Nicolas Fromm explores norm-based strategies small states can use to distinguish themselves
internationally in order to compensate for their lesser geopolitical weight. Using the example
of Qatar the author shows that such strategies might include a sort of norm entrepreneurship
which goes beyond the advocacy of universal norms and implies the development of genuinely new
norms ('norm crafting') in pursuit of regional political influence. To shed light on the
stunning rise of Qatar from a background actor to a protagonist in international diplomacy the
case study analyses the distinctive use of norm crafting in the country's Middle East diplomacy
under the reign of Emir Hamad (1995-2013). To unfold the potential of strategic normative
innovation Qatar seems to have imitated the attitudes and attributes of established norm
entrepreneurs such as international organizations.
