DiploNews – Issue 285 – 2 October 2015

Launch of GIP Digital Watch

The Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) – an initiative supported by the Swiss authorities and operated by DiploFoundation – and the Internet Society (ISOC), announced the launch of the GIP Digital Watch, a new online observatory which empowers diplomats and other Internet policy participants by providing a concise overview of Internet policy issues, actors, and ongoing developments. The tool, which builds extensively on resources developed by DiploFoundation over the last 15 years, and the in-house data-mining software system, can be accessed at https://dig.watch

The online observatory features:

• 42 issues
• 158 organisations and entities
• 335 policy instruments such as treaties and documents
• 291 events
• 1638 cross links among issues/actors/instruments/events
• 28,862 articles and documents gathered for data analysis

The GIP Digital Watch also encompasses:

• Monthly briefings on Internet governance in Geneva/online – held on the last Tuesday of every month (next one is on 27 October)
• Geneva Digital Watch – a monthly newsletter with a focus on Geneva digital policy developments ( Issue 3, September 2015)

Read more about the GIP Digital Watch launch.

Upcoming study opportunities

2016 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy – last few places left, apply by 20 October; scholarships available

DiploFoundation is now accepting applications for the 2016 Master/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy, and the Master/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy with an Internet Governance specialisation. These unique postgraduate programmes, offered in cooperation 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 learn more and to apply. Scholarships covering 20–50% of the Postgraduate Diploma fee are available for applicants from small and developing states. The programme starts on 1 February 2016. The application deadline is 20 October 2015 for international applicants and 15 November 2015 for Maltese applicants.

February 2016 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 14 December 2015 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 11 January 2016 for Diplo certificate courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses above, or visit our courses webpage. Register now to reserve your place.

Sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.

Internet governance in September

The digital policy developments in September were dominated by the UN Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda, and the USA-China meeting from which a cyber arms deal emerged. Other developments were also important, such as the non-binding opinion of the Advocate General to the European Court of Justice on European data transfers to third countries, and the French data regulator’s decision on the right to be forgotten.

The developments were discussed last Tuesday during the Geneva Internet Platform’s monthly briefing on IG developments. Read the digest of the discussion; follow the link to view the IG Barometer, the video recording of the briefing, and to download the presentation. The next briefing will take place on 27 October; registrations are now open.

Discussing Internet governance

How can we manage complex governance arrangements in the absence of trust, especially now that we have the lowest level of trust in financial institutions? What can we learn from blockchain technology and other innovative approaches? Roxana Radu and Gabriel Aleixo tackle these issues in Blockchain and the Future of Governance.

On Diplo’s IG community, Trevor A. Phipps discusses fake online identities, one of the main topics during a two-day discussion on the Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society and Internet Privacy, held on 23-24 September in St Kitts. He asks why online users experience the need to create false identities.

Hafedh Yahmadi discusses the right to information in Tunisia in light of Article 32 of the Tunisian Constitution, and the Alliance Article 32, an observatory for the protection of the right of access to information and communication networks; read more. Mamadou Lo shares updates on digital policy: read his weekly web reviews for 18 September and 27 September.

Follow more IG-related news and discussions on Diplo’s Internet governance channel and on Diplo’s IG community blog roll.

Book review: Democratic Intergovernmental Organizations? Normative Pressures and Decision-Making Rules

‘At first sight, the very choice of the title of this book may indicate that the author, Alexandru Grigorescu, was not sure about the existence of such a thing. Indeed, to be or not to be democratic is not a top concern on the internal agenda of international organizations…’ Read Diplo faculty member Petru Dumitriu’s insightful review of this new publication, and share your thoughts in response to the  provacative questions he raises.