This document discusses the rise of digital diplomacy and its importance in the 21st century. It defines digital diplomacy as the use of internet technologies and social media by governments and diplomats to conduct public diplomacy. Many foreign ministries have developed digital diplomacy strategies in response and now engage with citizens online. However, practice still varies and challenges remain around information security and developing dialogue-based engagement over monologues. Overall, digital tools are becoming essential for diplomats, but traditional diplomacy still underpins strategies.

1. Digital Diplomacy: Empowering Diplomats in the 21st Century
Conduct of Diplomacy
Dr. Saeed K Al Dhaheri
Chairman, Smartworld
Former Advisor of IT to H.H. the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Twitter: @DDSaeed
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2. Updated presentation based on a previous lecture at UAE MoFA
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3. Reinventing diplomacy ‫الدبلوماسية‬ ‫صياغة‬ ‫إعادة‬
21st Century diplomacy ‫وعشرين‬ ‫الواحد‬ ‫القرن‬ ‫دبلوماسية‬
#Digital Diplomacy ‫الرقمية‬ ‫الدبلوماسية‬
e-Diplomacy ‫االلكترونية‬ ‫الدبلوماسية‬
Cyber Diplomat ‫االلكتروني‬ ‫الفضاء‬ ‫دبلوماسي‬
Virtual Embassy ‫االفتراضية‬ ‫السفارة‬

4. Digital Diplomacy resources on social media
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5. Digital Diplomacy: Empowering Diplomats in the 21st Century Conduct
of Diplomacy
Agenda
• Questions
• The world is going digital
• Internet impact on Diplomacy
• How MFAs are addressing Digital Diplomacy
• Diplomacy vs. digital diplomacy: definitions
• Digital diplomacy through examples
• Governments and world leaders on social media
• How MFAs use social media
• Examples: UAE MoFA, State department, and the UN
• Disaster management and the use of social media
• Social media risks and challenges
• conclusions
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6. Questions
• Is there a new kind of diplomacy that is different from the traditional diplomacy
• What is digital diplomacy?
• How Internet and social media are impacting diplomatic conduct and international
relations?
• What is the role of the Embassy and Ambassadors in the interconnected world?
• What are the talents and skills needed by diplomats in the digital age

7. The world is going digital
• 3.3 billion internet users as of today (more than 40% of the world population)
• More than 80% of Internet users are using social networks
• Today mobile Internet penetration is more than 52% and expected
to reach 71% by 2019
• New technologies: Cloud computing, mobile,
Social Media, and Big data creating new
possibilities and innovation
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8. ‫الدبلوماسية‬ ‫على‬ ‫االنترنت‬ ‫تأثير‬Internet Impact on Diplomacy
• A new dimension to traditional diplomacy issues
• Freedom of expression, human rights, IP rights, Int. telecommunication polices,
climate change, human rights to accesses internet,,,etc
• Changing environment of world politics
• New players: NGOs, political activists, civil society, terrorist networks
• New tools to practice diplomatic conduct
• Instant messaging, search engines, video conferencing, and social media
• E-government and smart government services for citizens
• Online Consular services
• Smart apps
The Internet made diplomacy more efficient and cost effective but also pushed diplomacy
to be more open and transparent while created pressure for the response to be more real-time
Communication is now the essence of diplomacy
Social Media
• Shaping opinion
• Mobilize people
• Influence Change

9. ‫الرقمي‬ ‫العالم‬ ‫مع‬ ‫للتعامل‬ ‫الخارجية‬ ‫وزارات‬ ‫أجندة‬ ‫على‬ ‫التغيرات‬How MFAs addressing
digital diplomacy
•‫الواليات‬‫المتحدة‬‫األمريكية‬USA:
•‫برنامج‬‫القرن‬ ‫في‬ ‫السياسية‬ ‫الكفاءة‬2121st century statecraft
•‫المتحدة‬ ‫المملكة‬UK:
•‫السياسة‬‫العالم‬ ‫في‬ ‫البريطانية‬ ‫الخارجية‬‫المترابط‬Britain’s Foreign Policy in a Networked World
•‫المتحدة‬ ‫العربية‬ ‫اإلمارات‬UAE:
•‫الخارجية‬ ‫لوزارة‬ ‫االستراتيجية‬ ‫الخطة‬2011–2013MoFA strategic Plan
•‫االلكترونية‬ ‫الوزارة‬ ‫مبادرة‬MoFA e-Government Initiative
•Empowering the conduct of diplomacy by providing updated information to UAE diplomats any time
any where
•‫االتحادية‬ ‫للحكومة‬ ‫الذكي‬ ‫التحول‬UAE Smart Government Program

10. Diplomacy vs. Digital Diplomacy
Digital Diplomacy/ e-Diplomacy
 The effective use of Internet and new
technologies to help advance nation’s
foreign policy
 Is the use of social media by
governments and embassies across
the world to promote their country,
her causes, and international relations
 New shapes of diplomacy
 Gov-to-people
 People-to-Gov
Diplomacy
 the work of maintaining good
relations between the governments
of different countries
 Gov-to-Gov
 Face-to-Face
 In-person meetings
 Formal media coverage

11. Digital Diplomacy today
#Endofviolence
Hashtag diplomacy
Video conferencing
Encompassing Social media, video conferencing, smart apps, instant massaging,,,etc
Engagement with public
Smart apps

12. The world governments and leaders are on social media
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13. UAE leadership are among the pioneers to use social media
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14. How MFAs Use Social Media
• One way engagement: Communicate news, announcements and alerts
• PR: Broadcasting events
• Update during crises and for disaster management
• Listening: gathering information
• Public diplomacy – advocating/branding national image
• Two-way engagement:
• Creating awareness and getting users feedback about e-services provided
• Conversing with foreign populations
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I tell all of our ambassadors, “Remember, you only
have 1 mouth, but you have two ears.” – Alec Ross,
Former senior advisor of Innovation, state department

15. UAE MoFA is leading on social media
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Winning two best Government social media practice awards
Guidelines for using SM in the UAE Gov
UAE MoFA twitter policy

16. UAE MoFA and its missions are on Social Media
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17. Digital diplomacy practice still evolving and differs among MFAs
• Study findings published on the blog of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy
• cross national comparison study of 4 MFAs
• Good points:
• MFAs provide social media training to their diplomats
• MFAs develop guidelines and best practices for diplomats
migrating online
• Embassies and ambassadors use of SM help tailor SM content to the
values and interest of the followers
• Points of improvements:
• MFAs still refrain from using SM to converse with online publics
• Most embassies and diplomats fail to engage online with NGOs, thereby failing to foster the creation of
networks of advocacy
• MFSs fail to coordinate with other ministries and actors when it comes to nation’s policy and image.
• Challenge to many embassies to practice near real-time digital diplomacy given the supervision models
adopted by their MFAs
• Conclusion: the practice of digital diplomacy still evolving and differs among MFAs
• Some MFAs encourage embassies and diplomats to foster ties with online publics while others are still more cautious
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18. Terrorism has gone social
• How to fight ISIS online propaganda network
• ISIS mastered the art of making the voices of a few sounds
like the voices of millions
• The world needs to unite its effort to fight ISIS
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19. ‫االمريكي‬ ‫البرنامج‬–‫القرن‬ ‫في‬ ‫السياسية‬ ‫الكفاءة‬2121st Century Statecraft
• Builds on traditional forms of diplomacy to account for the technologies, demographics, and the networks of
the 21st century
• benefits from new technologies and innovation to advance US foreign policy
• State department runs a media mogul: 194 twitter account, 200 Facebook pages, tweeting in 7 languages,
monitoring social media channels of Five other countries in 5 languages

20. IT Department
• Examples:
• US Virtual Embassy in Tehran
• Department of states Virtual Student Foreign Service Program
(VSFS)
‫االمريكي‬ ‫البرنامج‬–‫القرن‬ ‫في‬ ‫السياسية‬ ‫الكفاءة‬2121st Century Statecraft

21. American Virtual Embassy in Tehran

22. ‫األمريكية‬ ‫الخارجية‬ ‫وزارة‬ ‫موقع‬State department web site

23. ‫الكوارث‬ ‫إدارة‬ ‫في‬ ‫االجتماعي‬ ‫اإلعالم‬ ‫توظيف‬Social Media use for Disaster Management
• To find and locate trapped victims during disasters
• Effective tool for coordinating search and rescue efforts during crises and disasters
• 2011 the great Japan earthquake (twitter became the emergency service – 1200 tpm)
• , 2010 Haiti earthquake
• Immediate reporting about damages that’s facilitating preparation to provide help and
support

24. Digital Diplomacy example: UN and the use of Social Media
• #nextSG and hashtags on twitter
• Social media opened up a close practice for selecting the UN Sec General
• Questions to candidate submitted on twitter

25. ‫االجتماعي‬ ‫االعالم‬ ‫وتحديات‬ ‫مخاطر‬Social Media Risks & Challenge
• How to handle criticism and negative comments
• Loss of reputational control
• Response
• Content development

26. ‫االستنتاجات‬Conclusions:
• Digital diplomacy is not an end in itself but a tool in the service of broader diplomatic strategies
• MFAs need to institutionalize the use of social media and develop digital diplomacy strategies and
policies
• MFAs need to transition from monologue-based to dialogue-based diplomacy to create global
network of influence and advocacy
• Today’s diplomats need to be skilled in digital technologies and build analytical capability to harness
the power of digital diplomacy
• MFAs need to build capacity (resources and training) to foster and sustain the use of digital
diplomacy
• Digital diplomacy is not only the role of MFAs
• Need to face and overcome challenges associated with information security

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