Being counter-intuitive in e-diplomacy

‘The higher the budget often the lower the impact of e-diplomacy projects,’ was the first counter-intuitive insight by Ambassador Alexandre Fasel, Swiss Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva (delivered at the Geneva e-diplomacy day).

Combining his rich experience from corporate and government sectors, he outlined a few e-diplomacy law/principles. Most e-diplomacy principles are counter-intuitive to the way we traditionally approach organisational challenges. For example, he advises restraint for the institutional drive to develop strategy. As soon as we see a new tool emerging, we tend to put it in a strategic framework. This usually does not work in e-diplomacy.

A similar message was echoed in the other two presentations delivered by Mr Richard Boly, director of e-diplomacy at the US State Department and Mr Anders Norskers, director of the ITU’s Information division.