Negotiation is the most vital tool for a diplomat.  In a multilateral context, effective negotiation skills and understanding of the negotiation context are critical for managing interdependencies, leveraging power and influencing outcomes.  Mastering negotiation tools can therefore assist in securing internationally valuable agreements.  This has become all the more important as the issues at stake in international negotiations have become increasingly complex, climate change being only one example.  These global challenges require concerted multilateral action, which further underscores the need for strategically negotiated agreements.