DiploNews – Issue 321 – 3 April 2017

May 2017 online courses

Starting on 8 May 2017, we offer courses on diplomacy topics, both classic and contemporary:

Apply by 3 April for Diplo certificate courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses listed, or visit our courses webpage. Register now to reserve your place.

Thanks to support from the government of Malta, partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses. These scholarships cover 30-70% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2017.

For more information on any of our courses and on partial scholarships, contact admissions@diplomacy.edu. You can also sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.

Digital Commerce – Just-in-time Geneva-based course

This course – delivered by the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP), in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and DiploFoundation – aims to assist permanent missions and international organisations in Geneva to deal with fast emerging digital commerce issues. It provides an interdisciplinary coverage of e-commerce, from both digital and trade perspectives. The course will benefit diplomats who follow digital commerce negotiations on the multilateral and bilateral levels and other professionals in the field of trade. While improving their knowledge on e-commerce, participants will also gain the practical skills and information required to discuss specific digital policy issues, such as cross-border data flows, data localisation, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and the implication of emerging technologies to digital commerce, such as algorithms, the Internet of Things, and 3D printing. The course will focus on e-commerce negotiations and policy processes that are currently taking place in International Geneva. Due to the blended learning course format which includes weekly face-to-face meetings, registration for this session of the Digital Commerce course is open only to applicants based in Geneva. More info.

[WebDebate] Education Diplomacy: A new diplomacy for the SDG era?

Our April WebDebate will focus on Education Diplomacy and its importance within the context of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Education Diplomacy is a nascent term that describes practices and actors not easily captured by the traditional notions of diplomacy. It is closely linked to what is sometimes called ‘new diplomacy’ – the emergence of new actors and topics in international relations. It acknowledges the importance of global efforts for education, but also recognises local initiatives and contexts.

Our speakers, Ms Yvette Gatilao Murphy, Ms Phoebe Farag Mikhail, and Dr Katharina Höne, will draw on their respective backgrounds in international education, development, human rights, and diplomacy in order to discuss Education Diplomacy and its importance in the SDG era. The WebDebate will address the question of ‘new diplomacy’ and the emergence of new actors and new topics in international relations; highlight the different aspects and practices of Education Diplomacy, such as the Global Partnership for Education; draw lessons for achieving the SDGs; and distill the kinds of knowledge and skills needed for Education Diplomacy.

Join us on Tuesday, 4th April at 11:00 UTC (13.00 CET). Register to reserve your place.

Internet L@w Summer School at the University of Geneva

The school will give students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the framework of an Internet law clinic and to discuss cutting-edge Internet law and policy issues with academics, practitioners, representatives of global policymakers, international organisations, and leading institutions, including the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the Geneva Internet Platform. Topics include cybersecurity, e-commerce, consumer protection, legal issues of social media, Internet and telecom infrastructure, data protection, intellectual property, antitrust, etc. The summer school includes an exciting social programme, with excursions and social gatherings, and affords the fantastic opportunity to build a global network of new friends as well as of Internet law and policy experts. Students will receive a certificate for completing the summer school. The equivalent of 6 ECTS credits can be obtained (to be validated by the home university) upon submission of a paper. Interested individuals can apply until 1 May.

Introducing Digital Geneva 2017

Data is at the core of modern society, from our digital footprint via e-mail and social media, through to big data analytics. Artificial intelligence further increases the power and relevance of data. Cross-border data flows are challenged by policy decisions, in a similar way as the movement of goods, services, and people across borders. Data localisation laws, for instance, require companies to keep data on servers located within national territory. How is data shaping our future? How does data intersect with digital policy? How are Geneva-based organisations using data? These and other questions will be the focus of Digital Geneva 2017, a series of activities and events leading towards the annual Internet Governance Forum. Join us for the activities, including luncheons, roundtables, and workshops, and follow our research related to data. Learn more.

Roundtable on Data Diplomacy: Mapping the Field

Today, data science and big data have become common concepts, yet very little is known about the ways in which diplomacy could adjust to the emerging data-driven era. Commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, DiploFoundation is conducting the Data Diplomacy Project. This project will provide an overall analysis of the impact of statistics and big data on diplomacy and international relations, as well as survey the practical uses of data in diplomatic activities.

Making use of the expertise available in Geneva, as well as taking the opportunity to bring together diplomats, data scientists, and other professional communities, Diplo is organising a brainstorming event on Data Diplomacy: Mapping the Field on 5 April. Click here for more information on the event and on how to be involved.

Internet governance in March

The Internet governance community gathers every month – online, in Geneva, and in hubs – for the Geneva Internet Platform’s briefing on Internet governance developments. The monthly appointment is the last Tuesday of every month. If you missed last month’s briefing, view the recording:

and IG Barometer. Join us for our next monthly briefing, on Tuesday, 25th April, for a round-up of the major global IG and digital policy developments.

The developments in March were also summarised in Issue 19 of the Geneva Digital Watch newsletter, published 31 March. The issue includes: the main trends in digital policy in March, an analysis of the UN Special Rapporteur’s recommendations, and a review of the court cases and rulings involving ride-sharing app Uber, plus updates from the observatory in March, events in International Geneva, and a look at the main upcoming events in April.

Reporting from ICANN’s 58th meeting

The Diplo/GIP team was on the ground in Copenhagen for ICANN’s 58th meeting. Unlike previous meetings, in which discussions focused on the IANA stewardship transition and the strengthening of ICANN’s accountability, ICANN58 was marked by a re-focus on ICANN’s policy development processes. Read our thematic reports from the meeting.

Latest study: Mapping Uber

The development of new business models on the Internet, especially those related to the so-called sharing economy – such as Uber – has been accompanied by a rising number of legal and regulatory issues that threaten to jeopardise the business models’ existence. The study Mapping Uber looks at the main policy issues, and the legal action undertaken against the company in various countries. The study includes an interactive database which describes the court cases and other rulings, and include details about each case. Visit the dedicated page on the GIP Digital Watch observatory.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogsphere

In ICANN58: Regaining traction in policy development, Diplo’s Marília Maciel reported from the 58th meeting of the Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which took place in Copenhagen, Denmark in March. The meeting focused on the transition of the so-called IANA functions stewardship to the global Internet community. Maciel reflects on the ‘empowered community’ approach and highlights the key policy discussions at the meeting.

Workshop on public speaking, Belgrade 21-22 April

Interested in public speaking? Need some tips on how to prepare? Want to learn how to overcome the stage fright? Join us at the workshop on public speaking in Belgrade, 21-22 April.

A heightened awareness of how others speak, and the skill to identify what went well and what could have gone better, help improve our own speaking styles. Using presentations as a medium of delivery – impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript, and memorised – this workshop will explore the meaning of good communication, discuss how to provide constructive feedback to other speakers, and focus on finding style and voice.

The workshop is exercise-driven and requires active participation. Participants are asked to prepare a two-minute presentation on a topic of their choice and be ready to present during the workshop.

The workshop will be facilitated by Ms Mary Murphy, a Budapest-based public speaking coach, specialising in communications training for non-native-English speakers.