DiploNews – Issue 382 – 4 November 2019

Upcoming study opportunities

2020 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is now accepting applications for the 2020 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy, and the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy with a specialisation in Internet Governance. These unique postgraduate programmes, offered in co-operation with the University of Malta, include a 10-day residential workshop in Malta followed by 16–20 months of online learning. Visit the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy webpage to read more.

Scholarships covering 20%–50% of the Postgraduate Diploma fee are available for applicants from small and developing states. The programme starts on 3 February 2020. The application deadline has been extended to 15 November 2019.

February 2020 online diplomacy courses

Start the new year with one of our most popular online courses:

• Diplomatic Theory and Practice
• Public Diplomacy
• Introduction to Internet Governance

Apply by 16 December 2019 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 13 January 2020 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.

Malta scholarships

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%–60% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2020. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information. You can also sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.


Upcoming events

[WebDebate] The diplomacy of natural resources in the Middle East

In our November WebDebate, we will unpack the ideas and questions behind resources diplomacy – including conflict and co-operation around natural resources and notions of resource protection. 

We will then zoom in on the Middle East region and discuss the challenges around water resources and their diplomatic responses. Access to – and use of – water has become a critical question in the region and a source of conflict.

Join us online on Tuesday, 5th November, at 12:00 UTC (13:00 CET). Register to attend this event.

Cyber-diplomacy web discussion: Applicability of international law to cyberspace

As cyberspace gets increasingly (mis)used by states for military purposes, international negotiations on rules of behaviour in cyberspace evolve, in particular within the UN context.

The cyber-diplomacy web discussion Applicability of international law to cyberspace: Do we know the rules of the road? will look into the international rules that are already in place, and the challenges of their applicability.

Join us online on Thursday, 7th November, 13:00 UTC (14:00 CET). Register to attend this event.

Cybermediation conference

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.

During the conference, the Cybermediation partners will share 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.

Join us in Geneva on Tuesday, 19th November.

Register to attend the event. *Please note that places are limited; registration confirmations will be sent within three working days.

Diplo and the GIP at the Internet Governance Forum 2019

DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) will be actively engaged at the 2019 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) which will take place on 25-29 November in Berlin, Germany.

As in previous years, DiploFoundation and the GIP Digital Watch observatory will provide just-in-time reporting from the IGF. Make sure to bookmark the Digital Watch space where the just-in-time reports and Daily newsletters will be published.

If you are attending the IGF, make sure to drop by our DiploFoundation and GIP booth!

Other events

DiploFoundation’s Shita Laksmi will speak at the following events:

• 5 November at the Annual Convention on Global South 2019: Rethinking International Relations in the Era of Technological Disruption
• 7 November at the DataGovAI Summit & Awards 2019

At both events, Ms Laksmi will speak about AI and diplomacy, particularly Diplo’s research: Mapping the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the conduct of diplomacy.

Recent events

Cyber-diplomacy web discussion: Cyber-armament

In our Cyber-diplomacy web discussion: Cyber-armament which took place on 22 October, Chris Painter (Commissioner of the Global Commission on Stability of Cyberspace), Oleg Demidov (Cyber Researcher at UNIDIR), and Vladimir Radunovic (Diplo’s Cybersecurity and E-diplomacy Programmes Director) looked into the development trends of the offensive cyber capabilities of states, and the potential consequences of the growing number, sophistication, and power of cyber-attacks conducted against countries and critical components of societies.

Read the digest and watch the recording.

Digital policy quarterly briefing

Head of the GIP Dr Jovan Kurbalija together with Digital Policy Senior Researcher Marilia Maciel conducted a quarterly briefing of digital policy aspects and what to expect in the weeks to come on 24 October, in Geneva.

Diplo at NASIG 2019

At the NASIG 2019 conference in Montreal, Canada, Diplo’s Project Development Director Dr Tereza Horejsova moderated the session ‘Internet governance: A vision for the future’ featuring Andrew Sullivan, CEO of the Internet Society.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

In his latest blog post The Sacoolas affair: Diplomatic immunity or special immunity? Prof. Geoff Berridge takes a look at the Anne Sacoolas / Harry Dunn case. Prof. Berridge gives the definition of abuse of diplomatic immunity, and why such immunity was given in the first place.