Skeleton and Connective Tissue: A Review of Mamun's "Bilateral-Multilateral Engagements and Thematic Diplomacy"

This review examines Dr. Syed Muntasir Mamun’s policy paper “Bilateral-Multilateral Engagements and Thematic Diplomacy: Finite Structures and Fluid Narratives in Contemporary Statecraft” (KSCCN, August 2026). The paper distinguishes a finite, countable architecture of bilateral and multilateral engagements from a more fluid practice of thematic diplomacy organised around domains such as trade, technology, climate, gender, sports and culture, and argues that the two should be deliberately integrated. The review identifies three strengths: the analytical value of describing formal engagements as finite, which makes prioritisation explicit; the framing of the two modes as complementary rather than competing, captured in the image of a skeleton and its connective tissue; and the attention given to how middle and smaller actors can gain influence through issue-based coalitions. It then raises four points for further discussion: whether the two categories are better understood as two independent dimensions rather than two modes; how the success of thematic diplomacy might be measured; the precision of some citations; and the accountability of fluid coalitions that include non-state actors. It closes with implications for the study and teaching of diplomacy.