Title: Editorial: global diplomacy in flux multi-actor governance and the politics of change

Authors: Gorazd Justinek

Addresses: Faculty for Governmental and European Studies, New University, Žanova ulica 3, 4000 Kranj, Slovenia

Abstract: We begin 2026 in a geopolitical climate characterised by volatility, strategic ambiguity, and the rapid hybridisation of governance mechanisms. The traditional contours of diplomacy, as a function of interstate negotiation, anchored in formal institutions and legal agreements, are being continually redrawn. Today, diplomacy is enacted not only by states but by corporations, NGOs, financial actors, and algorithmic systems that govern flows of capital, labour, and knowledge.

Keywords: diplomacy; economic strategy; environmental governance; technological disruption; civic agency; diplomatic practice..

DOI: 10.1504/IJDIPE.2026.155948

International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 2026 Vol.12 No.1, pp.1 - 5

Published online: 26 Aug 2026 *