55. Explain the meaning of “code word”? Give examples.

Code words are phrases or words that have become endowed with special meaning, through frequent usage or circumstance. They usually convey meaning that goes beyond the literal language; the special meaning attached to these comes from usage. Such practice is common to many professions; in international affairs, knowing and mastering such code words is a practical art

Examples: international community—in practice this refers to Western countries’ views of events, sometimes the permanent members of the UN Security Council (P-5). If the members of the African Union (consisting of 53 countries) or the G-77 (about 130+ states) put forward a demand, editorial writers are unlikely to refer to them by this term.

Engagement: attempts to carry out dialogue or exchanges in noncontroversial areas with a problem country; or making an effort to overcome differences through initiatives covering cooperative actions in areas of mutual interest.

Confidence building measures may be included in a policy of engagement; they cover measures that are taken by a pair of states to overcome a trust deficit, through step-by-step actions, undertaken on matters of mutual interest.

“Democratization of the international system” is a phrase used by powers that would like to play a greater role in world affairs than they actually do, in practice; this expression is to be found in statements that come from Russia and India, for instance. In the same way, multipolarity is a term used by these states, and by China, which signals antipathy to the position of the United States as the sole superpower.2 Polycentrism is the term used by France, with a similar aim.

56. Explain, why the National day reception is the key occasion for many embassies.

National day receptions are in a special category, now held increasingly at hotels, unless the envoy lives in a grand residence with the requisite infrastructure and room to host hundreds of guests. Are such receptions really useful? This is debatable, except that they are viewed as indispensable by a certain segment of any capital’s glitterati, which cherish their social value. The reception is one way for an envoy to reciprocate many accumulated social obligations, but in major capitals that may have around 140 or more resident embassies, attending these becomes a heavy drag on fellow ambassadors; few senior officials of the receiving country and other local heavyweights tend to attend such functions. Australia has responded by holding its national day functions outside the capital in many places, rotating the event to different provincial and regional cities; or they do not hold the reception and instead donate a sum of money to a local good cause.

57. Compare and contrast the diplomatic channel and cross-checking of the information.

By custom and convenience, the foreign ministry’s primary choice is its own envoy; it is almost always better to have this envoy deliver a message, or obtain information, or a clarification— that way one deals directly with the principals in the other country, rather than depend on a foreign intermediary. Yet, as experience shows, the foreign envoy is a second, auxiliary channel. In particular situations, be it for confirmation of information or for checking something about the partner country, that foreign envoy’s intimate knowledge of his home country becomes vital, making him the priority channel. One may sometimes wish to cross check some information provided by one’s envoy, and of course this has to be handled with much discretion, so as not to make this act of cross checking obvious.

58. Tell about the general rules for drafting speeches. 2

• Clarity of language and of structure is vital. The great speechmakers use simple and direct language, employing idiom to connect with their audience. Remember, listeners usually do not have the text of your speech (even when texts are given out, this happens at the end of the speech). It is important to tell people what you are going to cover, in a straightforward structure that is easy to grasp.

• The draftsman should familiarize himself with the style of the person for whom a speech is being drafted. For instance, Indira Gandhi used a style that her chief speechwriter, H. Y. Sharda Prasad, called “linear”—each sentence moved forward, without making a link with something that had been said earlier. That made her speeches relatively “dense,” though she favored simple language.

• Writing a draft for a conference speech involves gaining close familiarity with the subject, and on that basis focusing on the new or relatively novel things that are to be presented on that occasion. While the internet helps, as noted earlier, it has to be used with caution, to avoid even inadvertent plagiarism, which is very easy to catch.

• In our age of sound bites, finding a catchy phrase is a sure way to gain visibility and media attention. This must come naturally, without appearing “forced” or artificial.