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The Diplomatic Insight Weekly: 16th Jan- 22nd Jan
Published about 1 month ago • 6 min read
The Diplomatic Insight Weekly
The world changes within seconds; And it's been a week!
Hello Reader
This week, the centre of global diplomatic gravity concentrated on Davos.
The Swiss resort that boasts world's largest gathering of elites under the World Economic Forum.
Before diving in to this week's Top Stories, let's take a glance on why this year's WEF seemed significant.
Leaders descend on the town like nobody's business.
Heads of states, govt officials, politicians, businessmen, tech leaders, whatnot. It's important because important people participate.
But for past few years, the hype was dying down. Criticisms of WEF (some bordering on conspiracy) took root in public discourse.
Speeches. Conferences. Talks. That's all we expected: a monologue of global elite.
So what's the larger picture behind this year's unusual hype?
Just take some of this year's participants.
65 heads of states / governments
Highest number of ministers, govt officials, politicians
US President Donald Trump
• Vice Premier of China, He Lifeng
• 100+ business & tech leaders
No observer can ignore their presence at Davos. These people are reshaping the global order and our lives amidst ongoing fluidity.
We hear President Trump's speech. We see Chinese, European, Global South representatives on stage. Then there's the tech bros with their proposed utopias.
But at Davos, much more happens outside the limelight.
This became a point of criticism in the past: 📢 "WEF is just an intra-elite networking event." 📢
Politicians find business partners, leaders-in-making make connections, business leaders woo policy-makers.
But this year, it's hard to dismiss it as merely that.
When consultative international institutions break down, such gatherings are precisely what's required to keep diplomacy on the table.
This realization underlies the increased interest, coverage, and participation.
This year's forum has already promised some diplomatic wins. We'll be covering Pakistan's in our section below.
But for issues concerning international order, we've got:
Consider also the fact that many competing forums have also grown significant. Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Shangri-La Dialogue, Doha Forum, to name a few.
This shows that as a realist power-centric international order emerges and actors proliferate, events like WEF become consequential for diplomatic engagement.
Here’s your weekly roundup of the week’s most important stories, news, and articles from The Diplomatic Insight.
The European bloc is clearly charged since Trump's usual pressure tactics. Voting on Turnberrydeal is off the list, but the 1951 Greenland Defense Pact is likely to be revisited.
If things go south, NATO's survival will lie at the heart of the split, and hence our ideas on collective security will need some revisiting too.
BBC Afghan’s investigation suggests that the Taliban leadership has gradually split into two broad camps, each promoting a different vision for Afghanistan’s future.
The ceremonious leader keeps a closed circle, and often likes to bypass ministries & whatever formal governance remains in place.
Join Pakistan's Electric Vehicle revolution at Pakistan EV Expo
For Diplomats, Resilient Power Is More Than Just ‘Personal Work’
It is past midnight, and you are arguing over one adjective in a joint statement, knowing that it may determine whether a channel stays open or closes for months.
Burn out & disillusionment in a fractured age of diplomacy only surface in side conversations.
But the support needed must be part of the work. Investing in resilient power is not secondary.
Led by PM Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's delegation at the World Economic Forum met international partners to discuss economic, trade, business, and bilateral ties.
Legendary artist Sadequain remains Pakistan's foremost cultural icon. His legacy is now shared with Galerie Sadequain, which will now display more of his original works.
A wide range of legislative and policy reforms aimed at improving the protection and welfare of children.
Yet, despite notable progress since its last review in 2016, deep-rooted challenges continue to hinder the full realization of children’s rights across the country.
TDI Weekly brings you curated updates on diplomatic developments every Friday. Subscribe and join over 1,000+ readers (+ get access to the monthly Diplomatic Insight Magazine!)
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