Candidates for Commercial Diplomatic Practise
The most obvious candidates for training in commercial diplomatic field are the officials or diplomats responsible for developing their country's international trade and investment policies, for negotiating international trade and investment agreements with other countries and for managing international trade, investment and commercial disputes. What is less obvious is that all other stakeholders involved in the trade policy development and advocacy processes need the same training. Trade officials are only the most visible practitioners of commercial diplomacy. They usually are outnumbered by officials with trade-related responsibilities in many other government departments and ministries, officials from departments or ministries responsible for foreign affairs, finance, agriculture, industry, labor, health, the environment, the regulation of banks, telecommunications, air transportation, or the licensing of professionals.
Others who need instruction in commercial diplomatic practise include managers in the international departments of industry associations, corporations, unions and non-governmental organizations that have a stake in the outcome of trade policy decisions. In order to play an effective role in the domestic and global political advocacy and coalition-building process that precedes negotiations, these stakeholders need most of the same commercial diplomacy skills as government trade negotiators. Skill in commercial diplomacy is also required of corporate managers posted in foreign countries, who often must interact with the host government on a broad range of regulatory issues.
Another group that requires training in commercial diplomatic practise is the secretariat staff of international organizations that deal with global trade, investment and trade-related regulatory issues. While such officials as a rule play less of a direct role in the political management of trade issues, they can most effectively do their job if they understand the politics of trade.
Commercial diplomacy increasingly requires the use of a wide range of advocacy and coalition-building tools for favorable decisions at home and abroad. To obtain the support of the home government in trade disputes with other countries, or to gain favorable decisions from the home government in on trade-related issues, the commercial diplomat must use a range of advocacy tools. Advocacy tools include letters, testimony, white papers, speeches, op-ed pieces in newspapers, phone calls and personal visits to key stakeholders and decision-makers. The commercial diplomat must also build coalitions within the government, industry or interest group -- to exert political influence in support of desired outcomes among stakeholders with political influence. Internationally, commercial diplomats must apply the same advocacy and coalition building tools to stakeholders in all other countries involved in the resolution of an international trade or investment issue.
Once a domestic decision has been reached on a trade negotiating issue, a trade dispute, or on a broader scale, on a national trade policy, commercial diplomacy moves to the international negotiation and/or dispute settlement phase of the process. The negotiation of politically sensitive issues, however, may well require further interactions with domestic stakeholders as part of a continuing consensus building process. Once an agreement is negotiated or a decision is rendered in a trade dispute, trade officials usually have to persuade domestic decision- makers to effectively implement the agreed outcome.
Most issues addressed by commercial diplomats
