What is it about?
This article examines the ways in which governments assisting nationals abroad are adapting to the demands of the digital age. What is the significance of newly emerging communication patterns for diplomacy? A more networked “duty of care” is producing results. And securing nationals abroad in real time crisis situations means that goverments have to be on social media during crises. So for today's diplomats understanding people’s online behaviour is key.
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Why is it important?
Policy innovation in consular diplomacy helps diplomats understand the importance of adopting communicative styles that are in sync with wider societal trends. Foreign ministries have a steep learning curve, now that they operate in data-rich and real-time crisis environments. The challenge? The next crisis is not what one would expect it to be.
Perspectives
This research has benefited enormously from participatory research, inluding a Global Consular Forum meeting at Wilton Park in the UK and a Five Eyes meeting in Toronto. My hunch: foreign ministries are likely to become more explicit in making the argument that digitally literate citizens should assume greater responsibility for their security.
Jan Melissen
Leiden University and University of Antwerp
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: “Digital diplomacy” and the securing of nationals in a citizen-centric world, Global Affairs, May 2016, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/23340460.2016.1239381.
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