Digital Diplomatic Cultures

Abstract

This chapter explores the novel idea of ‘digital diplomatic cultures’, examining how digital technologies are impacting diplomacy in different forms and regions. It argues that current research often overstates the impact of digitalization on diplomacy and understates the variations within different types of diplomacy. The chapter examines the impact of digital technologies on four main types of diplomacy: bilateral (relations between two states), multilateral (relations between three or more states), polylateral (relations between states and non-state actors), and omnilateral (relations between non-state actors). It finds that bilateral diplomacy is the most resistant to digital practices, while trends in the European Union suggest that multilateralism is developing a stronger digitally oriented culture. In state–non-state diplomacy, a digital-driven polylateral culture is emerging at the United Nations and in tech-savvy countries. With respect to the fourth type of diplomacy—omnilateralism—the chapter explores the potential for a neo-Kantian global community to emerge through the growth of transnational interactions between organized non-state actors and individuals communicating via digital means. Overall, the chapter suggests that all four dimensions of diplomacy are developing their own unique blend of analogue and digital practices, resulting in a wide variety of digital diplomatic cultures.