The Art of Diplomacy

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein about Diplomacy in the Time of Monsters

In this episode, Joshua Yaffa speaks with Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, one of the central architects of the modern international human rights system. From helping to establish the International Criminal Court to serving as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid has spent decades confronting the tension between moral ideals and political power. At a moment when international law, human rights, and multilateral institutions appear increasingly fragile, he reflects on what these systems were actually built to do—and why they were never guaranteed to survive. The conversation explores fear, nationalism, authoritarianism, and the recurring cycles of history, but also the role diplomacy can still play in preventing societies from sliding into violence. Prince Zeid speaks candidly about the realities of dealing with governments accused of abuses, the limits of international institutions, and the psychological burden of speaking on behalf of people suffering under war, repression, and injustice. He argues that human rights are not abstract ideals, but practical restraints designed to protect humanity from its own worst instincts. The conversation also turns to the United States, the erosion of postwar norms, the rise of exclusionary politics, and the question of whether the current global order is entering a dangerous new phase. Throughout, Prince Zeid remains both unsentimental and deeply committed to the idea that diplomacy, when practiced skillfully, can still produce extraordinary outcomes. Recorded at the Munich Security Conference in February 2026. * Antonio Gramsci: Italian politician, founder of the Italian Communist Party (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonio-Gramsci [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonio-Gramsci]) * Omar al-Bashir: Former President of Sudan (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Omar-Hassan-Ahmad-al-Bashir [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Omar-Hassan-Ahmad-al-Bashir]) * Jörg Haider: Austrian politician (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jorg-Haider [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jorg-Haider]) * Karl Lueger: Austrian politician (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Lueger [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Lueger]) * Libya 2011/UN Security Council Resolution 1970: During the Libyan civil war, the government used violence against the civilian population. The resolution referred the situation to the ICC, imposed an arms embargo and targeted sanctions. (https://unscr.com/en/resolutions/1970/ [https://unscr.com/en/resolutions/1970/]) * The End of History: Theory by Francis Fukuyama, positing Western-style liberal democracy as the last ideological stage in the long march of history. (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-Fukuyama [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-Fukuyama]) * Jus Cogens: Universally binding norms in international law which cannot be overridden by treaties or agreements. (https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/jus_cogens [https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/jus_cogens]) * Rome Conference, 1998: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/icc-statute-1998 [https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/icc-statute-1998] * The Nuremberg Principles establish that individuals, not just states, are accountable under international law for war crimes and crimes against humanity. (https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/2024-05/Rome-Statute-eng.pdf [https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/2024-05/Rome-Statute-eng.pdf]) * Magna Carta (1215): Declared the sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and the liberties held by “free men”. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Magna-Carta [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Magna-Carta]) * Charlottesville 2017: In August 2017, a white supremacist rally took place in Charlottesville, Virginia. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-timeline/ [https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-timeline/]) * Manchuria: Japanese invasion of the Manchuria region of China in 1931, after the Japanese army staged a false flag event as a pretext to invade. (https://www.britannica.com/place/Empire-of-Japan/The-Manchurian-Incident [https://www.britannica.com/place/Empire-of-Japan/The-Manchurian-Incident]) * Abyssinia: The Italo-Ethiopian War (1935–36) led to the annexation and occupation of Ethiopia (then known as Abyssinia) by the Kingdom of Italy. (https://www.britannica.com/event/Italo-Ethiopian-War-1935-1936) [https://www.britannica.com/event/Italo-Ethiopian-War-1935-1936]) * Rhineland: On 7 March 1936, German troops re-occupied the de-militarized Rhineland zone. (https://germanhistorydocs.org/en/nazi-germany-1933-1945/remilitarization-of-the-rhineland-1936 [https://germanhistorydocs.org/en/nazi-germany-1933-1945/remilitarization-of-the-rhineland-1936])

Poker, not Chess: Benjamin Haddad on Diplomacy Today

In this third episode of The Art of Diplomacy, co-host Florence Gaub travels to Paris to talk to Benjamin Haddad, French Minister Delegate for European Affairs. Haddad is one of the key figures shaping France’s role in Europe at a moment of geopolitical upheaval. He describes a role that sits at the intersection of European politics, security, and economic strategy, where building coalitions and moving quickly are often more important than perfect processes. Drawing on his path from think tank analyst to government diplomat, he reflects on the shift from observing decisions to taking responsibility for them. At the heart of their conversation stands the craft and art of negotiations. Beyond negotiation tactics, the episode looks at the changing nature of diplomacy itself. In a more interconnected and fast-moving world, influence no longer flows only through formal channels. Diplomacy has become more networked, more public, and more dependent on trust—both between states and between individuals. Haddad finally challenges the common idea of diplomacy as a game of chess. Instead, he sees it closer to poker – defined by incomplete information, risk, and the ability to read situations in real time. For the introduction of this episode, Florence Gaub is joined by her co-host, Joshua Yaffa, staff writer for The New Yorker.

Ian Bremmer and Dan Kurtz-Phelan on Platforms of Diplomacy

In this second episode of "The Art of Diplomacy", Florence Gaub is joined by journalist and New Yorker writer Joshua Yaffa to explore diplomacy as it unfolds in real time—at the Munich Security Conference. Together, they reflect on the unique nature of the conference itself: a space where global politics is not only discussed on stage, but shaped and processed in hallways, over coffee, and in countless informal encounters. Through two conversations recorded in Munich, Yaffa examines how this process works from different angles. With political scientist Ian Bremmer, he explores how diplomacy adapts to a moment of geopolitical rupture—when long-standing assumptions about cooperation and power are no longer stable, new alliances have to be shaped and policymakers are forced to recalibrate in real time. In his second conversation, with Foreign Affairs editor-in-chief Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, the focus shifts to interpretation: how ideas, signals, and strategic shifts are translated into language, analysis, and ultimately into policy. What does it take to make sense of a world where meaning is contested, and where tone can shape reality as much as substance? This episode was recorded on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in mid-February 2026. ---------------------------------------- Glossar: A G‑Zero world refers to a global order in which no single country or group of countries is both willing and able to provide effective international leadership. Coined by Ian Bremmer and Nouriel Roubini, it describes a leadership vacuum in which major powers are constrained by domestic priorities, leading to fragmented governance and weaker cooperation on global challenges. A G-Zero World | Foreign Affairs [https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/g-zero-world]

Rafael Grossi on Empathy, Discipline, and Wellbeing

In this first episode of "The Art of Diplomacy", Florence Gaub speaks with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. At the center of some of the most sensitive diplomatic efforts today, Grossi operates in a world where pressure is constant and stakes are existential. In this conversation, he reflects on what it takes to stay focused and effective under these conditions, both physically and mentally. And why discipline, restraint, and self-awareness are essential tools of the trade. Grossi speaks about the challenge of remaining impartial in highly polarized conflicts, and the loneliness that can come with it. He explains why listening, empathy, and the ability to see the world through the eyes of your counterpart are not just ideals, but practical necessities in negotiation. Drawing on decades of experience, from nuclear diplomacy to conflict mediation, Grossi offers a candid look at what diplomacy actually demands: patience, preparation, and the ability to hold your ground without escalating tension. The conversation with Rafael Grossi was recorded before the beginning of the war in Iran, at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in mid Februar 2026. For the introduction to this first episode of The Art of Diplomacy, Florence Gaub is joined by Benedikt Franke, CEO of the Munich Security Conference. * GLOSSARY The Oslo Accords are two agreements between Isreal and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed in 1993 and 1995 to establish a peace process for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oslo-Accords [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oslo-Accords] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-180015/ [https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-180015/] https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-185434/ [https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-185434/] The Dayton Accords are a peace agreement signed on November 21, 1995 that ended the war in Bosnia. https://www.britannica.com/event/Dayton-Accords [https://www.britannica.com/event/Dayton-Accords] https://www.ohr.int/dayton-peace-agreement/ [https://www.ohr.int/dayton-peace-agreement/] The Harvard Negotiation Method is a collaborative, “win-win” approach that focuses on solving the problem rather than on who wins. https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/negotiation-skills-daily/principled-negotiation-focus-interests-c… [https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/negotiation-skills-daily/principled-negotiation-focus-interests-c…] The Good Friday Agreement, or Belfast Agreement, was signed on April 10, 1998 after 30 years of conflict between unionists and nationalists in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles. https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/role-policies/northern-ireland/about-the-good-friday-agreement/ [https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/role-policies/northern-ireland/about-the-good-friday-agreement/] Colombia Peace Records: In November 2016, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerilla group signed the "Final Peace Agreement" to end more than 50 years of armed conflict. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/colombias-civil-conflict [https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/colombias-civil-conflict] Cuban Missile Crisis: In October 1962, the US placed a naval quarantine on Cuba after learning of Soviert nuclear missiles on the island. The crisis marked the closest point that the world has ever come to global nuclear war. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-missile-crisis [https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-missile-crisis] The Two Plus Four Agreement was signed on September 12, 1990 by the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, the US, France, the UK, and the Soviet Union, allowing Germany's reunification as a fully sovereign state. https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/germany-europe/two-plus-four-treaty [https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/germany-europe/two-plus-four-treaty] https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201696/volume-1696-I-29226-English.pdf [https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201696/volume-1696-I-29226-English.pdf] Klemens von Metternich (1773–1859) was an Austrian minister of foreign affairs who helped forge the alliance that defeated Napoleon I and restored Austria as a leading European power. He hosted the Congress of Vienna in 1814–15, which aimed to establish a new order in Europe. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Klemens-von-Metternich [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Klemens-von-Metternich]

Teaser: The Art of Diplomacy

The Art of Diplomacy takes you inside the world of international politics: through personal conversations with those who practice diplomacy at the highest level. What does it really take to negotiate, manage crises, and find common ground under pressure?