Mohammad Hussain asked: Is there any conceptual difference between international affairs and international relations?

Arpita Anant replies: There is no conceptual difference between international affairs and international relations as both are ‘international’. The two are often used interchangeably. But there is a slight difference in their scope. International relations refers to a field of study comprising political, social and economic relations among nations. International affairs, on the other hand, refers to international relations plus a broader spectrum of international phenomena such as regimes of global governance or climate change wherein the focus is on nations as well as other transnational actors.

Posted on 15 September 2021

Views expressed are of the expert and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or the Government of India.