Diplo Blog

The UN’s Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on Developments in the Field of ICTs in the Context of International Security (UN Cyber OEWG) has established another landmark in the international negotiations about the ‘rules of the road’, and particularly the responsible behaviour of states, in cyberspace; by adopting its final report with consensus by 68 member states on 12 March 2021.

Now that everyone’s morning news frequently feature cyberattacks that cause real damage to human health, safety, economic income and threaten nations’ political stability and elections; cybersecurity is finally mainstream. This is partially due to the fact that cyberspace is increasingly used and abused for geopolitical leverage – UN Secretary General Guterres has even warned that the next international conflict may begin with a cyberattack.

Visit our page dedicated to the origins of diplomacy

In the second session of our monthly Zoom series Diplomacy and Technology: A historical journey, a masterclass with Jovan Kurbalija, we discussed the interplay between diplomacy and technology in prehistoric times. 

Amidst the current environmental, socioeconomic, and health crises, a lot has been said in regard to humanity’s existential threats. COVID-19 has exposed us. The pandemic has revealed the fragility of our societies, and how inevitable and indispensable the interdependency among one another is. As it has been said: 'No one is safe until everyone is safe!'

Diplomacy is often thought of as a practice centering on language. Yet, the visual image of diplomatic practice is increasingly important in a world in which images proliferate and videoconferencing has replaced face-to-face meetings. Diplomats need to be aware of the power of images, and need to have a sense of best practices and potential pitfalls when it comes to visual storytelling. Our 45th WebDebate 'Visual storytelling for diplomatic practice' took a closer look at this important topic. 

We condemn the violent left and right. Are the threats equivalent? Is one more dangerous? Let’s reflect – in compact fashion.

1.       Both share an ideology of a ‘desirable’ hierarchical social order

Both extremes share a hierarchical ideology:

In January 2021, we held the first session of our new monthly Zoom series titled Diplomacy and Technology: A historical journey, a masterclass with Dr Jovan Kurbalija, where we discuss the evolution and interplay of diplomacy and technology. 

In the January introductory session, Kurbalija drew a map of our historical journey and explained the three questions we will be answering during the series: 

In November 2020, Switzerland introduced its Digital Foreign Policy Strategy, marking a new phase in its efforts to shape the governance of digital issues. For decades, Switzerland has been at the forefront of international digital developments.

Last year, the United Nations General Assembly met mostly virtually throughout the High-Level Segment for the first time in its history. This exploration of a new spatial dimension for the United Nations is a reflection of the potential and challenges of our time today. It is also further proof of how interlinked the modern world has become. No country is immune from the effect of cross-border infectious diseases, and no country is out of reach of the powerful information and communication technologies.