A démarche talking points instruction is the operative cable by which a sending state's foreign ministry directs one or more of its diplomatic missions abroad to approach a host-government interlocutor and convey a defined message. The instrument rests on the customary diplomatic function codified in Article 3(1)(e) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), which assigns missions the task of "negotiating with the Government of the receiving State," and Article 41(2), which channels official business through the ministry of foreign affairs or another agreed ministry. In U.S. practice, such instructions are transmitted under the authority of the Secretary of State pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 2656 and the Foreign Affairs Manual (notably 5 FAH-1 and 2 FAM 113), and historically bore the cable tag "ACTION REQUEST." The French term démarche—literally "step" or "approach"—entered English diplomatic vocabulary in the nineteenth century and now denotes both the act and the instruction authorizing it.
Procedurally, a talking points instruction follows a recognizable architecture. The cable opens with a classification line and a "SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST" paragraph stating what post is to do, by when, and at what level of interlocutor (working-level desk officer, director-general, political director, or minister). A "BACKGROUND" section provides the policy rationale and any classified context withheld from the host government. The heart of the cable is the "TALKING POINTS" block, formatted as bulleted statements drafted in the first person and marked either "may be drawn from" (giving the chief of mission discretion in phrasing) or "to be delivered verbatim" (binding language, often used for legally sensitive matters such as sanctions notifications or treaty interpretations). A "NON-PAPER" or "POINTS THAT MAY BE LEFT BEHIND" section frequently follows, containing text the officer may hand over physically without diplomatic signature. Finally, "REPORTING REQUIREMENT" instructs the mission to cable back the substance of the host-government response.
Variants of the instrument calibrate to the gravity of the message. A joint démarche coordinates several capitals delivering the same points in parallel, common in EU Common Foreign and Security Policy actions under Article 32 TEU and in G7 coordination. A concurrent démarche allows minor phrasing differences across capitals. Multiple delivery directs a single mission to approach several ministries—foreign affairs, defense, and finance, for instance, in sanctions enforcement. The instruction may also be downgraded to an "informal approach" or upgraded to a formal note verbale or aide-mémoire when written record is required. Where the message constitutes protest, the cable may explicitly authorize delivery of a note of protest; where it conveys congratulations or condolences, a démarche of courtesy.
Contemporary practice furnishes numerous examples. In February 2022, the U.S. State Department, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the European External Action Service coordinated démarches in capitals worldwide urging support for UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1 condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Throughout 2023–2024, the Quai d'Orsay instructed French missions across the Sahel to deliver talking points on the withdrawal of Operation Barkhane forces and subsequent recalibration with ECOWAS. The People's Republic of China routinely instructs its embassies to démarche host ministries over foreign-leader meetings with the Dalai Lama or transits by Taiwanese officials, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department serving as the drafting locus.
The talking points instruction must be distinguished from adjacent instruments. A non-paper is the unsigned text left behind; the talking points instruction is the originating cable. An aide-mémoire is a signed written summary of an oral communication, typically prepared after delivery, while talking points are pre-delivery script. A note verbale, drafted in the third person on mission letterhead, constitutes formal written correspondence between ministries and creates a clearer evidentiary record than oral talking points. Instructions to negotiate, governed in U.S. practice by Circular 175 procedures (11 FAM 720), authorize treaty discussion and differ in legal weight from a démarche, which conveys a position without necessarily opening negotiation. Finally, guidance cables inform missions of policy without requiring host-government action.
Edge cases generate recurring controversy. When talking points are leaked—as occurred with numerous U.S. cables published by WikiLeaks beginning in November 2010—the verbatim record can embarrass both sender and receiver, prompting tighter classification and narrower distribution lists (NODIS, EXDIS, ROGER channel). Disputes arise when posts deviate from instructed language: ambassadors occasionally request "modification of instructions" before delivery, citing local sensitivities, and a refusal to deliver can precipitate recall. The rise of secure messaging applications and ministerial WhatsApp groups has partially displaced formal démarche traffic for time-sensitive coordination, though most ministries—including the German Auswärtiges Amt and the Japanese Gaimushō—maintain the cable as the system of record. Sanctions enforcement under regimes such as UN Security Council Resolution 2397 (2018) on the DPRK relies heavily on standardized démarche packages distributed to all UN member states.
For the working practitioner, mastery of the talking points instruction is foundational. Desk officers draft them; political counselors deliver them; chiefs of mission sign reporting cables on the response. Precision in drafting—anticipating questions the interlocutor will raise, distinguishing what may be said from what must not be said, and calibrating tone to the bilateral relationship—is the daily craft of foreign-ministry work. A well-constructed instruction produces a clean record, advances the policy, and protects the officer who delivered it; a poorly drafted one generates confusion in capitals and irritation in the host ministry. The instrument, despite the proliferation of summitry and digital diplomacy, remains the workhorse of bilateral communication.
Example
In February 2022, the U.S. State Department cabled talking points instructions to over 100 embassies directing chiefs of mission to démarche host governments in support of UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1 condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.