Niche Diplomacy: Middle Powers After the Cold War

The transformation of the global system after the Cold War has brought with it a greater complexity in terms of influence and the nature of the policy agenda. While structural leadership remains an important source of initiative in the international systems, the introduction of a wider lens is necessary to capture the on-going processes of reform and change -- especially those requiring considerable cooperation and collaboration. The countries classified as middle powers have a particular opportunity to use the expanded space for diplomatic maneuver available to them at the end of the 20th century. This volume examines the distinctive pattern of middle power diplomacy. Special attention is given in this analysis to the way in which middle powers have concentrated their diplomatic activity on a segmented basis. Rather than trying to cover the map, this category of countries have preferred to target selected niches on both a functional and geographical basis. The volume focuses on a number of case studies to illustrate this from a comparative perspective, with reference to the behavior of non-traditional as well as traditional self-identified middle powers.