certainly is not absolute. Moreover, the paper traces the evolution of our perception of the concept of diplomacy to explain why it has become more inclusive and how forces of autonomy have led to a number of new actors at different scales. In a final step, the phenomenon of global cities will be analysed. Taking a city perspective fundamental works such as those of Saskia Sassen, Michelle Acuto and Peter Taylor give explanations to why we can understand cities as hegemony makers or revolutionists of a new global economic system detached from that of the state system…or both.
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Papers by Kai Bruns
This article is available online for free in the March issue of Extraordinaryinar and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist (pp 36-41).
Conference Presentations by Kai Bruns
The International Law Commission (ILC) had an outstanding role in the preparation of what later became the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). The presentation focused on the improved codification process, the composition of the ILC and its power of agenda setting, and the type and form of codification chosen.
In order to create a basic understanding the lecture will analyze the historical evolution of legal doctrines underlying the concession of diplomatic privileges and immunities. Diplomatic law governing the inviolability of permanent mission premises and immunities of their staff are regulated in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). We will look at the codification history of the VCDR and discuss cases of abuses of diplomatic immunities in order to get a feel for the link between legal theory and diplomatic practice to deepen our understanding of the benefits of such long-standing diplomatic practice.
Books by Kai Bruns
A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy, which is based on archival research in the National Archives (London), the Austrian State Archives (Vienna) and the Political Archive (Berlin), delivers the first study of the British policy during the negotiation of the key convention governing diplomatic privileges and immunities: the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The book provides a complete commentary on the political aspects of the codification process of diplomatic law. By clearly presenting the case with accessible analysis, author Kai Bruns makes the relations between international law and politics understandable, stressing the impact of the emergence of the third world in UN diplomacy.
Drafts by Kai Bruns
This article is available online for free in the March issue of Extraordinaryinar and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist (pp 36-41).
The International Law Commission (ILC) had an outstanding role in the preparation of what later became the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). The presentation focused on the improved codification process, the composition of the ILC and its power of agenda setting, and the type and form of codification chosen.
In order to create a basic understanding the lecture will analyze the historical evolution of legal doctrines underlying the concession of diplomatic privileges and immunities. Diplomatic law governing the inviolability of permanent mission premises and immunities of their staff are regulated in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). We will look at the codification history of the VCDR and discuss cases of abuses of diplomatic immunities in order to get a feel for the link between legal theory and diplomatic practice to deepen our understanding of the benefits of such long-standing diplomatic practice.
A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy, which is based on archival research in the National Archives (London), the Austrian State Archives (Vienna) and the Political Archive (Berlin), delivers the first study of the British policy during the negotiation of the key convention governing diplomatic privileges and immunities: the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The book provides a complete commentary on the political aspects of the codification process of diplomatic law. By clearly presenting the case with accessible analysis, author Kai Bruns makes the relations between international law and politics understandable, stressing the impact of the emergence of the third world in UN diplomacy.
Looking at the state system, key concepts to our understanding of the functions of sovereignty, hegemony and balance of power will lead to an understanding that sovereignty is an ideal construct and most certainly is not absolute. Moreover, the paper traces the evolution of our perception of the concept of diplomacy to explain why it has become more inclusive and how forces of autonomy have led to a number of new actors at different scales. In a final step, the phenomenon of global cities will be analysed. Taking a city perspective fundamental works such as those of Saskia Sassen, Michelle Acuto and Peter Taylor give explanations to why we can understand cities as hegemony makers or revolutionists of a new global economic system detached from that of the state system…or both.