Module 1: Cyber Diplomacy – Tool for Strategic Security Policy

Bucharest, Romania

10 – 12 November 2020

New digital technologies have impact in cyberspace and are strongly related to diplomacy. The global cyber ecosystem with no borders offers new opportunities and raises challenges to traditional activities. At the same time, cyberspace is throwing up a series of issues, from Internet governance to cyber security, which require diplomacy.

This first pilot module had focused on the general principles of diplomacy to tackle the issues arising in cyberspace (cyber diplomacy principles). Invited experts facilitated discussions in order to advance the participants knowledge on this topic.

The aim was to provide participants with skills and competencies to understand the digital tools in pursuing diplomatic objective and the challenges that digital technologies pose for diplomacy.

Furthermore, it helped learners make the best use of digital tools in promoting diplomatic objectives and develop effective strategies for managing the multiple problems thrown up by the growing cyberspace.

At the end of this module, participants were able to:

  • identify the range of diplomatic tools;
  • develop digital diplomacy strategies in pursuit of broader foreign policy objectives;
  • identify key problems of internet governance and how diplomatic mind-sets and techniques can be applied to managing them;
  • distinguish between the different aspects of cybersecurity and the challenge they pose to governments, companies and society;
  • be able to apply diplomatic approaches to managing cybersecurity challenges.