DiploNews – Issue 359 – 21 November 2018

Upcoming study opportunities

2019 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is now accepting applications for the 2019 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 4 February 2019. The application deadline is 30 November 2018.

Humanitarian Diplomacy Diploma course

Apply now for the next session of the popular online course Humanitarian Diplomacy, offered in co-operation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This highly interactive 13-week course, led by Ambassador Christopher Lamb and a team of experienced practitioners, extends the knowledge base and develops practical skills of current and future practitioners in humanitarian diplomacy and policy. The course familiarises participants with basic definitions, concepts, actors, and institutions in the field of humanitarian diplomacy; introduces international humanitarian law; hones advocacy and negotiation skills; develops participants’ research skills; and increases their understanding of national and regional humanitarian diplomacy activities.
 The course is offered in English; however, participants have the option to write and submit major course assignments and the final research paper in French or Spanish.
 The next session starts 18 February 2018 and the application deadline is 14 January 2018. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

February 2019 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 17 December 2018 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 14 January 2019 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 2019. 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.


CyberMediation: The impact of digital technologies on the prevention and resolution of violent conflicts

The UN Department of Political Affairs, DiploFoundation, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and swisspeace held a session on Wednesday, 7th November, 2018, where participants had a chance to hear from practitioners about their experience of how mediators incorporate digital tools in their work, and deal with the new challenges resulting from the development of new technologies. The event also presented an occasion for the CyberMediation partners to report on their initial findings in a number of areas including social media, data for mediation, and artificial intelligence for mediation.

IGF 2018 wraps up

DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) participated actively during the 13th Internet Governance Forum in Paris. Read our just-in-time reports and download the daily newsletters. The IGF Dailies include highlights from the discussions and data analysis from verbatim transcripts. Stay tuned for the final report, which will be published in the coming days.

Implementing the Water Convention: A look at the results of the first reporting exercise

The Geneva Water Hub’s Platform for International Water Law, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and DiploFoundation are pleased to invite you to, Implementing the Water Convention: A look at the results of the first reporting exercise, on Friday, 23rd November, at 13:00 CET (12:00 UTC). This webinar is organised within the framework of the Distance Learning Course on International Water Law & The Law of Transboundary Aquifers delivered through the Continuing Education and e-Learning Centre of the University of Geneva. Registrations are open.

Public International Law Day 2018

The Public International Law Day is organised by the Directorate of International Law (DIL) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in co-operation with the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). The Public International Law Day aims to address the subject of international law and promote Switzerland’s engagement in that field. The event will take place on 27 November at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva.

Participation is free of charge. Registrations are open. Registration deadline is 23 November 2018. The detailed programme is now available.

Internet governance in November

What were the main Internet governance (IG) updates in November? How will recent updates influence the developments in upcoming months? Join us for our next monthly briefing, on Tuesday, 27th November, for a round-up of the major global IG and digital policy developments. Registrations are open.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

In State of diplomacy in the 21st century: A leap backward?, Natasa Perucica and Andrijana Gavrilovic analyse the opening speeches of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. They find that the decline of multilateralism and the reform of the UN took centre stage in many of the speeches. Other prominent topics included sustainable development, migration, security, and digitisation. Looking back at Diplo’s activities at the 2nd UN World Data Forum, Katharina Höne adds her reflections on data capacity development for diplomats and policymakers. She stresses the importance of closing feedback loops between policy and data, the need for fostering communication between communities, and the importance of partnerships.

Update from the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation: Every first Monday of the month

The UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation Secretariat will host a ‘First Monday meeting’ on 3 December 2018 at 9:00 EST / 15:00 CET / 20:00 CST to provide an update from the past month and an overview of upcoming activities.
Update calls will take place every first Monday of the month.

For more information about the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, please visit the dedicated website.