Title: Enhancing international dispute settlement: the role of sports diplomacy

Authors: Sava Jankovic

Addresses: Public and International Law, Dundee Law School, Scotland

Abstract: Not only the ancient Olympic truce practice but also the rules of modern football game demonstrate that sports can work as a supplementary means in international dispute settlement. Sports diplomacy is a tool which expresses political attitudes and can improve the national image. Sports diplomacy sets a foundation for further public opinion direction and also it can cultivate a good atmosphere between the countries to help resolve disputes. 'Ping-pong diplomacy' proved to be a useful tool in Sino-US reconciliation in the late 1960s, which also showed the unique charm of sports diplomacy. Based on the historical experience of the Sino-US 'ping-pong diplomacy', the aim of this study is to analyse the applicability of sports diplomacy in the current global environment, while offering mechanism for the relevant international disputes, global problems and practical legal issues.

Keywords: sports diplomacy; public diplomacy; ping-pong diplomacy; international disputes; international law.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDIPE.2017.084107

International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 2017 Vol.3 No.3, pp.264 - 278

Received: 02 Jun 2016
Accepted: 11 Jun 2016
Published online: 12 May 2017 *

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