The EU's Council Conclusions, which were published on 18 July, introduce a holistic approach in digital diplomacy. This is a significant shift away from cybersecurity being the main focus for the European External Action Service (EEAS) for a long period.

The EEAS includes standardisation, human rights, as well as other digital policy topics, in its holistic approach. The Council's Conclusions integrate both the EU's internal and external digital policies and establish links between green diplomacy and cyber diplomacy.

However, the Council Conclusions maintain a confusing situation in relation to the organisation and management of the EU’s digital diplomacy. Council's conclusions mention Cyber Diplomacy Networks and Digital Diplomacy Networks as the two main implementation tools of EU's Digital Diplomacy.

The dual approach of Cyber (mainly security) as well as Digital (other elements of digital foreign policies) should be reconciled using one organisational structure as it has been done by the United States among other actors.

The Council Conclusions of EU are technology neutral. Except for two paragraphs dealing with data, the Council Conclusions do not mention AI, Blockchain, Metaverse, or any other specific technologies.

The conclusion barely mentions the digital economy and trade. The conclusion is timid about mentioning openness and digital commons, which are important pillars of its digitalization efforts.

Most surprising, however, is the absence of a single reference to the Internet Governance Forum.

Title: How to link digitalisation and UN Security Council?

Excerpt: US ambassador identifies 3 areas of digitalisation of UN Security Council: getting more data and information; apps for humanitarian aid; helping peacekeeping missions

Cybersecurity is often in news. But, there are many more impacts of digitalisation on security of modern society from food and climate, to supply chains and peacekeeping.

This holistic impact of digitalisation on modern society is behind the US push for higher relevance of digitalisation on the agenda of the UN Security Council.

In the Economist article, the US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield identifies three steps for strenghtening links between digitalisation and security at the UN UN Security Council:

Firstly, DATA gathered form satelites to smart tractors can help more informed and proactive actions ahead of climate, food and political crisis.

Secondly, DIGITAL TOOLS can help in hnadling crisis from distribution of humanitarian assistance to helping those in the need of assistance.

Thirdly, DIGITAL PEACE can be strenghtend via use of social media, GPS monitoring and other tools in the UN peacekeeping missions.

As cross cutting activities, the article calls for wider access to the Internet, digital literacy and development of new apps and tools for crisis management and humanitarian assistance.

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New digital diplomacy structure at the US State Deparatement

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