Diplomacy in the Digital Age
- By Brian Hocking and Jan Melissen
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 26, 2015
The underlying issue of the changing character of diplomacy is the focus of chapter 3. Much of what is attributed to the rise of new communications technologies actually predates them. There is a broader story to tell, and there are a number of concerns related to the concept of 'digital diplomacy'. One of them is definitional vagueness. Discussions tend to embrace a range of concepts and quite loosely argued propositions that are reminiscent of the popularization of the notion of 'soft power'. Thus the term 'cyber diplomacy' may be a synonym for 'digital diplomacy' or focus on regime development in the cyberspace agenda – such as Internet freedom, 'net neutrality' and Internet governance.
Another problem relates to causality. Recently, the focus of attention has been the role of social media in events such as the 'Arab Spring' and the potential for this phenomenon to revolutionize the conduct of international policy. As with the 'CNN effect', supposedly determining change in US foreign policy during the Clinton administration, the impact of these media on politics and political decision-making has been exaggerated and/or misinterpreted. A third point affects the scope of the debate. In recent years much of the digital diplomacy discourse has been incorporated in discussions about public diplomacy, but it is clear that digital diplomacy has implications outside this narrative. There is also a danger of exaggerating the diplomatic use of social media by professionals used to operating confidentially and seeing information as power. The hype about digital diplomacy conceals the fact that there are still plenty of diplomats who feel unfamiliar, insecure or uncomfortable with microblogging and exchanging information in the open domain, or who may have very good reasons for working 'offline'.
Chapter 4, the largest part of this report, deals with a number of questions related to the impact of digital technology on selected diplomatic processes and structures. What are the implications of digitalization on traditional diplomatic practices, in particular related to the functions of communication and negotiation? At the most fundamental level, does the rise of a more participative, interactive diplomatic environment transform our understanding of the essence of diplomacy? Does the digital revolution require a fundamental re-evaluation of the rules and practices of a state based diplomatic system in a networked world? How is the advent of digital diplomacy impacting on the multilateral and national arenas? How are ministries of foreign affairs adapting to new forms of communication in areas such as public diplomacy, consular work and crisis management? To what extent is the digital age reshaping the relationships between the MFA and the network of diplomatic posts?
The conclusions aim to bring together the general concerns with the nature and impact of the digital age on government and society and its implications for diplomacy. We make some suggestions as to how national diplomatic structures in particular might respond to the demands of a changing international and domestic environment.
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