In March 2012, the Council of Europe and Diplo co-organised a discussion workshop on ‘Internet Governance and E-diplomacy‘ for diplomats from Permanent Representations of member states to the Council of Europe and officials from the Secretariat. The workshop examined the impact of the Internet on public policy making and modern diplomacy. It addressed Internet governance as a new topic on diplomatic agendas: openness of the Internet as a common global resource, rights and freedoms for Internet users, personal data and privacy of citizens, criminal justice capacities and co-operation in the fight against cybercrime, and child safety and empowerment in online environments. The current and future role of e-tools in diplomatic activities and inclusive policy processes was also discussed, including the increasingly important role of social media (e.g. blogs, Twitter, Facebook, wiki).
