The Diplomat Training Manual

Welcome to The North Pacific Diplomat Training Manual! The Diplomat Training Manual (DTM) is a comprehensive resource meant to provide context as to what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is, how foreign affairs works in NationStates, and how The North Pacific (TNP) engages with the outside world. The DTM was written by Praetor, a three-time Minister of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) with input provided by the then Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Senior Diplomats. The DTM has eight chapters meant to be read in order with subsequent sections enhancing the knowledge of previous sections, however, each section is self-contained for those only interested in particular chapters.

Chapter 1: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Chapter 2: The Diplomatic Corps
Chapter 3: The Diplomatic Protocol
Chapter 4: The Senior Diplomats
Chapter 5: Ideologies in NS
Chapter 6: TNP’s Foreign Affairs Toolbox
Chapter 7: Reports
Chapter 8: Diplomacy
Conclusion

Chapter 1: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs​

The North Pacific’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for engaging with other regions and external organizations, distributing publications to our embassies regions, and ensuring our foreign policy objectives are obtained. The Ministry serves to promote our principles as well as to establish relationships with other communities that share them.

What are the principles that our foreign policy is based on?

Independence

A variety of ideologies are used in NationStates to describe foreign policies. The North Pacific’s ideology is Independence, it was first articulated in the Independent Manifesto. While Independence will be explored in more depth later, in essence, Independence is focusing on the development of the region itself and acting in our regional interests.We are not beholden to R/D in our foreign policy; we operate outside of the spectrum. Independence and other NS ideologies will be explored later..

Anti-Fascism

Fascism is a scourge on NationStates, whether this be through Nazism specifically or generally. Regardless of the form, The North Pacific is committed to destroying fascism on NationStates from supporting offensive liberations and quorum raiding fascist proposals, deploying the North Pacific Army on anti-fascist operations, and warning nations they are entering a fascist region through the Civil Defence Siren. The North Pacific does not engage in diplomatic relations with fascist regions.

Regional Development

A large focus of The North Pacific’s foreign policy is around regional development and determining ways to grow, both ourselves and how other regions can grow as well and helping other regions grow and improve.

Pragmatism

We emphasize being pragmatic in our foreign policy, determining our goals and acting appropriately to get there. If a region acts inappropriately or immaturely in their dealings we do not sink to their level and we take the high road. Getting tied up in emotions is not conducive to proper diplomacy.

Collaboration

The North Pacific recognizes that there is an incredibly diverse number of regions in the world with many sharing our foreign policy principles. Whenever realistically possible, we look to collaborate on items of mutual interest whether that is in the World Assembly, militarily, or through common cultural events in a way that benefits our partners as well as us.

These principles are kept in mind when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes action whether that be in evaluating our relationships with other regions, or working with the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs and the North Pacific Army.

As we have relationships with a large number of regions, in order to manage our interests with other regions Ambassadors are assigned to regions to serve as a direct link between the government of the North Pacific and the region.

Chapter 2: The Diplomatic Corps​

The Diplomatic Corps is the branch of the Executive Staff for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All members of the Diplomatic Corps are required to be citizens. Members of the Diplomatic Corps are selected to serve as Ambassadors to a particular region or organization with which The North Pacific has established diplomatic ties. Aside from serving as Ambassadors to other regions, members of the Diplomatic Corps also assist the Minister of Foreign Affairs through other activities such as providing feedback on going major interregional events. Members of the Diplomatic Corps also help out the Minister of Foreign Affairs through taking on administrative tasks as Deputy Ministers or advising on high-level foreign policy as Senior Diplomats.

The items that comprise the majority of activities of the Diplomatic Corps are Ambassadors distributing information to their assigned regions through the appropriate methods and making reports on going ons in the region back to the Ministry. The details of how Ambassadors accomplish these tasks are contained in The Diplomatic Corps Protocol.

Chapter 3: The Diplomatic Protocol​

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Representing our great region abroad
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The North Pacific Diplomatic Corps Protocol​

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Preamble

This Protocol is intended as a guide for all members of The North Pacific Diplomatic Corps. By consulting this Protocol and being familiar with it, it is the hope of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that all Ambassadors are well informed for any events and problems that they may encounter while on their assignments. This Protocol borrows heavily from the Canada-Q102 Protocol on Ambassadors and the Great Britain and Ireland Diplomatic Service Protocol. The signature banner for Ambassadors was created by SillyString.

In the following articles, compliance is required and will be enforced. However, those clauses in which "should" is used are intended as guidelines or recommendations, and as such, compliance is not required.

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The North Pacific Diplomatic Protocol serves as a guide for how Ambassadors for The North Pacific should behave when representing The North Pacific in their assigned region. If an ambassador ever encounters a situation in their region The North Pacific Diplomatic Protocol is able to provide information on how the Ambassador should address the situation with The North Pacific Diplomatic Training Manual serving to grant Ambassadors a basic foundation on NationStates diplomacy which will help ambassadors prior to serving in their region. The purpose of this module is to expand on the Diplomatic Protocol, explain the reasons for clauses and ensure that Ambassadors are well aware of the responsibilities they are undertaking.

Article I Accreditation and Identification

1. Upon arrival to their assigned region, the Ambassador must introduce themselves in an appropriate area of the board, either in The North Pacific Embassy (if one exists), or more informally in a general introduction forum.

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It is important that your assigned region is cognizant of who you are. It is important that the Ambassador introduces themselves in an appropriate region so that the community notices that you have arrived. This serves to show that The North Pacific values the relationship we have with the region and as a point of introduction for you in order that the residents of the region are able to meet you.

2. Regions often prescribe certain procedures for granting diplomatic forum permissions, and for embassy requests. Most commonly these take the form of filling out an application by means of posting or making a new topic in a certain forum area. The Ambassador must actively search for the prescribed procedures and comply with them, when requesting diplomat masking or applying for the opening of The North Pacific Embassy, as applicable.
3. Regions may choose varying ways to indicate that a member of their forum is an ambassador from another region. In addition to these, the Ambassador must identify their status in their signature on the forum of their assigned region. This identification must be in the following format:

Code:

[url=http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/][IMG]http://z2.ifrm.com/10711/28/0/p1090371/tnpambass2.jpg[/IMG][/url]

In regions where having images in signatures is either not possible because of the forum software used, or not permitted by forum rules, the Ambassador must use the following identification instead:

Ambassador from The North Pacific

Code:

[color=#5a70b3][b]Ambassador from [url=http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/]The North Pacific[/url][/b][/color]

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Many regions used different procedures in order to grant individuals the appropriate forum roles, The North Pacific uses Foreign Envoy masking in order to distinguish between individuals and their purpose here. Find out what your region uses as an identifier, if any, and follow the appropriate procedure to obtain it. Ensure that your signature is set up correctly, that way every post you make will identify you as coming from The North Pacific.

Article II Visitation and Reports

1. The Ambassador should visit their assigned region at least once a week.

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Ambassadors need to stay up to date on the happenings in their region, if this is done more frequently the Ambassador will be able to know more about the region and will be well equipped should that knowledge need to be used.

Article 2. The Ambassador must provide a monthly update of news from their assigned region in the designated Ambassador Reports thread set up in the Diplomatic Corps forum.

Article 3. The Ambassador must be able to answer any questions concerning their reports and their assigned region in this thread.

Article 4. The Ambassador must immediately report any events of grave importance to The North Pacific, as well as any diplomatic incidents or information of exceptional concern to the region that take place in or involve their assigned regions.

Article 4.1. They may do so either in the Ambassador Reports thread or by directly contacting either the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Delegate, depending on the sensitivity of the issue.

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The Ambassador must ensure that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is aware of everything important regarding their region. If the information is urgent then the Ambassador should contact the Minister directly immediately. News of lesser importance may be provided in their monthly update regarding their region.

5. The Ambassador must answer all inquiries for information regarding The North Pacific from members of their assigned region timely and to their best ability.

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For many regions or the members of those regions, the impressions of The North Pacific that they have may either be wrong or incomplete. As such, it is the responsibility of the Ambassador to ensure that any inquiries regarding The North Pacific are addressed as soon as possible. If the Ambassador does not believe they have sufficient knowledge to address the inquiry they should contact someone who does, it is better to ask for assistance from a senior member of the Diplomatic Corps than to provide misinformation.

Article 5. The Ambassador must answer all inquiries for information regarding The North Pacific from members of their assigned region timely and to their best ability.

Article 6. The Ambassador must post any publications produced by the Ministry of Communications to their assigned region, to be delivered in The North Pacific Embassy in their assigned region.

Article 7. The Ambassador must post any publications produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for embassy distribution, when instructed so by the Delegate, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs or a government official with the authority, in a timely and efficient manner.

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Publications from the government of The North Pacific are one of the few official impressions that the general region will have of The North Pacific. The material contained within these publications is often time sensitive. Ambassadors should post the publication as soon as possible in their region.

8. If ever an Ambassador comes upon a situation in the execution of their duties that leaves them unsure of what the prudent manner of proceeding is, they must immediately contact either the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Delegate.

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Ask questions if you are not sure. If it is urgent ask an Advisor to the Delegate for advice. Questions are always welcomed. Do not hesitate to ask them.

9. At no time may any Ambassador divulge information of a sensitive nature to any foreign official without express and direct permission from the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Delegate.

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Information of a sensitive nature can be any information that is not publicly accessible. This may be information available only to citizens of The North Pacific or that has been divulged to the Ambassador due to their role representing The North Pacific in another region. If you are unsure as to whether something is sensitive or not, assume it is and ask for further direction from an appropriate government official.

Article III Behavior

1. The Ambassador must at all times be mindful of the fact that they are representing The North Pacific, and act accordingly.

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The Ambassador is the main contact that many individuals in NationStates have with The North Pacific. As such, the behaviour of the Ambassador represents how the region perceives The North Pacific. This is why it is vital that the Ambassador behaves in a manner befitting of the region.

2. The Ambassador must be aware of the statutes and conventions of the assigned region and comply with them at all times, as long as these do not require that they violate statutes of The North Pacific or rules of NationStates.
3. The Ambassador should only take part in internal affairs or WA resolution discussions if this is welcome in their assigned region.
4. The Ambassador should try to participate in the forums of their assigned region in order to acquaint with the regional community and help develop the relationship between The North Pacific and the assigned region. Specifically, activity in areas such as roleplays, spamming games, and other types of games, participating in discussions and debates on real life issues, and attending cultural events organized by the assigned region are encouraged, as long as these are permitted. Participation in the regional Discord server, IRC channel or Skype chat, if any exist and as long as these are permitted, are strongly encouraged.

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The Ambassador is a guest in the community and you are representing The North Pacific. It is important that you are aware of the rules in the region you are assigned to as well as their culture. Some regions will not welcome discussion on any internal affairs while others will encourage it. For some regions this may change depending on the content of this discussion. If you are not sure what is welcomed and what is not do not hesitate to ask an appropriate individual. The Ambassador should seek to get involved in whatever facets of the community they believe they are able to. This serves to improve upon the bond between the region and The North Pacific.

5. If the Ambassador wishes to borrow or adopt ideas from their assigned region for use in The North Pacific, or reproduce material from their assigned region in The North Pacific forums, they must first seek permission to do so from someone in a suitable position of authority, and abide by that decision. The Ambassador must always clear such requests through either the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Delegate.

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The North Pacific has embassies with a number of regions, each of them diverse. A region may have a unique idea that an Ambassador feels is of worth to The North Pacific if implemented here. However, precautions must be taken in order to ensure that we are not simply exploiting other regions or that we are plagiarizing others' work. Always ask prior to requesting permission in order to ensure that it is done properly with respect to that region.

6. The Ambassador may not place a puppet nation in their assigned region, unless it is explicitly required for accreditation.

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Ambassadors are forbidden from having any conflicts of interest with their region. As such, it is not permitted for an Ambassador to move a nation into that region. Some regions necessitate having a puppet in that region which The North Pacific would then permit moving a puppet there. However, an Ambassador should do everything possible to minimize any conflicts of interest.

7. The Ambassador must refrain from impolite speech, aggressive or over-bearing behaviour, and vulgarity. Politeness and good manners should be the hallmark of the Ambassador. The Ambassador should always endeavour to use proper spelling and grammar when communicating within their assigned region.

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In order to ensure that the region has a positive perception of the Ambassador the Ambassador is expected to abide by standards of common decency. The Ambassador should comport themself in a fashion that leads to the region actively wanting the Ambassador to engage more with their community.

Chapter 4: The Senior Diplomats​

Senior Diplomats are individuals that have significant experience in Foreign Affairs. They have often held high ranking positions in The North Pacific, many of them have served as the Delegate or the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the North Pacific. They serve to advise the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Delegate on the directions that the Ministry and the government should take. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw on when assisting the government. Senior Diplomats have a wide array of contacts that they may contact should it be necessary or can serve as an intermediary between The North Pacific and another party. They are highly trusted and have access to some of the more sensitive information concerning The North Pacific’s foreign affairs. As a non-partisan position they serve to assist Delegates throughout their term(s)d and that there is an institutional memory containing important information that concerns the North Pacific. In the event that either the Delegate or the Minister of Foreign Affairs is absent, the Senior Diplomats are qualified to assist in their absence. Senior Diplomats provide input on the opening of new embassies, closing embassies, treaties and military operations and more. Senior Diplomats help ensure that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Delegate are aware of all important happenings in NationStates regarding Foreign Affairs by bringing matters to their attention. Senior Diplomats are selected from members of The North Pacific who had served prominently in TNP’s foreign affairs.

Chapter 5: Ideologies in NS​

A variety of different ideologies unique to NationStates are followed by regions. While ideology typically refers to government and economic systems, ideologies in NationStates differ in which they focus on a region’s military alignment. The overwhelming majority of conflict in NS happens through military actions; as such foreign relations are often determined on a region’s military alignment with regions establishing relations with other regions similar in ideology.

Defender

Defenders focus on protecting regions. They are in opposition to raiders. There are two main types of defenders albeit they both work with each other regardless of the type. There are regular defenders and then there are moral defenders who view that there is a moral obligation to save natives from raiders. Defenders typically will choose to not have relations with raiders.

Independence

The principles of Independence are detailed in the Independent Manifesto and a more comprehensive view can be seen there. Independence is in essence the view that a region should not be used to support a military but rather that the military should be supporting the interests of the region. There are a number of terms for regions that follow these principles from unaligned to independent to neutral. Regardless of the name, the end result is the same and these regions are in effect, Independent. Independent regions are willing to have relations with both raider and defender regions. However, there is a common misconception among defenders that Independent regions are “raider-lite” despite this not being the case.

Raider

Raiders focus on taking over other regions by force. There are various means with which regions are taken over; we will not go into discussion on these methods as the methods themselves tend to not be generally of relevance to foreign affairs. When a region is raided, the raiders may take a variety of actions from harmless such as changing the region’s World Factbook Entry (WFE) and flag to harmful such as locking down the region through imposing a password and banjecting natives. The motivations for raiders tend to be based on doing whatever they find fun.

Chapter 6: TNP’s Foreign Affairs Toolbox​

When TNP wants to get involved in interregional affairs and influence them, there are a variety of different tools with which we can create change. The different methods to affect change are listed in subsections below. The ways with which we can create change with these tools are varied as well, from utilizing them as an incentive to create an action or to remove the likelihood of an action (reinforcement versus punishment).


Putting all of the different methods of interactions we have together with the different tools we have provides us with a number of ways with which we can influence foreign affairs.

Forum Embassies

The purpose of a forum embassy is twofold. First, it serves to establish an initial connection between the two regions. The North Pacific and the other region are committing to update the other region and ensure that they remain in contact with them. Secondly, a forum embassy can sometimes have a symbolic meaning to it albeit this happens rarely. For a region that has had hostile relations with The North Pacific this can signify a renewal of relations with The North Pacific; this time in a more constructive direction. Granting a forum embassy does not commit The North Pacific to guarantee anything with regards to that region. Typically the granting of a forum embassy is uneventful. What is more impactful are situations where the forum embassy is revoked.

In-game Embassies

In-game embassies have a two fold purpose much like forum embassies do. In-game embassies serve as a direct link between the two regions gameside. This permits the entirety of the two regions to communicate with one another depending on the regional controls. The North Pacific permits the residents of all embassy regions to post on the RMB. As such in-game embassies are reserved for regions with which we have developed a strong relationship with. As well, as The North Pacific is the naturally largest region, a feeder and has the most endorsements on the Delegate, having an embassy with The North Pacific is highly coveted. The North Pacific regularly receives embassy requests from regions hoping to gain access. As such, it is symbolic when The North Pacific chooses to establish in-game embassies with another region.

The North Pacific Army

The North Pacific Army is one of the largest armies in NationStates if not the largest. The support of the NPA is highly sought after; it is able to determine the fate of many operations and the NPA is flexible in what operations it is able to attend by not constraining ourselves to just raiding or defending . Other organizations are extremely grateful for the assistance of the North Pacific Army when it is provided, on the other hand, if it is not provided as quickly as they wish or not at all they can become resentful quickly. The actions of the NPA was one of the most impactful ways that TNP is able to demonstrate strength. The support of the NPA can be quite important during vital incidents whether that be in opposing the coup of an ally, liberating a region, or holding one.

The World Assembly

The North Pacific holds the most power in the World Assembly by far. If utilized effectively we are able to increase our power and can single handedly influence the outcome of many resolutions. As a result of this The North Pacific receives a lot of animosity for the power that we wield. On the flip side, the Delegate’s vote is highly coveted to either stack or stomp on a proposal. How the Delegate chooses to vote is a matter that can become highly politicized with opposing factions both vying for the vote. This serves our interests in that proposals that are known that the Delegate of The North Pacific will not approve of will be stomped and as such they are not even submitted. Other proposals are submitted knowing that the Delegate of The North Pacific will stack on that resolution. Working in conjunction with the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is able to swing almost any vote to our favour in order to advance our interests through means such as the WALL and the IFVs. This can be supporting or opposing liberations based upon the region and supporting or opposing commendations and condemnations based upon who is being targeted.

Technical Expertise

TNP has a number of public technical tools which are commonly used (most notably, the endotarting tool). This provides recognition to TNP and helps promote how endotarting in a region is helpful (which has been extraordinarily successful in TNP). TNP also has a number of private technical tools at our disposal. These resources can be utilized in interregional collaborations and simplify administrative matters. Prominent community members of TNP have also provided access to tools for the wider public or for specific regions despite not being members of those regions; this helps to demonstrate the influence that TNP has.

Communication Publications

The Ministry of Communications is also a foreign affairs tool; the publications that we put out can influence interregional discourse and help to provide our case to a wider audience. This tool is more nuanced whenever it is being consciously used.

Cards

The North Pacific is quite influential in cards—regional cards associations and programs were started in TNP and then spread out throughout NS as other regions mimicked our success and our programs and a number of TNPers have been commended for their work in Cards and with the Cards Guild. TNP has produced a number of tools which are widely used for cards and provides more recognition to the region. Additionally, important cards can be given out to other regions to be used for their own giveaways or special events and help to demonstrate TNP’s willingness to help other regions.

Culture and Special Events

Cultural events (typically a festival with two or more regions involved) are a way for regions to demonstrate having a positive relationship or the intent to have one. In addition to being symbolic, it presents a low commitment method for governments to collaborate and can help create the foundation of something more significant. It also strengthens bonds between the regions by permitting residents of those regions to interact with each other and get a favourable impression of the other region (and thus provide support in the future for other collaborations, eg. treaties). Again, similar to forum embassies and in-game embassies, backing out of a cultural event is often much more impactful diplomatically than collaborating on a cultural event with another region.

Chapter 7: Reports​

Immediate Reports

Immediate reports should be urgent and made to whoever is appropriate, typically they would necessitate a notification to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Information that would need the Minister being immediately informed of the situation but is not necessarily limited to a change in the Delegacy, head of state, head of government or the equivalent position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, major changes in the region’s system of government or laws, a change in their regional alignment or any treaties being signed.

Monthly Reports

Each month, a report containing the important information concerning your region should be made in the appropriate thread in the Diplomatic Corps. This thread should contain all of the information which the Minister of Foreign Affairs should know but it is not urgent enough to necessitate an immediate briefing of the Minister or Delegate. Information that should be contained within this report includes but is not necessarily limited to changes in regional laws, changes in important members of the government, regional festivals, programs or policies being implemented and notable events. You may provide your analysis of the region and the notable events as well as recommendations, however, ensure that these are made objectively and do not obstruct the facts.

Chapter 8: Diplomacy​

Diplomacy takes all the various pieces previously discussed and uses them together in our interactions with the senior management teams in other regions. There is no manual for these high-level diplomatic interactions as they are each unique. Nevertheless, at a high level of diplomatic interactions, there are some important aspects to keep in mind.

Wording

The wording that is used is quite important when engaging in interregional discussions—it can be the cause of international incidents if specific wording is used in a way which will cause offence to other parties. The degree to which one should be careful with their wording depends on the regions and what is being discussed. Making a mistake in wording during a cultural collaboration with a long-time treaty ally is a lot less of an issue than during a discussion on an international incident

Punctuality

It is extremely important to be punctual in interregional situations. Engaging consistently and immediately helps to ensure that issues are addressed in a timely manner. Not engaging in discussions right away communicates to the other party that you are not interested in engaging with them—additionally, it shows disrespect and reflects poorly on you if the lack of engagement becomes public. There are additional benefits to proactively engaging, it helps to solve issues immediately rather than let them fester or it helps to have spare time for any unexpected events in the case of collaboration.

Compromises

Compromising with other regions is an often important part of interregional interactions. Not compromising with your interests and moving towards where the other region is a bit can provide extremely negative optics if it’s public. That being said, sticking to your interests and not being willing to compromise your values can also send a strong positive message. Generally, compromising is necessary when you are wanting to collaborate with another region to create something (whether that is a treaty or a cultural activity) whereas you will often be less willing to compromise when you are in a hostile situation.

I hope that the Diplomat Training Manual is helpful in explaining how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs works, the tools we use to engage in foreign affairs, and how we participate diplomatically. Should you have any further relevant questions, please direct them to the current Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Senior Diplomats.