Two-Track Diplomacy: Strategies For Navigating Complex Geopolitical Landscapes

Two-track diplomacy, also known as multi-track diplomacy, is a system for creating peace internationally. It was coined by American peace activist and former diplomat Joseph V. Montville in 1981, and refers to a broad range of unofficial contact and interaction aimed at resolving conflicts. Track One diplomacy refers to official, governmental diplomacy between nations, such as negotiations conducted by professional diplomats. Track Two diplomacy, on the other hand, involves unofficial representatives on both sides, with no government participation. It provides an unofficial, flexible setting for individuals to build trust, hold conversations, and discuss solutions. This form of diplomacy is often required when parties are not yet committed to a process or are stuck and looking for alternative ideas.

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Track One vs Track Two

Track One Diplomacy, also known as traditional or official diplomacy, is a government-to-government interaction that follows established protocols and is carried out by diplomats, high-ranking government officials, and heads of state. It is the primary tool of a state's foreign policy and aims to influence the structures of political power. Track One diplomacy involves formal negotiations and carries the official weight of traditional diplomacy.

Track Two Diplomacy, on the other hand, is unofficial, non-structured, and open-minded. It is often altruistic and strategically optimistic, assuming that conflicts can be resolved or eased by appealing to common human capabilities and good will. Track Two brings together unofficial representatives from both sides, with no government participation. It provides a flexible setting to test ideas, shape relationships, and explore possible solutions without the constraints of formal negotiations. This form of diplomacy is often facilitated by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and universities, and it includes scientific and cultural exchanges.

While Track Two Diplomacy is not a substitute for Track One, it assists and complements official negotiations by providing a bridge between conflicting groups. It helps incorporate grassroots and civil society participation, maintain communication channels, and address challenging policy issues. Track Two Diplomacy is a challenging process that requires a high level of commitment, preparation, and skill.

In recent years, there has been an increasing use of Track 1.5 Diplomacy, which involves a mix of government officials participating in an unofficial capacity and non-governmental experts. This form of diplomacy does not carry the official weight of traditional diplomacy but provides a private and open environment for building trust and discussing solutions.

Both Track One and Track Two Diplomacy are necessary, and they work together to address global challenges and resolve conflicts.

Unofficial, non-structured interaction

Track two diplomacy refers to unofficial, non-structured interaction. It is a growing field that can support and complement official Track One diplomacy. It is always open-minded, often altruistic, and strategically optimistic, based on best-case analysis. Its underlying assumption is that conflict can be resolved or eased by appealing to common human capabilities to respond to goodwill and reasonableness.

Track two diplomacy is not a substitute for Track One diplomacy but assists official actors in managing and resolving conflicts by exploring possible solutions derived from the public view, without the requirements of formal negotiation. It provides unofficial spaces and flexible settings to test ideas and shape relationships, which can be critical to advancing negotiations when parties are stuck or not yet committed to a process. It can also serve as a channel of communication when officials are not speaking to each other.

Track two diplomacy can take many forms, including citizen-to-citizen exchange programs, such as scientific and cultural exchanges, academic exchanges, and other forms of cross-border interaction. It can also involve unofficial representatives on both sides, with no government participation, coming together to build trust and hold conversations in a private, open environment.

An example of successful track two diplomacy is the Oslo Accords of 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which began as unofficial talks but transitioned into official Track One diplomacy by the time they were finalized.

Conflict resolution

Two-track diplomacy, also known as Track II diplomacy, was conceived in the 1970s by academics, free-thinking state bureaucrats, and public intellectuals. It was first coined by Joseph V. Montville, an American peace activist and former U.S. diplomat, in a 1981 article in "Foreign Policy" magazine. Montville emphasised that Track II diplomacy is not a substitute for official Track One diplomacy but rather a complementary process that assists in managing and resolving conflicts.

The underlying principle of two-track diplomacy is the belief that conflicts can be eased or resolved by appealing to common human capabilities for goodwill and reasonableness. This approach encourages improved communication and a better understanding of the conflicting groups' points of view. It provides a flexible and unofficial space to test ideas, build relationships, and shape negotiations.

Two-track diplomacy can take many forms, including citizen-to-citizen exchanges, scientific and cultural exchanges, academic dialogues, and media initiatives. These processes often involve skilled, educated, and experienced private citizens interacting with their counterparts from other nations. For example, the Oslo Accords of 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) began as a form of two-track diplomacy, with an unofficial initiative by a Norwegian scholar, and eventually transitioned into official Track One diplomacy.

Two-track diplomacy initiatives focus on developing conflict resolution skills such as communication, conflict analysis, reconciliation, cooperation, and negotiation. Training programs are often employed to maximise the impact of these skills on the conflict resolution process. Two-track diplomacy can be particularly effective in generating grassroots support for conflict resolution in societies with deep-rooted social conflicts.

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Intra-state conflicts

Two-track diplomacy is a form of unofficial and non-structured interaction that is open-minded, altruistic, and strategically optimistic. It is based on the assumption that conflicts can be resolved or eased by appealing to the common human capabilities of goodwill and reasonableness. It involves improved communication between conflicting groups to foster a better understanding of each other's points of view.

Now, most armed conflicts are intra-state conflicts, or conflicts within national boundaries, rather than wars between nations. In 1987, for instance, only four of the world's major armed conflicts were cross-border wars; 32 of the 36 were civil wars or intra-state wars of independence. The UN Charter prohibits intervention in intra-state conflicts, and there is no other international organisation authorised to intervene. Attempts by individual governments to offer political assistance are often rejected.

Track Two diplomacy can be a useful tool for addressing intra-state conflicts. It is characterised as a nongovernmental, informal, and unofficial form of conflict resolution between citizen groups, which aims to de-escalate conflict by reducing anger, fear, and tension, and by improving communication and mutual understanding. It provides an unofficial space to test ideas and shape relationships, and it can be critical to advancing negotiations when parties are stuck and looking for alternative ideas.

Track Two diplomacy has been successfully applied to intra-state conflicts. For example, in Northern Ireland, the Community Relations Council (CRC) worked to facilitate the equitable distribution of services and social resources between the Catholic and Protestant communities, helping to improve relations. In Somaliland, tribal elders have used traditional forms of local diplomacy to resolve resource-based conflicts.

Multi-track diplomacy

The first five tracks, as defined by John W. McDonald, are:

• Track One: Official government-to-government diplomatic interaction.
• Track Two: Unofficial, non-governmental, analytical, policy-oriented, problem-solving efforts by skilled, educated, and informed private citizens interacting with other private citizens.
• Track Three: Businessman-to-businessman, private sector, free-enterprise, multinational corporation interactions.
• Track Four: Citizen-to-citizen exchange programs, such as scientific, cultural, academic, educational, student, film, music, art, sports, and youth exchanges.
• Track Five: Media-based efforts designed to expose and educate large segments of the population in conflict to the philosophy, ideas, culture, and needs of the other national, societal, or ethnic group with whom they are in conflict.

The original second track has been expanded into nine tracks: peacemaking through diplomacy, conflict resolution, commerce, personal involvement, learning, advocacy, religion, funding, and information.

Track Two diplomacy is a growing field that can support Track One (government) efforts and play an important role in its own right. It provides unofficial spaces and flexible settings to test ideas and shape relationships, which can be critical to advancing negotiations when parties are stuck and looking for alternative ideas. It is a difficult and sophisticated process that requires high levels of commitment, preparation, and skill.

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