Diplomatic negotiation has its own logic — shaped by institutional constraints, protocol, signalling, back-channels, face-saving, and the long shadow of precedent. These are not complications to be managed around; they are instruments. This block examines diplomatic negotiation from the inside, drawing on decades of real diplomatic experience to offer both conceptual clarity and applied skill in one of the most demanding and consequential forms of negotiation.
Topics include: the specific logic of diplomatic interaction; explicit negotiation and tacit bargaining in diplomatic settings; diplomatic representation and savoir-faire as negotiation assets; signalling, ambiguity, and diplomatic language; managing multilateral complexity; negotiating under institutional and political constraints; preserving working relationships under pressure.
Learning environment: The session takes place in a sufficiently large room with chairs arranged in a circle. Tables are not used: they create distance and inhibit the quality of interaction that makes the learning real. Video recording is not permitted, as it affects both confidentiality and the natural dynamics of group interaction. Photography is welcome before or after the workshop.
Timeframe: 4 hours with a 15-minute break.
Optimal group size: from 12 to 30 participants.
