DiploNews – Issue 327 – 3 July 2017

Upcoming study and training opportunities

Applications open for the 2018 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is now accepting applications for the 2018 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 5 February 2018. The application deadline is 15 October 2017 for international applicants and 15 November 2017 for Maltese applicants.

Humanitarian Diplomacy Diploma course

We are accepting applications for the next session of the popular online course Humanitarian Diplomacy, offered in cooperation 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 11 September 2017 and the application deadline is 25 July 2017. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

Summer courses on diplomacy and digital policy

Applications for our summer courses are now open. The following courses start on 31 July 2017:

• 21st Century Diplomacy
• Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities
• Internet Technology and Policy: Challenges and Solutions
• Multilateral Diplomacy

Apply by 7 July for Diplo certificate courses. For further information or to apply, click on the title of the courses listed above, or visit our courses webpage. Register now to reserve your place.

Partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses through support from the Maltese government. These scholarships cover 30–70% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2017.

For more information on any of our courses and on partial scholarships, contact admissions@diplomacy.edu. You can also sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.


University of Geneva: Online course on International Water Law

Diplo is proud to partner again with the University of Geneva for their online course on international water law and the law of transboundary aquifers. Participants will foster reflection on the linkages between international water law and other areas of international law, acquire in-depth understanding of the multifaceted aspects related to the governance of water resources, and gain sound knowledge of international water law. The course is intended for professionals from different backgrounds including law, international relations, environmental studies, hydrology, engineering, or economics: government officials (diplomats, technical and scientific specialists working in transboundary water issues), international organisations, NGOs, civil society representatives, academics, and professionals from the private sector. More information.

Looking back: policy immersion for diplomats from the Caribbean, Africa, and Pacific islands

28 diplomats attended a ten-day policy immersion in Geneva as part of CD Multi (Capacity Development Programme in Multilateral Diplomacy). Most of the participants came from states which either do not have diplomatic representation in Geneva or are represented by small missions with a few diplomats. Their stories, research, and experiences shed light on how small developing states address global problems. CD Multi addresses the gap between the need for participation and its limitations. The year-long programme, which started with an online course followed by policy research, culminated with a policy immersion phase in Geneva 7–17 June 2017. The group visited international organisations, had bilateral meetings with officials, attended workshops and conferences, among other activities. CD Multi provides small and developing states with the necessary expertise to follow policy-making in International Geneva. The programme contributes to achieving universal representation of all states in International Geneva. See more information about the project, including photos and video from the immersion phase.

[WebDebate] Sports diplomacy – new diplomacy and peacemaking tools or propaganda by other means? 

Join us on Tuesday, 4th July, at 10:00 UTC (12:00 CEST) for our next WebDebate that will focus on sport diplomacy.

Sports bring people together – nations, leaders, and citizens. Large-scale sporting events such as the Olympics or the Football World Cup are often seen as instances that unite states and individuals under a common goal and help to put differences aside – at least for the duration of the event as per the mantra of the Olympic Truce. Similarly, exchanges between athletes of countries with an antagonistic relationship are said to help promote peaceful relations. The so-called ping-pong diplomacy between the USA and the People’s Republic of China comes to mind by way of popular example – though critical analysis of the phenomenon of sports and diplomacy goes beyond this type of example. In terms of post-conflict reconciliation, the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace argues that sports programmes are a door opener for bringing those involved in conflict back together.

For this WebDebate, we are joined by Dr J. Simon Rofe and Mr Sean Hamil. During the debate we will address the question: To what extent can sport be a tool for diplomacy and peace? Also, we will reflect on the forms sports diplomacy takes and the actors involved, and ask if sports diplomacy is more than propaganda by other means.

Register to reserve your place. Please note that the time of the debate has changed. On this occasion, it takes place one hour earlier than usual. 

New issue of the Digital Watch newsletter

Published on 30 June 2017, Issue 22 of the Geneva Digital Watch newsletter provides the latest digital policy updates for June. The main highlights: an analysis of the last meeting of the UN Group of Governmental Experts (UN GGE) and its inability to reach consensus over a final report; the top trends in June, including new cyber-norms proposed by the private sector (with a focus on Google’s proposal); governments renewing calls for more regulation of the Internet and more responsibility on the part of the private sector; court ruling placing digital legacies in focus; and widespread disruptions in Internet access; and a two-page special on artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications. Plus, we give examples of areas where AI is being put in use, from autonomous cars to content policy and cybersecurity. Download your issue.

Reporting from ICANN59

The GIP Digital Watch rapporteurs were on the ground in Johannesburg to report from ICANN’s 59th meeting. ICANN’s meeting give supporting organisations and advisory committees the opportunity to have face-to-face discussions on various issues pertaining to ICANN’s activity. The rapporteurs also carried out video-interviews with David Olive, Vice President Policy Development Support at ICANN; Mary Wong, Senior Policy Director at ICANN; Avri Doria, co-Chair of the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Working Group; and Leon Sanchez, co-Chair Cross-Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability (in English and Spanish). Read the session reports and watch the videos on the observatory.

DeadlineR: a new way of keeping track of digital policy events

On of the aims of the GIP Digital Watch observatory is to address concrete and pressing needs of the digital policy community in a practical and functional way. One of the needs is to keep track of the many policy events and their related deadlines. With this in mind, we have developed DeadlineR, a notification system built into the observatory. With DeadlineR, users of the observatory can receive reminders for deadlines to register for an event, to submit workshop proposals, to submit papers, etc. Try out the pilot version by visiting our Upcoming Events section.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

Preparations for the next Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are warming up. Marilia Maciel analyses the priority that has been given to e-commerce in agenda-setting and the draft proposal recently put forth by the European Union, which focuses on consumer protection, unsolicited commercial messages, and authentication and trust services. She concludes by calling for more transparency with regard to documents produced by WTO members. In Would the real diplomacy please stand up, Diplo’s Katharina Höne explores the meaning and value of so-called new diplomacies. She concludes that ‘If diplomacy is not to become a dinosaur, new diplomacies and their careful debate should be welcomed as part of a much-needed dynamism in the field.’