I consider this work an excellent, comprehensive manual for new and practicing diplomatic officers, and I applaud the authors for their foresight in producing it. This handbook should become essential reading for diplomats as it covers matters that appear simple on the surface but indeed are very critical to the successful execution of ones job as a diplomat (Keith Franklin, GCM, former ambassador of Barbados to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, former permanent secretary to the prime ministers office, and retired cabinet secretary to the government of Barbados, West Indies). This handbook for Heads of Mission is well-thought-out, clearly written, very timely, correctly sequenced and will prove to be both practical and useful (Mervyn I Assam, former high commissioner for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Kingdom, former minister of Foreign Affairs, former ambassador extraordinary, and plenipotentiary with responsibility for trade and industry). A crash course in diplomacy and the use of its tools! Gives one a practical understanding of the weighty nature of the post of Head of Mission. This handbook not only emphasizes the importance of understanding that this responsibility is full-time but also the importance of the need to prepare adequately for this responsibility. Through the comprehensive way in which the authors have dealt with the diplomatic process, it is a handbook which greatly contributes to ensuring that a Head of Mission is adequately equipped for the leadership role in the delivery of desired national outcomes (Sonia Johnny, attorney at law, former ambassador of St. Lucia to the United States of America).

The 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations has for over 50 years been central to diplomacy and applied to all forms of relations among sovereign States. Participation is almost universal. The rules giving special protection to ambassadors are the oldest established in international law and the Convention is respected almost everywhere. But understanding it as a living instrument requires knowledge of its background in customary international law, of the negotiating history which clarifies many of its terms and the subsequent practice of states and decisions of national courts which have resolved other ambiguities. Diplomatic Law provides this in-depth Commentary. The book is an essential guide to changing methods of modern diplomacy and shows how challenges to its regime of special protection for embassies and diplomats have been met and resolved. It is used by ministries of foreign affairs and cited by domestic courts world-wide. The book analyzes the reasons for the widespread observance of the Convention rules and why in the special case of communications - where there is flagrant violation of their special status - these reasons do not apply. It describes how abuse has been controlled and how the immunities in the Convention have survived onslaught by those claiming that they should give way to conflicting entitlements to access to justice and the desire to punish violators of human rights. It describes how the duty of diplomats not to interfere in the internal affairs of the host State is being narrowed in the face of the communal international responsibility to monitor and uphold human rights.

A comprehensive and in-depth study of the legal position in international law of heads of state, heads of government and other senior state officials, this book analyses relevant treaties, case law, and custom to set out the law in this area and provide practical guidance.

World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolu­tion, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wear­able sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manu­facturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individu­als. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frame­works that advance progress.

Satow's Diplomatic Practice is a classic work, first published 90 years ago and revised four times since. This is the first revised edition for thirty years, during which time the world and diplomacy have changed almost beyond recognition. The new edition provides an enlarged and updated section on the history of diplomacy and revises comprehensively the practice of diplomacy and the corpus of diplomatic and international law since the end of the Cold War. It traces the substantial expansion in numbers both of sovereign states and international and regional organisations and features detailed chapters on diplomatic privileges and immunities, diplomatic missions and consular matters. It also examines new forms of diplomacy from the work of NGOs to the use of secret envoys and commercial security firms, and the book highlights the impact of international terrorism on the life and work of a diplomat. Satow is an indispensable guide for anyone working in or studying the field of diplomacy.

Missions specialist Paul Borthwick brings an urgent report on how the Western church can best continue in global mission. Providing current analysis of the state of the world and Majority World opinion, Borthwick offers concrete advice for Western churches who want to avoid the pitfalls of colonialism.

Ramona Pedretti offers, for the first time, a comprehensive assessment of the rules of customary international law relating to immunity of Heads of State and other State officials in the context of crimes pursuant to international law and their relationship with core principles of international law. The book gives the reader a full picture of this topical issue which is located at the heart of today's development of international law. It contains an in-depth evaluation of a vast amount of relevant material, ranging from domestic laws to judicial decisions of domestic and international courts. The fact that the International Law Commission is deliberating the issue with a view to drafting an international treaty underscores the book's importance and timeliness.