DiploNews – Issue 269 – 2 February 2015
Cybersecurity Day in Geneva – event report
Last month, the Geneva Internet Platform hosted the first in a possible series of Cybersecurity Days, organised in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, DiploFoundation, DCAF (Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces), GCSP (Geneva Centre for Security Policy), ICT4Peace, and the University of Geneva. The half-day event, entitled Cybersecurity – A Strategic View, focused on the Finnish approach to cybersecurity, a comprehensive multistakeholder cooperation which led to the country having one the ‘cleanest networks in the world’. Read the event report here.
Support Diplo’s scholarship fund
Members of Diplo’s network have asked us how they can help professionals from small and developing states to benefit from Diplo courses. To make this possible, we have re-opened our scholarship fund, and we will gladly add your contribution, small or large. You can read more and donate using credit card, PayPal, or other methods, on our scholarship fund page.
All funds received will be used to help professionals from small and developing countries participate in Diplo’s online courses on Internet governance, diplomacy, and international policy issues. Your contribution, of any amount, will make a positive difference in someone’s life! Thanks for your support.
Internet governance in 2015: Unsettled weather, fresh winds, stormy at times
Unsettled weather, fresh winds, stormy at times, sums up the forecast for Internet governance in 2015, Diplo’s director Dr Jovan Kurbalija said during last week's ‘crystal ball’ exercise. The annual event, which discusses IG predictions for the year ahead, was attended by over 80 participants online and in situ from Geneva. Cybersecurity tops the list of the most important issues predicted for 2015, followed by the global IG architecture, and the transition of the IANA functions. To learn what other issues are predicted for 2015, and what the January updates from the Internet Governance Barometerare, read the digest and follow the recording here.
Meanwhile, we invite you to attend the next briefing on Internet governance in February. Read more and register here.
May 2015 online diplomacy courses
Starting in May 2015 we offer courses on diplomacy topics both classic and contemporary:
Apply by 2 March 2015 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 30 March 2015 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.
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Discussing Internet governance
In the past few weeks, the cybersecurity debate heightened following President Obama’s State of the Union address, the reaction to the Charlie Hebdo attacks, and the proceedings of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. The update on developments in January comes from the Internet Governance Barometer, a new tool developed by Diplo and the Geneva Internet Platform. Read more about the January developments here.
Diplo’s Simona Cioroiu provides an update from the world of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. While the price of Bitcoin has dropped, use of the cryptocurrency has increased. What’s in store for 2015? Read more here.
Meanwhile, Stephanie Borg Psaila writes about Diplo’s plans for Internet governance webinars for 2015. Diplo will be taking the webinars to a new level, thanks to a number of improvements. Read more here.
Follow more IG-related news and discussions on Diplo’s Internet governance channel, and on Diplo’s IG community blog roll.
Questioning promotion methods in foreign ministries
Diplo senior fellow Ambassador Kishan S. Rana held a very successful webinar on 'Promotion methods in foreign ministries' last week. We had over 100 registrations for the webinar and a lively disucssion ensued on the day. We have made the recording of the webinar available:
Amb. Rana has written a blog summary of the discussion, adding additional points and raising further important questions. He welcomes your comments. Let's keep the disucssion going.
What's happening in Diplo's blogosphere?
At the United Nations, the reform flag has been flying for decades. Ambassador Dr Petru Dimitriu, lecturer on Multilateral Diplomacy, writes about this notion from a theoretical perspective in a ten-part series of posts on Understanding United Nations reform. Part 1 talks about the relevance of the current mandate, and describes to two major vectors which undoubtedly make reform necessary.
Part 2, on the limits to power, describes how the limits should be well-defined, as any confusion may generate unproductive suspicions as well inhibit decision-making. Part 3 stresses legitimacy above all: 'As is the case for all public institutions, reform offers to the United Nations (UN) an opportunity to update and reaffirm the legitimacy of its mandate.'
Watch Diplo’s blog roll for more posts from Amb. Dimitriu’s series. Comments on any of Diplo’s blog posts are welcome. Let us know if you’d like to be a guest blogger.
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