[Update] Read the press release for this event.
Technological developments impact all aspects of society. Similarly, they impact the practice of diplomacy. Mediation, the process whereby a third party assists parties, with their consent, to resolve conflicts is no exception. The UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, DiploFoundation, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), and swisspeace joined forces in March 2018 to develop the CyberMediation initiative to explore how digital technology is impacting the work of mediators in preventing and resolving violent conflicts.
During the conference, the CyberMediation partners will share with the audience their findings in a number of areas including social media, data for peace, and artificial intelligence and their links to prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts through the use of mediation. Through the different thematic panels, practitioners and experts will exchange their experience of how mediators are incorporating digital tools in their work and how they are dealing with the new challenges resulting from the development of new technologies.
Programme
The conference will take place on Tuesday, 19th November 2019, at DiploFoundation, WMO/OMM building, 7bis, Avenue de la Paix, Geneva. All times are in CET.
During this session, representatives from the CyberMediation Initiative’s consortium will present the findings and recommendations stemming from their work.
Panellists:
- Katharina Höne, Senior Researcher, DiploFoundation
- Ahmed Eleiba, Program Officer, swisspeace
- Jonathan Harlander, Acting Project Manager, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
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Enrico Formica, Senior Political Officer, Mediation Support Unit, United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Moderator: Camino Kavanagh, Senior Consultant, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
During this session, representatives from the CyberMediation Initiative’s consortium will present the findings and recommendations stemming from their work.
Panellists:
- Supinya Klangnarong, former Commissioner of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission, Thailand
- Andreas Hirblinger, Researcher, Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
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Antje Herrberg, Senior Mediation Advisor at European External Action Service
- Miloš Strugar, Senior Mediation Advisor and Director of the Conflux Center
- Katharina Höne, Senior Researcher, DiploFoundation
- Eleonore Pauwels, United Nations University
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Stefania Grottola, PhD researcher, University of Geneva
Wrap-up and closing
Way forward: Enrico Formica, Senior Political Officer, Mediation Support Unit, United Nations Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Version: 18 November 2019
Registration
You are invited to express your interest in attending the conference by completing the application form. Places are limited; registration confirmations will be sent within 3 working days. Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements and expenses.
For more information, please contact Mr Marco Lotti (marcol@diplomacy.edu).
Our experts involved
Dr Katharina Höne
Senior lecturer, researcher, and project manager
Dr Katharina (Kat) E Höne researches, writes, and teaches on a number of issues in the area of diplomacy, global governance, and the impact of technology on international relations. Over the last years, she has focused on research at the intersection of diplomacy and technology. She was part of a research project on Data Diplomacy: Updating diplomacy to the big data era and the lead researcher and author of Mapping the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the conduct of diplomacy report, both supported by the Ministry for Foreign of Affairs of Finland. In addition, she has more than 10 years of experience in teaching international relations at universities in the UK and Germany, and in delivering in-situ, blended, and online training to diplomatic practitioners. Kat holds an MA in Diplomatic Studies (University of Leicester, UK) and a PhD in International Politics (University of Aberystwyth, UK). In her work, she is driven by her aim to level the playing field at international negotiation tables through capacity development, and to provide out-of-the-box thinking and inspiration by drawing on her passion for science-fiction.
Dr Jovan Kurbalija
Executive Director
Dr Jovan Kurbalija is the Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). He was a member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (2004‒2005), special advisor to the Chairman of the UN Internet Governance Forum (2006‒2010), and a member of the High Level Multistakeholder Committee for NETmundial (2013‒2014). In 2018-2019, he served as co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations (UN) High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.
A former diplomat, Jovan has a professional and academic background in international law, diplomacy, and information technology. He has been a pioneer in the field of cyber diplomacy since 1992 when he established the Unit for Information Technology and Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta, and later, DiploFoundation.
Since 1997, Jovan’s research and articles on cyber diplomacy have shaped research and policy discussion on the impact of the Internet on diplomacy and international relations. His book, An Introduction to Internet Governance, has been translated into 9 languages and is used as a textbook for academic courses worldwide. He lectures on e-diplomacy and Internet governance in academic and training institutions in many countries, including Austria (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Belgium (College of Europe), Switzerland (University of St Gallen), Malta (University of Malta), and the United States (University of Southern California).
His publishes regular articles on DiploFoundation's blog, and the Huffington Post.