INSTITUTE for PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
INSTITUT DE DIPLOMATIE PUBLIQUE | INSTITUTO DE DIPLOMACIA PUBLICA | सार्वजनिक कूटनीति संस्थान | 公共外交研究所 | معهد الدبلوماسية العامة
Strengthening the diplomatic power of civil society actors and academia.
Cyber Diplomacy
Breaking News:
Cyber diplomacy is broadly defined as the use of public diplomacy tools set to cyber challenges, and encompasses: building collective response to cyber threats; negotiating a cyber stability framework that includes rules for actions in cyberspace; negotiating agreements and cooperative frameworks; ensuring human rights are respected in cyberspace; using diplomatic tools to respond to threats; fostering capacity building; and integrating cyber issues into larger discussions of national and international security.
The Institute pursues an affirmative vision for cyberspace grounded in international commitments and international law, including international human rights law and seeks to integrate academic insights with the experiences of civil society actors and public diplomacy practitioners to foster dialogue on cyber diplomacy through participation in stakeholder events hosted by international organisations.
Cybersecurity is not only about protecting digital infrastructure; it is also about protecting people, communities and their ability to participate safely in the digital world.
Global Facts on Cybersecurity
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6.3 billion people have access to and use the Internet, while around 2 billion people worldwide remain without Internet access. The digital divide is not merely a technological gap; it is a divide in access to knowledge, economic opportunities, public services and participation in global decision-making. For the Institute for Public Diplomacy, one particularly important issue is the unequal distribution of cybersecurity capabilities.
US$442 billion
Global Statistics: The Scale of the Problem
US$442 billion — Estimated global financial losses from scams in 2025.
77% — Increase in cyber-enabled fraud and phishing
73% — Personal exposure to cyber-enabled fraud
2.5 million — Estimated cyber-enabled fraud cases worldwide
Representation Gap
1. Geographical exclusion – Limited influence of developing countries and the Global South.
2. Private-sector concentration – Disproportionate influence of major technology corporations over global digital governance.
3. Civil society exclusion – Limited participation of grassroots organizations and digital rights advocates.
4. Knowledge exclusion – Underrepresentation of independent researchers and local experts.
5. Economic exclusion – Unequal resources and capacities to influence global cybersecurity policies.
6. Social exclusion – Limited representation of vulnerable and underserved populations.
Institute's perspective
Cybersecurity governance must be inclusive, not exclusively state-led or technology-driven.
Those who experience the consequences of cybercrime, digital exclusion and insecure infrastructure must have meaningful opportunities to participate in shaping the policies designed to protect them.
International cybersecurity cooperation should therefore advance beyond technical coordination towards a genuinely multistakeholder model, connecting governments, international organizations, academia, the private sector and civil society.
Recent Actions
Engagement with the Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes
At its session on organizational matters, on 24 February 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime -UNODC Ad Hoc Committee, recalling paragraph 9 of General Assembly resolution 75/282 of 26 May 2021, decided to approve the participation of the Institut de diplomatie publique in the sessions of the UN Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention for Countering the Use of Information and Communication Technologies-ICT- for Criminal Purposes.
As AI tools become easier to use, it will also become easier for non-State actors—civil society and academia—to engage in increasingly sophisticated multistakeholder consultations and negotiations.
Report from EU: City Expo World Congress 2026 and Cybersecurity Congress 2026
Several members of the Institute for Public Diplomacy attended the Smart City Expo World Congress 2026, held on 3–5 November.
Recognized as one of the world's leading international events on urban innovation, the Congress brought together representatives of governments, municipalities, international organizations, academia, businesses, technology innovators and other stakeholders to explore the future of cities. The discussions surrounding the Cybersecurity Congress 2026 highlighted the growing importance of international cooperation in protecting critical infrastructure, securing digital identities, addressing AI-enabled threats and strengthening technological resilience. Cybersecurity has become an essential dimension of international cooperation, public governance and cyber diplomacy.
The Institute for Public Diplomacy recognises cybersecurity diplomacy as an emerging area of multistakeholder international cooperation.
Equally important is the participation of academia and civil society. Digital security must serve the public interest, protect fundamental rights and ensure that the benefits of technological transformation are not accompanied by greater social vulnerability or exclusion.
Riyadh Infrastructure Projects Center
O. Weretelnik. PHD, Director of the Institute for Public Diplomacy met with a delegation from the Riyadh Infrastructure Projects Center, one of four finalists for the Governance and Economy Award at the World Smart City Awards 2026, recognised for its Integrated Infrastructure Coordination Plan.
Smart City Expo World Congress 2026- Chinese National Pavilion
China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) is a national organisation promoting international trade and economic cooperation.
The European Commission Pavilion
The Institute for Public Diplomacy followed the European Union's discussions and initiatives at Smart City Expo World Congress 2026, recognising them as an important dimension of both City Diplomacy and Cyber Diplomacy. These discussions highlight the growing role of European institutions in facilitating international cooperation, strengthening municipal resilience, advancing secure digital transformation and connecting local governments, academia, the private sector and civil society in shaping the future of cities.
China Opportunity Hub (机遇中国)
A China Opportunity Hub served as a platform for presenting Chinese urban technologies and connecting Chinese companies with international visitors and potential partners. China's participation illustrates how national governments increasingly use international exhibitions as instruments of Economic Diplomacy and Technology Diplomacy.
AI and the Future of Multistakeholder Diplomacy
As AI tools become easier to use, it will also become easier for non-State actors—including civil society and academia—to engage in increasingly sophisticated multistakeholder consultations and negotiations.
This development could help broaden participation in international decision-making, enabling organisations and experts with limited resources to contribute more effectively to global discussions.
For the Institute for Public Diplomacy, this raises an important question: Can AI help make international diplomacy more inclusive, decentralised and accessible to those whose voices have traditionally been underrepresented?
The opportunity goes beyond improving efficiency. AI could help civil society organisations and academic communities prepare policy proposals, analyse complex documents, coordinate across borders and participate in international processes that have often been difficult to access.
However, technology alone cannot guarantee equal participation. Access to reliable AI tools, digital skills, linguistic inclusion and meaningful opportunities to influence decisions will remain essential.
The challenge is to ensure that AI strengthens—not replaces—the human contribution of civil society and academia to multistakeholder diplomacy.
The future of diplomacy should not be shaped exclusively by those who already hold institutional power.
International Events
The Institute has a particular focus on expanding the opportunities for effective stakeholder engagement of civil society actors, academia, public diplomacy practitioners in international sustainable development processes, through communications, capacity building, and maintenance of participatory arrangements in international assemblies and institutions.
Photo: O. Weretelnik (PhD in Economics), pictured at the Civil Society Townhall, participated in the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) as a member of the delegation from the Institut de diplomatie publique.
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