In search of niches: Saying “yes” and saying “no” in Canada's international relations
For Canadian diploma to retain its credibility and effectiveness, some hard choices will have to be made. On the basis of this logic, Canada has a great incentive to specialize. The core theme of this article is that Canadian diplomacy should concentrate on specific niches. This approach may well be a politically sensitive in the sense that it limits or disciplines Canada's international activity. Yet the targeting of Canadian diplomacy towards an efficient and equitable process of niche‐selection has a number of solid rationales. Historically, it builds on the functional principle, which underpinned the constructive reputation of post‐war Canadian diplomacy. In contemporary circumstances, niche‐building allows Canada to direct attention to issue‐areas where it can best make a difference. In some cases, this will mean Canada must clearly and openly say that it will not perform certain tasks. In other cases, however, this dynamic will enhance the forms of Canada's creative statecraft.