Redrawing the Rules of Engagement

Ruling the world with the tweet, hashtags, and viral videos, now diplomacy has acquired a digital hue. Gone are the days when foreign affairs used to be matters behind closed doors or in press statements. Today, diplomacy is as much about treaties as Twitter handles. In simple terms, digital diplomacy or e-diplomacy, cyber diplomacy, is how governments and diplomats use digital communications channels to engage with foreign publics, promote their interests, and influence world-wide narratives.

A simpler example will do. When the Russia-Ukraine war started in 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not only addressed parliaments or heads of state but also used Twitter, Instagram, and Zoom platforms to call for support; to broadcast resistance; and to condemn aggression in real time. Those are examples of digital diplomacy occurring in real time, directly, and effectively.

Digital diplomacy extends beyond crisis communication. It also includes public engagement, policy promotion, and cultural exchanges. The Ministry of External Affairs, India, for instance, maintains a lively presence on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. These online platforms become another resource for Indian embassies to engage with diaspora communities, offer consular services, and inform them on India's soft power- from Ayurveda to yoga diplomacy.

USA State Department's 21st Century Statecraft initiative under President Obama was one of the earliest formal recognitions of digital diplomacy's power. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State at the time, launched a campaign to promote the notion of "Twitter for Embassies," encouraging American diplomatic establishments to go online. The objective was to not just LISTEN to governments but also to speak directly to the people.

Not all have endured smoother waters. In 2021, China's aggressive digital manner, dubbed Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, made global heads turn. Chinese diplomats went on Twitter defending positions in oftentimes combative tones, sometimes even stirring controversies rather than calming them down. This showed the new found confidence of China in the cyber domain but also emphasized the risk that comes with playing the propaganda game too much.

More instances of digital ingenuity. Remember the #DiplomacyFail trend when embassies or officials passed off tone-deaf posts? Or the viral feud between Sweden and the U.S. Embassy in 2017, in which the Swedish Foreign Ministry used memes to prove Trump wrong about his false claims on crime in Sweden? These instances also hit home that digital diplomacy is not only formal—it can be clever, aggressive, and painfully honest.

We cannot understate the power of visuals. In 2020, during the COVID-19 period, countries such as New Zealand and Canada resorted to social media infographics and video messages informing policy updates to foreign nationals, medical assistance, and garnering trust. The Digital Diplomacy Department of Israel went on to organize virtual Shabbat dinners and cooking classes for the sustenance of cultural exchange.

That said, digital diplomacy has its own truly serious challenges to confront. Cyber threats, disinformation campaigns, and digital surveillance top the list. Governments must find the balance between openness and caution, engagement and commensurate security. The interruptory manoeuvre with which Russian trolls served in the interference in the 2016 U.S. elections reminds us in no uncertain terms about how threats can position themselves on and across our digital platforms.

Nevertheless, digital diplomacy is here to stay. As younger generations rise into leadership and the ever-increasing interconnection of the globe revolves around more participatory, dynamic, and transparent diplomacy, we may soon see AI chatbots handling routine diplomatic inquiries, virtual embassies operating in the metaverse, and global summits live on TikTok.

In short, diplomacy is no longer about suits-wearing ambassadors – it's about story-telling, connection, and influence in the digital era. As countries tweet, stream, and hashtag their way into international dialogue, one thing becomes certain: diplomacy is digital, and it's rewriting the rules of the game.

Dr. Neeraj A Sharma, Honorary Consul General of Palau to India