Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Diplomatic Service Selection International Relations and Global Affairs Syllabus

What is the EU, and distinguish a free trade area, customs union and single market.

The EU is a political and economic union of European states. A free trade area removes internal tariffs; a customs union adds a common external tariff; a single (common) market additionally guarantees free movement of goods, services, capital and people (the 'four freedoms').

What do the WTO, IMF and World Bank each do?

WTO: sets and enforces rules of international trade and settles trade disputes. IMF: promotes monetary cooperation and financial stability, lending to countries facing balance-of-payments crises. World Bank: provides long-term loans and finance for development and poverty reduction.

Identify the membership focus of the G7, G20 and BRICS.

G7: seven major advanced industrial democracies (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada). G20: 19 countries plus the EU and AU, covering major advanced and emerging economies (~80% of world GDP). BRICS: emerging economies — originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa — expanded from 2024.

Name three major regional organisations besides the EU and their regions.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) — Southeast Asia; the African Union (AU) — Africa; and others such as the Arab League — Middle East/North Africa, MERCOSUR — South America, and the Organization of American States (OAS) — the Americas.

What is the Commonwealth of Nations, and roughly how many members and people does it cover?

A voluntary association of (mostly former British Empire) independent and equal states. It has 56 member states covering around 2.5 billion people (about a third of the world's population), with King Charles III as its Head.

What document sets out the Commonwealth's core values, and what are some of those values?

The Commonwealth Charter (adopted 2012, signed 2013). It commits members to shared values including democracy, human rights, the rule of law, good governance, freedom of expression, gender equality, and sustainable development.

What is CHOGM, and is membership of the Commonwealth dependent on former British rule?

CHOGM is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, held biennially to set direction. Membership is NOT strictly dependent on former British rule — Mozambique, Rwanda, Gabon and Togo joined without a historic constitutional link to Britain.

Distinguish a Commonwealth realm from a Commonwealth republic.

A Commonwealth realm is a member state that retains the British monarch (King Charles III) as its own head of state (e.g. Canada, Australia, New Zealand). A Commonwealth republic has its own head of state (e.g. India, Nigeria, South Africa) but still recognises the King as Head of the Commonwealth.

Distinguish the two principal sources of international law: treaties and customary international law.

Treaties are written agreements binding on states that consent to them (pacta sunt servanda — agreements must be kept). Customary international law arises from general and consistent state practice followed out of a sense of legal obligation (opinio juris), and binds states generally.

List the sources of international law set out in Article 38 of the ICJ Statute.

(1) International conventions/treaties; (2) international custom; (3) general principles of law recognised by civilised nations; and (4) (as subsidiary means) judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists/scholars.

What is a peremptory norm (jus cogens), and give examples.

A jus cogens norm is a fundamental rule of international law from which no derogation is permitted and which can only be modified by a later norm of the same character. Examples: prohibitions on genocide, slavery, torture, and aggressive war.

Distinguish the ICJ from the ICC.

The ICJ (International Court of Justice, The Hague) is the UN's principal judicial organ; it settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions. The ICC (International Criminal Court, Rome Statute 1998/2002) prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.

What is the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and its three pillars?

R2P (endorsed at the 2005 UN World Summit) holds that sovereignty entails a responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Pillars: (1) the state's responsibility to protect its own people; (2) international assistance to states; (3) timely collective international response when a state manifestly fails.

Define the 'security dilemma' in great power competition.

A situation where one state's actions to increase its own security (e.g. arming) make other states feel less secure, prompting them to respond in kind. The result is escalating tension and arms races even when neither side seeks conflict, driven by anarchy and mutual mistrust.

What is the 'Thucydides Trap' (Graham Allison)?

The dangerous structural stress that arises when a rising power threatens to displace an established ruling power, raising the risk of war. Named for Thucydides' account of Sparta's fear of a rising Athens; today applied to US-China relations.

Distinguish a unipolar, bipolar and multipolar international system.

Unipolar: one dominant power (e.g. US post-Cold War). Bipolar: two dominant powers/blocs (e.g. US-USSR Cold War). Multipolar: three or more major powers of comparable strength. Polarity shapes stability debates in IR theory.

Define balance of power and bandwagoning as state strategies.

Balancing: states ally against or build up strength to counter a stronger or threatening power, preventing any one state from dominating. Bandwagoning: a weaker state aligns with the stronger/threatening power to share gains or avoid being targeted.

What distinguishes terrorism from conventional warfare, and what is 'asymmetric warfare'?

Terrorism is the unlawful use of violence/intimidation against civilians to advance political, religious or ideological aims, typically by non-state actors. Asymmetric warfare is conflict between forces of very unequal strength, where the weaker side uses unconventional tactics (insurgency, terrorism, cyber) to offset the stronger side's advantages.

What are the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (2006)?

(1) Addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; (2) preventing and combating terrorism; (3) building states' capacity and strengthening the UN's role; and (4) ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law while countering terrorism.

What is the NPT, and what is its central bargain?

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT, 1968, in force 1970). Its bargain: non-nuclear states agree not to acquire nuclear weapons; the five recognised nuclear-weapon states (US, Russia, UK, France, China) pursue disarmament; and all states may access peaceful nuclear technology, monitored by the IAEA.

Name the three categories of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and a treaty governing each.

Nuclear — Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Chemical — Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC, 1993/1997). Biological — Biological Weapons Convention (BWC, 1972/1975). These are the classic CBRN/WMD categories (sometimes extended to radiological).

Identify key emerging (non-traditional) security challenges in contemporary IR.

Cyber warfare and cyber-attacks; climate change and resource scarcity; pandemics and health security; disinformation/hybrid warfare; artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons; mass migration; energy security; and threats from non-state and transnational actors.

What is 'hybrid warfare' (also 'grey-zone' tactics)?

The blending of conventional and unconventional methods — military force, cyber-attacks, disinformation, economic coercion, proxies and political subversion — often kept below the threshold of open war to achieve strategic aims while maintaining deniability. Associated with Russian operations against Ukraine and the West.

Why is the South China Sea a major regional flashpoint?

China claims most of it via the 'nine-dash line', overlapping the claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. It hosts vital shipping lanes and resources; China's island-building and militarisation, plus a 2016 arbitral ruling (rejected by China) against its claims, fuel tension with the US over freedom of navigation.

Outline the core dispute over Taiwan and the 'One China' policy.

The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as a province and has not renounced force to achieve reunification; Taiwan (ROC) governs itself democratically. Under the 'One China' policy most states (including the UK and US) recognise Beijing as China's government while maintaining unofficial ties with Taipei. US 'strategic ambiguity' deters conflict.

Summarise the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the 'two-state solution'.

A long-running dispute over land, security, statehood, borders, Jerusalem, settlements and refugees between Israelis and Palestinians. The 'two-state solution' envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, based broadly on pre-1967 lines; key frameworks include the Oslo Accords (1993-95).

Why is Russia's invasion of Ukraine a central issue for UK foreign policy?

Russia's full-scale invasion (February 2022) is the largest land war in Europe since 1945, breaching the UN Charter's prohibition on aggression and the principle of territorial integrity. The UK is a leading provider of military, financial and diplomatic support to Ukraine and a driver of sanctions on Russia.

What disciplines and habits help in 'following global news and trends' as a diplomat?

Reading a range of credible, ideologically diverse sources; distinguishing fact from opinion and verifying with primary sources; tracking trends over time rather than single events; understanding context and multiple national perspectives; and being alert to bias, misinformation and the source's incentives.

In a selection exercise, what makes a well-structured argument when 'forming and defending a view'?

A clear thesis/recommendation; evidence and reasoning to support it; acknowledgement of trade-offs, risks and counter-arguments; consideration of multiple stakeholders and second-order consequences; and a balanced, impartial tone — defending the view while remaining open to revising it on new evidence.

Name the UK government department responsible for foreign policy and outline the FCDO's core role.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), created in 2020 by merging the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) with the Department for International Development (DFID). It leads UK diplomacy, development and the global network of embassies, promoting UK interests, security and prosperity abroad.

Identify several major contemporary UK foreign policy debates a candidate should be able to discuss.

The post-Brexit UK-EU relationship and 'Global Britain'; the Indo-Pacific 'tilt' and AUKUS; balancing relations with China (security vs trade); supporting Ukraine and European security; the future of overseas development/aid spending (the 0.7%/0.5% GNI debate); migration and the Rwanda/asylum debates; and the UK's role in NATO and multilateral reform.