Can't wait to see it! --- I would be really interested to see how AI can be taught dynamics which many humans themselves find difficult to negotiate. For interesting, what is courteous in one context may be offensive in another, yet the difference in context is not necessarily easy to demarcate. An example is the one discussed earlier where one and the same distancing device (criticism by proxy) can be seen as face-saving to those who have a relatively formal relationship but offensive to those who are intimate.

The same goes for when you are angry with your child and call them by their full name, surname included, in order to distance yourself from them and thus acquire more authority.

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Interesting tension between dignity and Diplo-immunity --- Thank you for this example, Mamta. The flip side of this coin is diplomatic immunity, designed to safeguard dignity, but sometimes violated to avoid legal repercussions.

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Alejadra's quote --- 😀

Source author: Mamta Reid liveandsmile@hotmail.com

was it because Merkel is a woman? --- No, I don't think so. I feel either the call was more important or because It is Berlusconi and he enjoyed making himself appear very important (this is my personal opinion). Having said this, we will never know and all we can do is speculate.

Source author: Mamta Reid liveandsmile@hotmail.com

knowing your counterparts personality in advance --- Yes, I totally agree with this and what a great example. I feel this is important in any meeting, diplomatic or otherwise from a job interview to a PT meeting. All take some form of negotiation with each party aiming for success. In order to achieve this success, knowing your counterparts' personality, and exposure are pertinent.

Source author: Mamta Reid liveandsmile@hotmail.com

It will be hard for AI to read the nuances --- As we start gathering more and more data, it is quite possible that AI will actually be able to read these nuances (e.g. implicit communication and body language). Using something called reinforcement learning for language (which is already used in production in sales chatbots, which try to make customers buy products), an algorithm could be trained to be optimized for "diplomatic reward". If the model does in fact learn a policy (a learning method) to maximize this reward, I believe it will automatically learn to exploit these cues that come naturally to us humans. Though there is a still a long way to go with this, I don't think we should rule it out. It may come sooner than we think.

Source author: Mamta Reid liveandsmile@hotmail.com

Personal Dignity VS National Dignity - can it be separated? --- This is such a great food-for-thought question. Whilst I take the risk of sounding simplistic, the answer is both yes and no. The definition of national dignity can vary from nation to nation as there are several parameters to consider including the various cultural and religious aspects. Whereas the definition of personal dignity is almost universal as it relates to individual human rights and value. And yet, when the leader of the most powerful nation in the world refers to developing countries particularly in the Caribbean and Africa as 'Shit hole countries' I feel both national and personal diginity of the people merge into one. Definitely need to do more research on this.

Source author: Mamta Reid liveandsmile@hotmail.com

Dignity --- yes, I agree with you. Dignity is key to diplomacy as it is s the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. Violations in the form of humiliation, objectification, degradation, and dehumanization, to mention four can lead to some serious repercussions. To site an example, in 2013, an Indian Female Diplomat, Deviani Khobragade was arrested and strip searched which led to a serious uproar and according to a CNN article,(https://tinyurl.com/CNNIndianDiplomat) Indian officials summoned U.S. Ambassador Nancy Powell, took away U.S. diplomats' identification cards that gave them diplomatic benefits and removed security barriers outside the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.

Source author: Mamta Reid liveandsmile@hotmail.com

Guilty as charged! --- Just this morning, I experienced an example of this method of indirect criticism (shall we coin it 'criticism by proxy'). My passenger said: "I always hate it when my husband forgets to slow down on this section of road." I checked my speedometer and sure enough, I had failed to slow down by the required 10mph!

Interestingly, depending on the closeness of your relationship, this face-saving measure can prove offensive to those who are very close, who find the use of a distancing device potentially alienating.

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Using silence and Guilty as way to avoid conflicts --- Knowing that not reacting to an accusation can be interpreted as considering oneself as gulty (by association ) is a powerful tool to manage staff . Describing situations in which other people are involved, can make a person to silently recognise he/she has inadequately behave. This avoids confrontation specially with bad tempered people, they simply keep silence to later rectify what they have done. They do not loose Face

Source author: Blanca Jimenez bjimenez@sre.gob.mx

‘Ownership’ means differently to everyone --- From observation of negotiations with non-state actors and NSAGs especially in Indonesia, we should not assume that members of the groups will share similar sense of ownerships with their leaders or representatives who take part in the negotiation. The highest level might have signed a cease-fire agreement, but the ground troops, foot soldiers and the rank and file of the groups might continue to fight, which could halt the implementation of or even nullify the agreement. This can be attributed to weak chain of command or part of the strategy to quietly undermine the negotiation; however, the groups gain popularity by taking part in the process.

There are academic studies (including terror groups in the past and present) on the NSA and NSAG’s structures, group behaviours etc which can be useful references. Unfortunately, the state military often behave the same.

Source author: Ivy Susanti ivysusanti@gmail.com

Public statement reinforces implementation of the agreements --- From what I have seen in operations, I am struck by how difficult it is, after the end of a war and the signing of agreements, to get this information to those affected, to the victims, in a truthful and objective manner -either for lack of means or lack of will in many cases-. In this line, radio is usually one of the few means of communication accessible to the population after a conflict and which helps to understand the new situation and to facilitate compliance with the agreements.

Source author: Virginia Maria Callau Vidal vircavidal@hotmail.com

Empathy and needs during the negotiation process --- We have already pointed out in former lessons and debates the importance of listening and empathizing with our countepart during the negotiation process. When it comes to a lack of ownership, I was wondering if during the negotation phase this work of listening and better understanding the needs and interests of the counterpart has sufficiently been done? Maybe this lack of ownership is the reflection of not having been taking enough into account these issues.

Source author: María Romero Pardo sohi1z1@hotmail.com

Address emotional elements in the process. --- Both in the negotiation process and in the implementation of the agreement -which is still being negotiated- I believe that the less emotional aspects are reflected, the better results will be obtained. It is good to show empathy, but always from assertiveness.

Source author: Virginia Maria Callau Vidal vircavidal@hotmail.com

Social media --- Here I assume we might add as a sub-set (or tool), public advocacy via social media and perhaps due to my age and working environment I am always challenged (indeed it arose during a previous lecture session). I am constantly challenged by the manner in which complex issues are distilled down to overly simplistic slogans in order to gain public traction/acceptance. I understand that it works, and can be powerful, but it can also be disastrously wrong. It seems a risky strategy to my mind.

Source author: Shane Wilkes swilkes4129@gmail.com

Education and negotiation --- Completely agree Joe. It many situations, a negative response or outcome in initial negotiations is the low risk response taken because of a lack of understanding of how and what we are trying to achieve. By offering an improved or greater understanding (educating them) we can facilitate much more advantageous outcomes for the HD, and in parallel also build trust during the following implementation processes.

Source author: Shane Wilkes swilkes4129@gmail.com

Extraordinary changes --- I witnessed first hand these events, plus the lesser reported 18 month conflict between Arakan Army and Tatmadaw in Rakhine State. The levels of dialogue necessary to address even the basic essential emergency needs of the people were multi-layered, complex and tiring. Adding the need to consider capacity development in such changing circumstances was given lower priority, but is sorely needed. To address the comment, we chose to leverage existing capacities, where possible and take on what we called the Balanced Approach ensuring we support all parties. In short, it seemed to work for a while. The current situation, has required almost a reset of all previous dialogue. It is like we hit the snake in the game Snakes and Ladders

Source author: Shane Wilkes swilkes4129@gmail.com

Teams --- It also indicates the need for teams working together on humanitarian diplomacy initiatives, each bringing a different skill set and focus on the effort.

Source author: Joe Cropp joe.cropp@ifrc.org

Communication --- The National Society was also quite adept at explaining IHL to a wide range of people, turning it for a distant legal conversation to one that resonated locally.

Source author: Joe Cropp joe.cropp@ifrc.org

Surveys and media attention --- Interestingly, the media attention came from negative public opinions revealed in the survey, which allowed for a conversation about the laws of war and why they mattered.

Source author: Joe Cropp joe.cropp@ifrc.org

Education and negotiation --- Negotiation and education can always run in parallel, with the education efforts creating a shift that helps sustain negotiated agreements. Similarly, public education is a good balance to negotiations as public opinion can help build momentum.

Source author: Joe Cropp joe.cropp@ifrc.org

Trust and principles --- This is a theme that continually emergences. In negotiations trust between parties is as important as contract. This can be as simple as having a reputation for doing what you say you will do and behaving according clearly defined principles (circle back around the the humanitarian principles).

Source author: Joe Cropp joe.cropp@ifrc.org

investment in cybersecurity --- The importance of security, strong protection, safe personal and corporate data or information shall be the key indicators to make an investment in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity has become an inevitable part of human life, it lies on the same ground as physical security (military forces, police, security staff, etc.) All these types of security in our reality must exist. There are too many risks to be found based on financial, personal, and other reasons.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

cybersecurity risk assessment activities --- I don't think that some activities shall be prioritized, such as "cybersecurity risk assessment activities", however, I think both regular, "core mandate" activities and "extras" activities should be balanced on the agenda. There should be a specific time, for example, at the beginning of the working day. Whenever an employee starts his/her PC, the first thing that matters should be a reminder or an instruction on a loading screen: to be aware of possible malware, not to use a random flash driver, not to visit suspicious websites, etc. The next step is to give a comment during lunch break. Just a simple reminder of the same things mentioned above. And at the end of the day, to check files for possible viruses and to clean extra, useless files.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

Not good Idea --- regulation should be apply with a global point of view since every country has their own rules I found quite impossible that one organization rules the politics and polices of the rest of the companies.

I am more in pro of the good practices and trust with companies whom are specialist in cybersecurity.

Source author: Iván Arnulfo Fernández Hernández administracionini01@sre.gob.mx

exactly --- This is what I think companies should do in order to know how ready they are in case of disaster. like a fire alarm and back up plan and risk assessment ready to be executed.

Source author: Iván Arnulfo Fernández Hernández administracionini01@sre.gob.mx

it is happen right now --- There are companies doing showcases simulating attacks to our network, systems, they explain to you how looks like and how you can handle it. of course they show to you their products and some technics. This is important because at least you are getting some experiences and most important they show to you how easy it could be to harm your company assets.

Source author: Iván Arnulfo Fernández Hernández administracionini01@sre.gob.mx

At least the basics --- In my experiences most of the people that own a computer have antivirus, the OS has firewall or some kind of protection again incoming connections, some of them are free and some not that all but we all know in order to avoid risk we most to have it. this is just the basic's about security but in my point of view we know a little bit.

Source author: Iván Arnulfo Fernández Hernández administracionini01@sre.gob.mx

like we do with insurances --- Most of the companies today has insurance, those are related with their process, services and products. why they have purchased an insurance? well I guess because somehow they figured out the risk to lost money. Data is the gold for the companies. so why they should not protect it? If I were about to sell an insurance for a company I definitely will talk about cybersecurity and why they need it.

Source author: Iván Arnulfo Fernández Hernández administracionini01@sre.gob.mx

Clarification on economic duties, from the lawmaker perspective --- Thank you very much for your appreciation professor. Regarding economic diplomats to be worry about governance, I agree that is not part of our job. However, I was mainly commenting from the lawmaker point of view, that needs to assure laws and regulations are clear to know which area is handled by which institution . For economic diplomacy, such legal framework may allow ministries or agencies to avoid surpassing each others functions and develop a better coordination.

Source author: Ricardo Daniel Delgado Muñoz rdelgado@sre.gob.mx

China and mesoeconomic policies --- The past decade China began to transit from an economic model based on international investment and exports to one based on national consumption and services. Along with this transition, it invested more in education, technology and communications infrastructure. By applying these mesoeconomic policies, China started to transform its economy and still maintain a decent level of economic growth, 2,3% in 2020 (even with the COVID-19 pandemic).

Source author: Ricardo Daniel Delgado Muñoz rdelgado@sre.gob.mx

Specialization and general approach of economic diplomacy --- Sure, it is interesting to see how some embassies may focus more on economic diplomacy and others on political issues. This might depend on every situation and the pressure it has on foreign missions to handle bilateral opportunities and crisis accordingly. However, I think is better to have a whole approach to tackle the majority of issues, but also to be able to specialize when it is necessary.

Source author: Ricardo Daniel Delgado Muñoz rdelgado@sre.gob.mx

Very much appreciated! --- Thank you Amb. Rana. I consider the reading of these 4 articles of capital importance for my country. This weekend I will dedicate myself to it because I am interested in sharing those lessons with the new MFA's General Directorate of Global Economic Impulse (DGIEG). As you said about the lemon and the lemonade, I was thinking about religion. It seems that with a very small amount of bread, Jesus was able to feed a whole multitude!

Source author: Cecilia Treemonisha Barros Ruiz cbarros@sre.gob.mx

GDP and living condiitions --- Thank you very much for your comments Amb. Rana. Then I would understand that the GDP of a country, in the case of India, 7th place worldwide, does not reflect the living conditions. It is necessary to look closely at the GDP per capita as the best wealth indicator and take into account the total population that India has: 1,39 billion people while Mexico ranked 16th has 130 million. It is a vast difference! Both countries

Source author: Cecilia Treemonisha Barros Ruiz cbarros@sre.gob.mx

Printemps arabe view from France --- Very true. When I worked at the Embassy of Mexico in France as Chargée d'Affaires Politiques (2010-2015) I watched very closely the opinion of French newspapers, particularly right-wing ones like Le Figaro, extolling the benefits that 'Le printemps arabe' would bring to those countries. Nicolas Sarkozy took advantage of this situation to promote greater economic opportunities for France in the Maghreb, however Gaddafi accused him of having received suitcases of money to finance his presidential campaign in 2007.

Source author: Cecilia Treemonisha Barros Ruiz cbarros@sre.gob.mx

Thanks for raising an interesting Q. --- Did countries improve 'doing business' conditions just to improve the score, or to really improve their welcome to FDI?....Please note, other 'doing business' indices still continue, like the one run by the World Economic Forum....But investors will now use more their own judgment + success stories...For me, it is the latter that have worked better than everything else.....But we don't talk much of Success Stories.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Frank, why do you think diplomacy is limited to... --- ...the use of traditional tools? The high achieves, be it Bhutan, the Maldives or Singapore in Asia -- or Vietnam -- have used innovation, in their own ways... Who stops an ambassador from personal innovation? Or is the State system in some countries so rotten that this will be deliberately blocked by someone at home?

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Commercial diplomacy definition amended --- Thanks Amb. Rana. I take into account your recommendation for my work. :) :)

Source author: Cecilia Treemonisha Barros Ruiz cbarros@sre.gob.mx

And what is the current situation after Covid? --- Despite brave words, it's going to take a long while before international tourism reaches anything like the 2019 levels.....So we are forced to look for alternative sources for income. Comment please.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

May I point out that this comment shows a large part of the problem. --- Who will make LDC states more resilient, before they graduate out of LDC status? Countries have to manage their own affairs....I fear when we do not govern ourselves well, we cannot blame others....India's experience also bears this out. After doing well for about 5 years after our 1991 Economic Reforms, we drifted, lost time and in a manner, stagnated....These are painful stories, but let us acknowledge that each country is responsible for its own economic management.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Economic Diplomacy: India's Experience --- Thanks Amb. Rana. Very much appreciated. I will read it with special attention. I totally agree with you, diplomats can be generalists and perform very well promoting economic diplomacy as well.

Source author: Cecilia Treemonisha Barros Ruiz cbarros@sre.gob.mx

Nord Stream 2 pipeline --- US and European countries have criticized the project, saying it will increase EU dependence on Russia for critical gas supplies. However Germany decided to go ahead with the project.

Source author: Mavis Tungulu mtungulu@gmail.com

Economic Management --- Recently, commercial and economic mutual relations have been the centre of the diplomatic actions. In comparison with the local manufacture, there has been tremendously increase of share of foreign trade and investment contributions in country`s GDP. As the results, countries increased their trade and economic missions in the field of support of oversees trade activities, lobbying of interests of domestic companies abroad and effectively mobilization of external resources for internal development purposes. Other initiatives includes, expansion of regional trade agreements eliminating barriers for facilitation of international trade and investment.

Source author: Frank John Mhina frankmhina01@gmail.com

LDC graduation comes with its own implications. --- Clinging to old status is not about hoping to continue to get concessional aid per sè as the lecture text suggests. Truth is, not enough has been done to make LDCs more resilient or to boost incomes so that they are self sufficient post graduation. Global health, economic and environmental crises are becoming more frequent, and the fallout for LDCs regular and calamitous. Even before the current shock, LDCs suffered worse than most from trade, financial and commodity price volatility, cyclones, droughts and other disasters.

At the start of 2020, 12 least developed countries (LDCs) were on schedule to leave the category by the middle of the decade. That timetable now looks uncertain because of the unprecedented COVID-19 impact to the global community at large. Many economies are collapsing as demand for exports falls, tourism tumbles and remittances slump with the repatriation of foreign workers. As LDCs and others struggle to repay their debts, global financial turbulence looms.

Source author: Malefetsane Dominic Mosala mosalalaw@gmail.com

Maintaining historical legacy to boost economy. --- Indeed, countries organise their external activities in their own ways when it comes to economic diplomacy. The government of Vanuatu has maintained the country’s pre-independence status as a tax haven and international off-shore financial centre, and approximately 2000 registered institutions by 2012 offering a wide range of offshore banking, investment, legal, accounting, and insurance and trust-company services (Verdone and Seidl, 2012).

Source author: Malefetsane Dominic Mosala mosalalaw@gmail.com

That is a wise... --- ...and balanced comment. Many thanks....As for corruption of the kind you mention -- do not the media and civil society take this up? Or are they bullied into submission? I do realize that it is hard to respond to some comments, so the class might prefer not to respond to this observation....But as a teacher, I should raise the issue.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

In my research, I do not recall any other country... --- ...that places trade and FDI under the Head of State or Government....It raises obvious problems.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Many thanks... --- ...to both Simataa, and Frank. Both are national constituents, both merit support....Not everyone gets this.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Government preference --- Your right. Embassies needs to serve both. Just to add a few, if the diplomacy is tied to state actors and state interests then economic diplomacy tends to be limited to the use of traditional diplomatic tools to achieve economic goal of state. With globalised economy, countries needs to open up other avenues of cooperation to allow increasing flow of capital, trade, services, technologies etc.

Source author: Frank John Mhina frankmhina01@gmail.com

totally agree... --- with you Ambassador, in short, embracing good governance will go a long way in addressing these shortcomings..

Source author: Omphile Sethunya Sedimo sedimosethunya44@gmail.com

Top priority --- For instance, Economic work is a crucial part of the US effort. A powerful and vital way to support political freedoms and social opportunities is by generating economic opportunities that help people build better futures for themselves.

Source author: Mavis Tungulu mtungulu@gmail.com

Government preference --- Embassies should provide help to both SOE and POE because they are equally important to the country. too often SOE are poorly managed and rely on government bailouts, costing tax payers money. private owned entities on the other hand not rely on government handouts and contribute to the GDP of the country.

Source author: Simataa Matali simatamatali@icloud.com

Namibia's economic diplomacy organisation --- when the first Democratically elected government was created in 1990, Trade was a stand alone ministry where as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was together with Information and Communications.

Currently, MFA and Information has been separated where as the Foreign Investment and Promotion has been Moved away from trade. it now falls under the office of the presidency at state house.

Source author: Simataa Matali simatamatali@icloud.com

Ineffective coordination --- Ineffective coordination government in terms of economic Diplomacy can result in the following consequences:

1. Lack of separation of duties between MFA and Trade may result in duplication of, while neglecting other functions.
2. Lack of coordination between the MFA and other Trade stakeholders will result in each ministry working towards its own objectives and sometimes in contrast to those of other ministries.

Source author: Simataa Matali simatamatali@icloud.com

Impact of covid-19 --- In my country, - The economic slowdown due to COVID-19 has resulted in a reduction of income from all sources (except for pensions) among both rural and urban households. - Schools were closed for almost a year , and classes were moved online, which heavily affected students who couldn't have the access to online education, and the quality of the education in general. - in terms of environmental, based oy my observation, due to lockdown, the emissions is reduced, which might have had quite a positive impact, but during these lockdown as more people turn to takeaway foods, the amount of plastics could have been increased drastically.

Source author: Sovanndanit Roath sovanndanitroath@gmail.com

Eliminating poverty --- If I were to work on the MDGs, one of the most important issue in my opinion is eliminating poverty for the reason that I think it will have a domino effect. If people are raised out of poverty, they might start to care for the environment. If people cannot even put food on their table, I doubt they care about have to the time, interests, and capacity to care about the environment.

Source author: Sovanndanit Roath sovanndanitroath@gmail.com

freedom over security --- according to an inquiry by the Swiss Insurance Monitor in September, over 50% of Swiss people said they valued freedom more than security. This is very unusual for a population that spends much money on insurances and other security instruments.

Source author: Katharina Beyer katharina.beyer@etu.unige.ch

or ARE and MIGHT be --- since I think 1. the pandemic is not over and 2. the impacts are not only diverse and context-dependent but also sometimes opposed. For example in Switzerland we experienced both initiatives for environment protection because we realised how important it is for our wellbeing, but also against it with the argumentation that with the crisis we can't afford it. In the end, it seems the own wallet wins over the rest.

Source author: Katharina Beyer katharina.beyer@etu.unige.ch

interdependence not only among the Goals --- I want to add to Mouloud's comment, which I found really pertinent, that there is also an interdependence among the different countries. With a closer look this is in my opinion quite well reflected in the spillover score. Its ranking is almost the other way around than the SDG index score -and shows that developed countries still achieve some of their goals at the cost of others. But the fact that this is also taken into account in the indicators with "embodied in ...imports" shows that there is at least some reflection on it, which is very positive.

Source author: Katharina Beyer katharina.beyer@etu.unige.ch

@ Pavlina --- Thanks for the updated information Pavlina!

Source author: Lakmini Premadasa lakminisurangika@gmail.com

If you can make it 'quick and dirty'.... --- Definitely correct, Vid. And, however, SDGs are a great step ahead both in terms of aspirations and in terms of capacity of inspiration of all the stakeholders on the ground necessary to ignite the necessary change. So, for me, applauses for having made the job only needing 13 sessions.

Source author: Veronica Elena Bocci v_ele_bo@hotmail.com

UN role --- So, I'm assuming if a member state does not act according the agreed upon principles, there are no consequences or actions taken by UN? In my opinion there should be, if possible to implement.

Source author: Lakmini Premadasa lakminisurangika@gmail.com

Paula Caballero inspiring story --- Dear Carlos, many thanks for sharing this fantastic interview, unveiling (surely to me) a personal story that is changing the world. If this proves anything, it is that no huge challenge is huge enough to be afforded. A first-mover is always necessary, and it can be also a 'simple' lady, backed by another lady full of trust in her - and not necessarily big teams of the usual suspects.

Source author: Veronica Elena Bocci v_ele_bo@hotmail.com

How many countries? --- According to this link on 'International Institute of sustainable development website', 113 countries participated in the conference, but it is not clear by what year. This link also provides some interesting information about the history of the conference. https://www.iisd.org/articles/stockholm-and-birth-environmental-diplomacy

Source author: Lakmini Premadasa lakminisurangika@gmail.com

Long term effects on education --- Additionally, the long term effect of the lockdowns and shutting down of schools will be severe for developing countries where resources for internet, digital learning are not accessible to all communities.

Source author: Kiconco Patricia kictricia@gmail.com

Mistrust --- Due to the plethora of information that was available at the height of the pandemic, a socio-political crisis erupted with the public mistrusting the policy makers, scientists, medical personnel. Everyone had and still has controversial opinions on the existence of Covid and the effectiveness of the vaccines. The many conspiracy theories around the whole pandemic have also eroded the public opinion on the global North.

Source author: Kiconco Patricia kictricia@gmail.com

unsustainable --- This reminded me of my home country, Sri lanka. The country went through a 3 decade of civil war which did a major damage to the country's development. After the end of war in 2009, the country seems to be developing, however this progress is at the expense of future generations. The deforestation has become one of the major environmental issues in Sri Lanka, which is leading to severe droughts, floods, poor air quality etc. I think that is a good example of "unsustainable" development.

Source author: Lakmini Premadasa lakminisurangika@gmail.com

Responsibility --- @ Samir, totally agree! It is the responsibility of the countries, however from what I have seen, it has become a difficult task due to corruption at all levels in certain countries.

Source author: Lakmini Premadasa lakminisurangika@gmail.com

Basic goals for every member --- There are 149 heads of government and 193 members of the UN. Everyone, every member state, has its agenda. No one wants to be left behind.

I see the fundamental goal in this set is to keep the human species alive on this planet and diverse.

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

Voluntary National Reviews by Member States... --- To confirm what Vojko mentioned, Member States now submit VNRs, with the aim to "to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda" sustainabledevelopment.un.org/vnrs/.

Further, OECD just released a declaration to "align development co-operation with the goals of the Paris Agreement" ahead of COP-26 - www.oecd.org/dac/development-assistance-committee/dac-declaration-climate-cop26.htm

Source author: Vid Nukala Vid.Nukala@gmail.com

Inclusive participation --- This is a very good point Desire - and valid not only for the instance of MDGs. The participation in the process needs to be open to all stakeholders - as was the case later on in preparatory process for setting the SDGs. However, the final decision making in the process remains with the states. In what way could scientists as one of the stakeholders influence position of the state (their own or other)?

Source author: Pavlina Ittelson pavlinai@diplomacy.edu

Common goals and local differences --- Accommodating local (national) differences in achieving SDGs is very much on the agenda - as you rightfully pointed out, countries have different concerns and different capabilities to address them. Countries themselves lead the implementation of SDGs and set up the plans. For climate change, there are the Nationally Determined Contributions by each state of the Paris Agreement. With respect to measuring achievement and milestones - the indicators are under scrutiny and are being revised. An example is the need to reassess how economic development is measured - current measurement via income per capita does not reflect impacts on environment or human rights to achieve this income.

Source author: Pavlina Ittelson pavlinai@diplomacy.edu

Trust --- Yes I agree with you YingChu. Trust is absolutely essential in building mechanisms for cooperation

Source author: Petal Punalall Jetoo pjetoo@gmail.com

Coordinating mechanisms --- Successful cooperation requires well structured coordinating mechanisms to harness opportunities for development

Source author: Petal Punalall Jetoo pjetoo@gmail.com

Preservation of Planet --- I agree that the definition places people at the centre of sustainable development. This is an important concept which has led the the emergence of ESD - Education for Sustainable development when it was recognised that quality education is crucial sustainability. The definition refers to the the ability of future generations to meet their own needs without compromising that of future generations. This implies sustainable management of the natural environment to ensure that not destroyed and remains intact for future generations.

Source author: Petal Punalall Jetoo pjetoo@gmail.com

Environmental impact of COVID 19 --- It seems obvious that the means used to respond to the COVID 19 in Africa will have mid and long term negative consequences on the environment: for example the masks which were mostly non biodegradable, the huge quantities of medical equipments purshased for developing countries

Source author: Désiré NEBOUA dneboua@yahoo.fr

On the follow up of MDGs --- Well, now I have read the following paragraphs citing criticisms towards both the contents of the MDGs and the process followed, with limited participation of civil society. One more proof that engaging all the relevant stakeholders is necessary when addressing global goals whose achievement depends on such a multitude of organisations and people. The rest is all about negotiation skills to reach a text that can still be motivating and ethically binding.

Source author: Veronica Elena Bocci v_ele_bo@hotmail.com

'Naturally common' goals --- As I agree with Aura on how the process should be, in this case I was quite surprised to read in the Lecturers' text: "Developed by a small group of experts at the UN". Then the text specifies that they didn't 'invent' anything, rather gathered key points addressed, shared and agreed in past conferences or regulatory parts. The overall impression I have is that their smooth adoption and the definition - for the first time ever - of a deadline for their achievement may prove that some goals are 'naturally common' and it is necessary less effort to identify them and raise around them the necessary commitment.

Source author: Veronica Elena Bocci v_ele_bo@hotmail.com

Global and National SDGs Indicators --- Yes, the list of Indicators introduces a powerful management tool. Yet, I wonder how it works the actual measurement of such phenomena: who is in charge of it? UN statistical organisation and/or the single countries, depending on the specific Indicator? Then, it is stated that each country should identify other national complementary indicators. Is there a global mapping of them made by the UN?

Source author: Veronica Elena Bocci v_ele_bo@hotmail.com

Negociation process --- One of the criticisms of the MDGs is the lack of involvement of non-governmental actors in the process, particularly civil society. But we can see here that the negotiation process of SDG was still intergovernmental even though it is stated above that OWG had to ensure the full involvement of relevant stakeholders and expertise from civil society

Source author: Désiré NEBOUA dneboua@yahoo.fr

The right time for SDGs --- Yes, the SDGs have been on track since 50 years, but my impression is that this is the right time for their achievement. In my view only in the most recent years they have become mainstream also in the sub-national institutions (e.g. regional authorities) and in the civil society beyond NGOs (e.g. in companies, including the smaller ones). This is very important because the states alone cannot achieve the SDGs objectives without the active commitment of territories and individuals. This is particularly true for specific SDGs, such as "Sustainable Cities and Communities", "Industry Innovation and Infrastructure", "Responsible Consumption and Production".

Source author: Veronica Elena Bocci v_ele_bo@hotmail.com

vaccination as a political weapon --- I like your phrase "vaccination as a political weapon". In Iran, the government did not import vaccine to blame the effect of sanctions. In reality they just abuse the life of people for their political purposed and the sad point is that some countries believe this.

Source author: Encieh Erfani encieherfani@gmail.com

COVID excuse --- I hope the COVID pandemic is not going to be an excuse for the countries that they did not do their part even before pandemic.

Source author: Encieh Erfani encieherfani@gmail.com

wrong time estimation --- I agree especially after pandemic since the disasters did not take into account and most surprisingly, how is possible both developed and developing countries reach the goals simultaneously. Sounds crazy!

Source author: Encieh Erfani encieherfani@gmail.com

hierarchy? --- Is there any hierarchy among these goals? Some of them are correlated and this question comes to my mind that for achieving one of them we need to achieve another one a priori. Am I right?

Source author: Encieh Erfani encieherfani@gmail.com

It is really complicated to explain the bureaucracy --- I believe bureaucracy exists in every country.

I think the government staff and our ministers always have different perspectives.

I don't think bureaucracy relates to science diplomacy, so I stopped here.

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

Silos --- There are many different events or organizations from various Ministries in Taiwan.

I don't know it is the same situation in other countries. If there is one issue related to science development or research, it will be managed by MOST. But if the issue is about technology industry development, it will be governed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). And those two ministries seldom have conversations. The information only exists in their channel.

How to break the silo?

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

The mechanism --- I agree. But it is very important with how to build the trust before the cooperation.

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

means of implementation vs indicator framework --- Thanks for this important reminder regarding means of implementation and Agenda 21. The SDGs, in contrast, have a never seen before indicator framework 231) to measure progress.

Source author: Katharina Höne KatharinaH@diplomacy.edu

The importance of 17 UN SDGs in Science Diplomacy --- At first sight the 17 UN SDGs might appear inconsistent, not measurable, not binding. But it is also true the other way around. They are a reference for many countries when setting policies on sustainable development: sustainable agriculture, sustainable energy, sustainable transport. It is a sort of common reference system we use to project policy actions.

Recently, I attended a conference on plans on future sustainable agriculture by the Government of China. All the slides shown had a clear reference to at least one of the 17 SDGs, in certain cases to a group of the 17s. At first sight it could have been a presentation on sustainable agriculture made by EU or by any country from the western world.

The main takeaway from my side is that setting a list of SDGs has led many countries towards discussing internal sustainable policy plans that can now be compared, as they use the same reference grid. I would call it a success for Science Diplomacy

Source author: Vojko Bratina vbratina@katamail.com

role of scientists regarding the SDGs --- You are right, Mouloud. Colglazier considers the role of scientists within specific SDG bodies, such as the Multi-stakeholder STI Forum. I think that's why he misses this public function to point out.

Source author: Katharina Höne KatharinaH@diplomacy.edu

Breaking silos --- Thank you for the 2018 IISD SDG report.

We had a two days hybrid conference on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon in Taiwan. And some startups from Taiwan shared their experiences in cooperating with European businesses, especially in health care and electromagnetic system.

What they were sharing at the conference is a new area to me. And those Taiwanese startups or associations want to break the silos to have more international cooperation or collaboration opportunities.

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

science-policy interfaces at national level --- I wonder how science-policy interfaces at the national level could help countries to define their positions and interests in a more constructive way. In my opinion, we should collectively think more about the "how", ie. how to set-up efficient science-policy interfaces. It might also be easier to start at national level...

Source author: Samir Yeddes samir.yeddes@eda.admin.ch

1st time a UN report is written by scientists --- Interesting to note that it is the first time that a UN report was written by independent scientists!

Source author: Samir Yeddes samir.yeddes@eda.admin.ch

speed of decision-making --- Just a thought: the COVID pandemic showed that States can act very quickly and radically when they perceive an immediate threat. The response to COVID was perhaps not as fast as needed but the decision-making processes went much faster than usually. Maybe the positive side is that we now know that it is possible and realistic to make quick decisions to achieve something important. The problem is that if an issue (think climate change or loss of biodiversity) is not perceived as an immediate threat, governments, private companies, and citizens tend to wait and see.

Source author: Samir Yeddes samir.yeddes@eda.admin.ch

structural issues --- A real difficulty is to approach structural issues. For example, we tend to put the responsibility of waste and pollution management on the consumers (obligation to sort waste etc.) instead of focusing on the producers (banning some types of packaging). I think this example illustrates how the international community tends to agree on small steps with minor impact (SDGs, etc.) instead of addressing much more difficult and complex factors with a view to having a larger impact. That said, I'm aware that taking more radical and impactful measures against climate change would go against the interest of large corporations based in Western (Northern?) States...

Source author: Samir Yeddes samir.yeddes@eda.admin.ch

Jordan --- I can write articles on this, keeping the limit of words and share the gist of what was the impact of C-19 in Jordan: in one word, it only got worse. Pre-Covid, Jordan got its own share of economic struggles. When C-19 started, if you were able to be international enough, you may have came across the news heading Jordan's performance and taking control of the pandemic while others countries struggling, the reason was simply that Jordan closed up everything, even simple health care and check ups was not performed (my own family has been affected by this). Yes, we controlled the number of cases since the start, but we lost control of everything else. When we figured out the mistake, the world has started to cope with being open and Jordan started to deal with its first wave and you know the rest. the final result now is having a wary economic situation, that I can see it now around which was not the case before. the health sector is having its own struggles as well and recovering after the pandemic hit it really hard, other than the most important points which is the lack of trust between the government and the people especially around the vaccine.

apologies for the long HT which I tried to control, but another impact of C-19 seems to be my ability to limit my words expressing my thoughts :)

Source author: Muna Zaqsaw zaqsaw.muna89@gmail.com

Two distinct aspects --- Let me add one more, "International Cooperation and Mutual Assistant", in order to empower the law enforcement with the framework and tool for investigation cooperation.

Source author: Phannarith Ou phannarith-ou@mptc.gov.kh

Committing Crime --- As we already aware, the motivation behind the cybercrime are: 1/Return on Investment is hight, 2/complication of laws and jurisdiction, 3/Anonymity of Internet and 4/Anonymity of financial transaction (Eg: BitCoin).

What else that you can add on this list?

Source author: Phannarith Ou phannarith-ou@mptc.gov.kh

COVID-19 and Cybersecurity --- Last year, I wrote a commentary on Covid-19 and Cybersecurity focus on MSMEs challenges to move their business online.

Here is the document:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kHU9-hOQTlk4Mx9pruybclaFELvUd5WK/view

Source author: Phannarith Ou phannarith-ou@mptc.gov.kh

distribution of abuse materials --- With the increase in emerging and innovative technologies, I would hope that for the common good and for the protection of our children, nation states (and international organizations/institutions) can pass laws as standard legislation to protect the less vulnerable; laws are passed against terrorism and other immoral and deplorable acts - the same should be done to prevent such abusive acts against children online.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

legitimate business is subjective --- @Vlada. Isn't legitimacy subjective based on the political or cultural norms and acceptance of one's society? If there is a State-sponsored Hacking Group like say Big Bear is legitimately and legally paid (maybe covertly) by the State to conducting "black hat" exercises on its behalf, wouldn't they been seen as a legitimate business in that society? Yet when the negative impact has geo-political results, there is blanket state deniability?

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Diiplomats must have a solid political experience --- Thank you Amb. Rana. Your impressions are very useful for the work that we carry out both within our MFAs and Embassies and Consulates around the world. I take note of the lack of interest that some Ambassadors may have in certain regions to carry out the economic promotion work. In the case of Mexico, I would like to highlight, to my own surprise, that those Ambassadors working in African and Asian countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea to mention just a few, are recognized for their efforts in promoting economic diplomacy. What they need, taking into account your experience is to reinforce their positions with highly experienced diplomats and generalists in politics who can contribute to the economic diplomatic machinery of the MFA’s General Directorate of Global Economic Impulse (DGIEG), hand in hand with the Ministry of Economy. I was posted in Paris from 2010 to 2015 as Chargée d’Affaires Politiques, there was and Ambassador obsessed at that time for political analysis and Florence Cassez case created a serious dispute between Mexico and France (2011). At that time economic work was absent from the Ambassador’s agenda, so ProMexico profited from this to concentrate economic power in its hands, and we never heard anything interesting about that work at the Embassy. Nowadays I haven’t seen a lot of changes, hope the political-economic binomial that you recommend will bear fruit there in the short term.

Source author: Cecilia Treemonisha Barros Ruiz cbarros@sre.gob.mx

Thanks for a good question. --- It is really depends on the robustness of the governance system. You are right in suggesting that in many countries that can open the floodgates to sub-state entities signing bad foreign agreements....Example: Mexico allows its provinces to sign these, but only after MFA permission. They have cases where this permission has not been sought. Australia has the same problem....I think I should amend that reference.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Liability of vendors - if and how? --- Vlada. Admittedly this is a complex issue to deal with for all the point you highlighted and more. However, we mentioned the use of a code of practices and the CVSS system is a good first step in this direction. While usrs do have a responsibility for protecting their access to technology, vendors must have some responsibility to the overall security of the process; It cannot be good enough simply to seek to rush to market like "BREAKING News" and seeking profits without providing some reasonable standard of security of the product to the public (hence CVSS is good step). Industry watchdogs also have a role in advocacy and possibly a non-profit organization like "Consumer Reports" who would test products and objectively oppose the "pros" and "Cons" of the various products; same as the Gartner Report on Electronic Content Management (ECM)

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Passwords --- Ndeye, remembering passwords in a browser is convenient, but not safe (most browsers actually save passwords in a plain, unencrypted form).

Managing passwords is becoming quite an issue. My suggestion would be to again do risk analysis and assess your 'risk appetite': what accounts you have, how critical they are to you (in terms of assets they provide - information, money, ability to penetrate further through this such as social media, etc), and who may be after you.

In practice, then you may combine several approaches: - use simple passwords to extremely low risk accounts (a one-time visit to a news portal) - remember passwords for low-risk portals (there is smaller chance that someone will break into your computer and steal unencrypted passwords - but it could happen) - compile more complex passwords for more important accounts (and don't save them) - use very strong passwords and two-factor aut. for most important ones (though it would be good to use 2FA wherever possible)

Or, similarly. We have to preserve security, while preserving some functionality - thus a smart trade-off is important. (otherwise we end up writing very complex passwords on postit notes attached to the screen in the office...)

BTW, I am a proponent of writing down complex passwords on a piece of paper (not digitally - in the phone or computer!) - and storing this paper in your home (not in the office or public space). This helps convenience (you can always revert to the paper when needed), and is still rather safe (it's less likely someone will get into your house than break into your computer).

I wonder what approaches others have?

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Defence in Depth --- Thanks Alan for this useful link. Quick clarification of terms for the others: - 2FA: two-factor authentication (an additional code or one-time password to accompany your username and password; often this code is created on your phone, or a special gadget) - the principle of least privileges: giving the minimum necessary access rights to each user in a system - to be able to access only what he/she needs, nothing more than that - VLANs or virtual local area networks: breaking down the computer network into smaller segments, with virtual borders among them to prevent 'crossing'.

These measures certainly help reducing chances for the adversary to penetrate deeper into the network, or to the connected segments.

But, as always, there is no 100% security. Certainly, FireEye had most of this in place already, but it didn't help much (since the compromised system had to have higher privileges in order to work; but they didn't expect it could be compromised).

So - let's make sure we assess the risks, but also accept some of it - and work with that in mind.

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Mac --- This is why I buy Mac lol.

Source author: Scott Spence scott.a.spence@gmail.com

Convenience or inconvenience to some --- In developing countries, conducting online transaction was forced by the Pandemic, especially for senior citizens. This did not go hand in hand with educating the population on the possible risks of online transactions. While it can be considered a convenience for now, many users are oblivious to how and where passwords and banking information are saved and shared. They will provide Personal and banking information to anyone to obtain access to the service or transaction.

Source author: Shabanah Mustapha shabanah.mustapha@igovtt.tt

Value of the Expenditure --- Many organization focus on the delivery of the end solution with the necessary user functionality. There is less focus on advance security packages, the value of this investment is not clearly understood to the decision makers until a major threat actually occurs.

Source author: Shabanah Mustapha shabanah.mustapha@igovtt.tt

No one shall be left behind --- Another dimension to look at human flaws is that sometimes, particularly in developing countries such as mine, persons just want to have access and would do whatever it takes without considering the implications. On the hand, some persons may be fully aware of the cybersecurity risks involved but cannot afford the cost of protection (such as virus protection software) and are therefore willing unsafely use online tools for various reasons, including to gain an income.

Source author: Devita Abraham abrahamd@foreign.gov.tt

Legal mechanisms are always helpful --- Yes there should always be protection through legal mechanisms to address the issues that may arise from vulnerabilities due to lack of protocols or necessary framework. However, it sometimes seems as if developments in this field are moving at a faster pace than the policy and legislative framework needed to protect the risks from occurring or the end user. As we continue to educate and countries invest more in cybersecurity, I acknowledge that there would be better monitoring and protection in place but is this enough? How do we then ensure that there is protection through legislation if the goal post keeps shifting outward?

Source author: Devita Abraham abrahamd@foreign.gov.tt

Pandora --- @Tracy. I think we all know why there is a Pandora's box but is there anything wrong in taking a peek into the box to enlighten your colleagues?

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Innovation=risks --- Innovative ideas always carry some sort of risk as we move from the known to the unknown but as the saying goes "Prevention is better than cure". In the context of cybersecurity and from a cost perspective, the release of new products and versions of a product with little to no risk would cost more financially as more would have to be invested before the product is released into the market. This cost would then be passed on to the consumer, which might affect demand due to affordability. Therefore, "release now, patch later" approach may be best for the business but not for protection/security.

Source author: Devita Abraham abrahamd@foreign.gov.tt

Pandora --- “Who sets the standards?” If you the add the word “really” in between “Who” and sets” @Benette, the ENTIRE tenor of the conversation changes and I think you might very well inadvertently open a Pandora’s Box which you will be unable to close.

Source author: Tracy Hackshaw TracyH@diplomacy.edu

Turning it around … --- @Ndeye … can it ALSO be said … using the premise that sometimes our weaknesses can be our greatest strengths … that humans can simultaneously be the best solution to the ongoing challenges and problems within cybersecurity frameworks? If humans either are, or expose a system’s greatest vulnerability … can we turn that vulnerability, or at least the KNOWLEDGE of it into a strength. What do others think?

Source author: Tracy Hackshaw TracyH@diplomacy.edu

Release of incomplete or "trial" Operative Systems --- As an lifelong user of Windows in PCs it seems that there is a pattern in the way they release the Operative Systems coming back to the release of Windows Vista it was considerably worse compared to Windows XP. Later they released Windows 7 which seemed to redeem all the flaws that Windows Vista had. After that Windows 8 was released with a lot of flaws (bugs) that required several updates to be fixed. After Windows 8, Windows 10 was released and again it seemed to redeem the mistakes made on Windows 8. Which makes me think, Do they really finish an Operative System before realeasing it? or do they (because of any reason) release incomplete Operative Systems in order to let people find out the flaws in it and make the debugging easier?

If so what are the security implications to the end user?

Source author: Diego Alberto Estrada Ramos destrada@sre.gob.mx

How does new technology affects protocols? --- It would be interesting to know how new technology (hardware and software) can improve or deter the cyberspace as we know it. An example of an improvement is the creation of IPv6 which allows better security.

Source author: Diego Alberto Estrada Ramos destrada@sre.gob.mx

A cybersecurity system is as strong as the weakest link of the chain --- This famous phrase highlight the importance of cybersecurity awareness and training. Social engineering works on the user's psychology (authority, intimidation, consensus, scarcity, urgency, etc.) In most cases, it is an easier and more efficient trick someone to click on a link rather than develop malicious software or find a zero-day vulnerability.

Is possible to replace us as users to remove the weakest link of the chain? what do you consider would be the downsides?

Source author: Alan Kaheri Chavez Castro itsupportirl@sre.gob.mx

Why only these countries? --- I agree that most of cyber-attack is from these countries .... but most of attacks to them also come from western countries but no official media in these countries talks about it. Who attacks who ?

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

The number of line is not important --- The attack importance cannot be measured to the line of code. It can be one or more lines but the consequence have to be considered. Changing variable status from 'denied' to 'permit' doesn't need for example thousand lines, isn't it ?

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

Supplier Responsibility --- What are the supplier responsibilities in these case of massive infection? Who pay for the damage ? Are commercial contracts sufficient to protect customers, and the supplier himself?

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

certification and standard setting --- It is quite worrisome that buyers of softwares can only trust the providers and hope all will be fine... Can we made a parallel between construction safety standards (we trust the builder and go to a balcony without fear) and cyber security standards? Softwares and other IT devices should meet security standards to protect the users. I realise it might be a very complex task to define standards, but it could probably protect from basic cyber attacks?

Source author: Florence Tinguely Mattli florence.tinguely-mattli@eda.admin.ch

5G and security --- Interesting question. On one hand, the greater bandwidth of 5G opens space for stronger attacks (since the load of trash traffic that a hijacked device, now connected to 5G, will be bigger). On the other hand, the bandwidth of the targets (and DDoS-mitigation services they rent) will also increase with time. So it is cat-and-mouse.

Bigger risk with 5G might be its virtualisation: to make it less dependent of handful of specialised suppliers of telecom equipment (Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia), industry is developing options to do network operations and data processing in a cloud, rather than at the 'ends' (dedicated equipment). This will allow usage of simpler, off-the-shelf telecom equipment from various vendors at the ends, and connecting that to the virtual 5G processing in the cloud (hosted by Azure of Microsoft, or other dedicated cloud providers). This means relying telecom communications more on the general software and cloud than before - possibly opening that element of the network to cyberattacks as well. This is a topic of research currently.

Greater concern may be not related to 5G itself (or 6G in future), but the environment it creates: connecting billions of smart devices and environments to operate in real-time (major benefit of 5G is actually not the bandwidth, but lower latency of data transfer which enables real-time remote controls; and ability to connect many more devices). This leads to (even) greater reliance on connected things and systems in various segments of the society - greater value of the assets, and more vulnerabilities (if IoT and connected systems remain generally very vulnerable).

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Cambridge analytica --- @Devita. This is a very interesting case indeed. However, my perspective is that Cambridge Analytica is playing with racial undertones and possibly misinformation campaign with stereotypes in the community. This kind of "journalism" can foment social unrest and division leading to online attacks by either party. This to me is treading on dangerous grounds.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Reactive or proactive --- @Diego. Good analogy- however, you seem to agree that while you can refurbish/repair/renovate some aspect of the building which the builder or contractor perceived as "not-so-important" at this time, actually creates a vulnerable area which can weaken the structure by some natural weather phenomenon though you are living comfortably is another section of the facility. You may be residing in the house and not getting wet while the foundation is slowly giving way due to no solid steel foundation; It is true that every defect cannot be thought out from Day One else we would never enter the house but at least sufficient care should be taken to ensure one lives in a relative secure building. The same applies to the cyber world.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Software Development Life Cycle --- SDLC is a framework for developing software in which every entity involves its specific goals for software development. The core SDLC phases are usually concerned with software design, development, testing, and deployment.

I have to be honest, the first time I heard about security coding or SDLC was during my Master's.

Is cheaper to develop security and testing during the deployment process rather than after the software is done.

Is it necessary to add a security perspective to an early phase at schools? Is it a school or government responsibility? and who will get more benefits if schools teach information security in early grades, the private or public sector?

Source author: Alan Kaheri Chavez Castro itsupportirl@sre.gob.mx

Can users become the stronger link? --- As an IT engineer I think its part of our social duty to teach or at least raise curiosity in the users about cyberspace and its risks. This curiosity will help them inquire about their own security while using the internet therefore it will finally become in knowledge they can apply to protect themselves and people around them.

With this premise in my opinion well educated users can become the stronger link in this chain and if not the stronger at least they can stop being the weakest one.

Source author: Diego Alberto Estrada Ramos destrada@sre.gob.mx

Protecting the most valuable assets --- @Alan. What do you mean by "it is not possible (to) set a price on the asset?" Are you suggesting that the asset is priceless like taking down a hospital or an electrical grid infrastructure? These are major prices to pay for which money many not buy or replace? It is for this reason that such infrastructures should be protected against cyberattacks - life is so precious and electrical power is all part of that ecosystem to sustain the health system.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Protecting the most valuable assets --- @Alan. What do you mean by "it is not possible (to) set a price on the asset?" Are you suggesting that the asset is priceless like taking down a hospital or an electrical grid infrastructure? These are major prices to pay for which money many not buy or replace? It is for this reason that such infrastructures should be protected against cyberattacks - life is so precious and electrical power is all part of that ecosystem to sustain the health system.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Reactive or proactive --- Hi Bennette, answering your question I'm afraid that being reactive is the most common way to fix security breaches, in my opinion this comes from curiosity and I'll explain why with a simple metaphor. If you just finished building your house, you'll spend more time using it than searching for possible mistakes you made while building it, but if someone that is observant or curious comes and stays for a while might point out one or two things you made wrong or can improve from your house. The same happens with most of the software released nowadays if not all of it. This is worsened by the need from companies to release new software in less time in order to compete with the new releases from other companies, which give them less time for trials and therefore more flaws. Being proactive in my opinion, would require more time and effort from software development companies before the release of their products

Source author: Diego Alberto Estrada Ramos destrada@sre.gob.mx

Protecting the most valuable assets --- Before tacking this course I didn't considere the following perspective. From a cybersecurity professional's perspective all systems must be protected in the same way becuase all of them protect valuable assets (data, money, etc.). However, what happen when is not possible set a price on the asset? What happen when the system attacked was the electric system which is a critical point of failure in a hospital?

Source author: Alan Kaheri Chavez Castro itsupportirl@sre.gob.mx

Causing offence by apologising for any offence caused! --- You are right, Desirée, these expressions are attempts to pre-empt any perceived loss of face. However, as you say, they always occur in a context where they DO risk threatening face. As a result, by a process referred to as the 'conventionalisation of implicature (sounds dreadful!), just saying one of these expressions already threatens face!

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

A very witty article - here's an extract --- "Every president has a leadership style. Jimmy Carter’s style was a folksy friendly, prez-in-a-sweater kind of thing. Ronald Reagan may have been a dyed-in-the-wool cold warrior, but he was always so damn cheery about it. Bill Clinton was constantly trying to seduce people to his policies – and maybe other things. George H W Bush brilliantly mastered having no style whatsoever, while his son had all the swagger and intelligence of a cowboy hat. Barack Obama was, of course, Professor Cool."

"And Donald Trump? His clumsy leadership style seems oriented around the goal of convincing us that the United States is on the brink of every kind of collapse imaginable – except for climate change, which obviously is a “hoax”."

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Saving face! --- Yes, it is! I love Eureka moments :) We have lots of other face-related expressions, such a s to face off, to face down, to face up etc..

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

@Bi, Desiree, Liliana - V/T alternative plus 1 --- It does not matter too much, because Romanian is not a language of international use (only two countries have it as an official language), but I ought to note that we have a third option.

As a Romance language, Romanian also has the V/T (dumneavoastră / tu) ways, but there is another one, an intermediate formula: "dumneata".

It is used when one of the interlocutors is "entitled" to use "tu" (by virtue of higher rank, age, education etc.) but s/he prefers to be more polite, while keeping a certain distance.

In the past, "dumneata" was also used when courting someone, before becoming familiar enough for "tu". At present, seemingly, courting is no longer needed to begin a ... romance. People are more straightforward (nota bene: this is an euphemism) and "dumneata" is less needed.

Source author: Petru Dumitriu PetruD@diplomacy.edu

33 years ago and counting… --- The negotiation exercise for policy makers I took part at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government was held in 1993, but nations got together In 1988 to discuss and agree at the UN General Assembly establishing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) by UN GA Resolution 43/53.

I hope the incoming COP26 at Glasgow achieves serious improvements on emissions reduction targets and everyone stays focused in full and on time as agreed on...

https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2019/02/UNGA43-53.pdf

Source author: Eric Suzán Reed esuzan@sre.gob.mx

Attitude (staying attentive toward the other person, giving them a comforting warm smile... --- You will be -no doubt- a better judge, but I submit to all of your wiser judgement this two additional forms I dare thinking about.

Source author: Eric Suzán Reed esuzan@sre.gob.mx

Thanks for the videos & journalistic column --- I enjoyed them a lot, Desirée!

Quite interesting The Guardian’s column by Bayoumi.

Source author: Eric Suzán Reed esuzan@sre.gob.mx

The four principles of courtesy were trespassed simultaneously: --- !Excelent example provided by Blanca!

1 President Fox denied president Castro and Cuba their voice at the summit; 2 Fox made Castro feel-terrible; 3 Fox imposed on Castro (we decide you most not stay), and 4 Fox excluded him Castro & Cuba from the summit.

Such level of aggression provoked the leakage to the press of the recording of the telephone conversation held by the two heads of State.

Source author: Eric Suzán Reed esuzan@sre.gob.mx

Serious Issues Could Have Been Discussed --- As former Home Secretary Michael Howard responds to the insistent, and some annoying lines of questioning, by journalist Jeremy Paxman – “I don’t think we should waste our time talking about this. There are serious issues to be discussed.” There is no denying Howard's verbal skills over an extensive interview in response to persistent questioning.

Source author: John D. Hipsley jhipsley@igc.org

Thoughtful Argument with Seasoned with Reason --- Jordan Peterson is a well-read and much requested commentator, He comes to any debate from a psychological perspective and deals expansively with arguments, for and against, on the gender pay gap, campus protests and postmodernism.

He demonstrates the capacity to martial his thoughts, based on scientific research. As the compilation of “so you’re saying” interjections indicates the interviewer wants to find and amplify any controversy; Peterson listens to the interlocutor and responds from a place that is thoughtful and reasoned.

Source author: John D. Hipsley jhipsley@igc.org

Combination and Deflection of Force with Grace --- Does not the blow to the back of the head by Miroslav Macek, the Czech Republic's Former Deputy Prime Minister demonstrate an object lesson in combing language and force? In response David Rath delivered an eloquent argument to deflect what must have been an humiliating blow. Then Rath demonstrates a graceful block of Maceks' solid right hook. All in all this is an entertaining alternative to cage-fighting and professional wrestling.

Source author: John D. Hipsley jhipsley@igc.org

Diplomatic Deficit Disorder --- Berlusconi keeps Merkel waiting by taking phone call at NATO summit. It would not be unfair to conclude that Berlusconi's behavior indicates a diplomatic deficit disorder.

Source author: John D. Hipsley jhipsley@igc.org

Forceful or lacking Grace? --- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reacts understandably to the Canadian reporter challenging him on China’s human rights record. Was it forceful but entirely lacking in grace?

These types of question generate more heat than enlightening insight into Chinese domestic affairs. If the reporter’s intention was to provoke a response, then she was successful.

It is not the place here to dissect each of the alleged abuses. Conceding they are correct or deflecting their inaccuracy is difficult in such a public forum. A deft response from Wang Yi would be to ask a rhetorical question - how do these abuses compare to the Canadian abuses?

And then proceed to answer: Canada continues to struggle to address longstanding human rights challenges, including wide-ranging abuses against Indigenous peoples, the continued confinement of immigration detainees in jails, and a prison law that does not rule out prolonged solitary confinement.

Source author: John D. Hipsley jhipsley@igc.org

Is the alleged insult in the eye of the beholder? --- Assume President Trump refused to shake Speaker Pelosi’s hand. Was it an intentional insult? Does the intentional refusal justify tearing up the speech? Are the respective displays of disrespect comparable and excusable by either party? In both cases the handshake refusal and tearing up the speech do not negate either response but illustrate the bad faith of both parties.

Assume, as some argue, that Trump was in the process of turning and did not see the extended hand? Did Pelosi know this was a refusal; that is, did she know he saw her extended hand? Some certainly believe that Trump did not see.

Was there sufficient bad blood between Trump and Pelosi that provides a context for interpreting the dynamics?

The belief in Pelosi's mind was that the act of refusal was patently and intentionally insulting. Based solely on this video, amongst both parties, the evidence for or against an overt insult by Trump is moot.

Source author: John D. Hipsley jhipsley@igc.org

And you need to pick your audience --- Simon Anholt also says (heard him in a conference in Mexico, so no link) that, in general, any normal citizen in any country (most of the time) only has three countries in mind: their own, their closest ally or most important enemy, and whoever is in the news recently given a natural disaster, political scandal, war, etc. In that sense, he mentioned that it is very hard to change the perceptions the general population of other countries have of our country, because they do not normally think about it or are attentive to "reputation campaigns".

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

It can also be an excuse --- I think that in particularly tense diplomatic negotiations this can also be used as an excuse or a negotiating tool. In order to prevent certain outcomes, one can always argue that "we are fine with it" but "it will never pass our Congress or public opinion" given sensitivities, cultural traits, backgrounds or national pride, to name just a few.

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

Eureka moment! --- I have never come to think about it, but is this the reason we have the expression "to save face"?

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

But culture matters as well --- Yes, in Spanish we have the V/T distinction, but then again culture plays an important role. For example, the formal "vous" is not as extensively used in Spain and some Spaniards even say it is very outdated. On the contrary, some Latin American countries, for example Colombia, have very widespread use of the formal version, including its usage for children talking to their parents nowadays. So, language competency is not the only thing necessary, but also (as we have said so many times) cultural awareness.

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

A dark lining to this light entertainment --- I read the concessive 'while'-clause in the Palace statement as a strong statement of disagreement, pointing to divergent accounts. 'While some recollections may vary they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.' In effect, they are saying 'that is not at all what happened according to us' which is just one step short of saying 'that is a lie!'. I also read the mention of a private resolution as a rebuke for having aired family laundry in public.

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Contradictions --- I just love it when people say "I don't mean to be rude", because it almost automatically means that what they are about to say or do is in reality very rude and/or offensive to the other party. In Mexico we have the Spanish version "Con todo respeto..." (with all due respect) and it normally is a signal that what comes next is anything but respectfull. Would this type of phrases be considered as some sort of buffers to indicate there is certain acknowledgement of the other party or at least an intention to "apologize" before saying something completely out of line and breaching certain protocols?

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

Truth is at the heart of trust --- If I say I love your food, you will take me at my word because you trust me to be truthful. If you then discover that I never eat Mexican food and actually told somebody that I hated it, you would stop trusting me and recognise me for the hypocrite that I am. All sorts of consequences will then follow from this loss of trust, including the likely unravelling of our relationship.

Our assumption of truthfulness allows for a little bit of exaggeration but not for hypocrisy. You may decide to give me the benefit of the doubt for a while but my actions will ultimately have to back up my words if I am to retain any integrity in your eyes.

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

The moral imagination --- I think when confronted with this challenge I always refer back to Lederach's moral imagination. Though it can be difficult sometimes to even consider entering dialogue with who we consider "the other" especially when what they represent is the exact opposite of what we may represent, it is important to imagine a space where all counterparts can mutually exist and work towards inclusion instead of exclusion.

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

Time pressure --- Could this ever be counter-productive to a negotiator with less power? And in such a case, how can we ensure that we do exercise time pressure, without appearing pushy or risking not being taken seriously?

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

Appearance and bias --- Appearance is a complex and interdisciplinary subject I believe. It relies upon gender norms and gender expression, cultural norms, religious norms and so on. There are specific appearance traits - ex. natural curly hair in female identified individuals, that are most often considered unruly and unprofessional. Modest clothing is highly related to religious practices and thus not uniform across the globe. Isn't it a rather superficial criteria to be affecting negotiations then?

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

Asymmetry of Power --- Many academics in Greece, especially some prominent figures in political and international studies, which publicly analyse humanitarian crises and/or act as consultants to politicians, frequently reproduce arguments that all humanitarian actors are charlatans and the civil society has no power compared to states in crises and disasters. I think academic/consultant narrow-mindedness eventually further contributes to power perceptions when sitting at the negotiating table.

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

Profit --- Unfortunately in some cases humanitarian bodies may eventually end up negotiating access for profit. A recent example that comes to mind was a UNHCR initiative in one of the Greek reception islands, which negotiated with local organisations access to resources, and invited refugee women to sit together with a US congress delegation to discuss their access to international protection. This eventually ended up being a fundraising event with UNHCR and so any chance for meaningful negotiations among participating parties was in practice deceitfully denied.

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

Ambivalent objectives --- What would be the best approach to understand the counterpart's objectives, if the existing evidence offers unclarity or ambivalence?

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

Parties not being involved --- Indeed Samban, a point I had in mind myself. I remember when I was working with an organisation in the UK which involved local authorities and lobbied for anti-nuclear, sustainable and decentralised power, despite the fact that it was a government organisation, the government would rarely sit in negotiations, even at formal, high-level events. So I was also wondering what strategy would be best in such cases of "abstinence" in negotiations.

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

Compromising --- I think it comes down to knowing the negotiating party's interests and preparing accordingly the negotiation strategy. In this case, I think that you may prepare for possible outcomes without needing to compromise own interests to a large extent. Also, wouldn't part of negotiation be persuasion? In that via dialogue the aim is to persuade the negotiating party to take action that better supports our interests?

Source author: Marianna Stamoulaki m.stamoulakis@gmail.com

internal coordination to be improved to maximize results --- This is a very exciting area but we often do it in a silo in our offices in NY, GVA, Brussels, Addis, etc. Connections between field level and these movements are too rare which is a shame both in terms of mobilizing support at national and regional level and in terms of informing more partners about this important work.

Source author: Barbara Wibmer barbara.wibmer@ifrc.org

what about unintended consequences? --- The other interesting aspect in this regard is what if the outcome of the negotiation puts the other party into a better position vis-a-vis another conflict party? (for instance in terms of liking by the population as an unintended but inevitable consequence of the negotiation.)

Source author: Barbara Wibmer barbara.wibmer@ifrc.org

copycat --- This is a great quote - I will be using this regarding the theory and reality of the fundamental principles.

Source author: Barbara Wibmer barbara.wibmer@ifrc.org

not so different after all?! --- But may also have a huge impact on lives and livelihoods of people when you think about jobs lost after mergers, etc.

Source author: Barbara Wibmer barbara.wibmer@ifrc.org

Commitment and recognition --- The power to obtain real commitments is closely linked to the recognition and bond with the actors. When a humanitarian actor is recognized and valued for her work, the actors involved have a greater possibility of committing and assuming their commitments.

Source author: Mario Fanjul mariofanjulbenitez@gmail.com

The unknown international law --- In many conflicts, the parties involved are unaware of the importance of international law, especially HIL. There are experiences in which diplomatic and humanitarian actors trained the parties in conflict to give them a legal framework for work. Although it is a major challenge, it is something that could work.

Source author: Mario Fanjul mariofanjulbenitez@gmail.com

RCRC as negotiator? --- What about IFRC/ICRC's role as mediator when others are negotiating? Or the quiet negotiations to get hostages released, etc.?

Source author: Barbara Wibmer barbara.wibmer@ifrc.org

Red Cross mandate --- Thanks Haris. This is indeed important, and especially in a country (like yours?) where the general public have a narrower understanding of what the RC does than in some others. It's very important for humanitarian organisations (not only the RCRC) to maintain a good flow of information to the public as well as to the government about the essence of the mandate in the country concerned.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Location factors --- Good points and examples, Marwa and Cara. I've seen these issues frequently. Another thing I'd say about location is your ability (especially but not only if you're the host) to decide on the time when coffee or such breaks are provided, the quality of the refreshments, the availability of bathrooms and the like. These matters, if well handled, can dispose other people towards your objectives quite well. If not well handled they will often have a negative impact on what you want.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Red Lines --- Thanks Anna. You will often need to ensure that your red lines come from the top of your organisation and from that be sure that your organisation has enough discipline to avoid the danger of disagreement within your own ranks.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Changes in process --- That's right Marwa. Going around or above your counterpart is a difficult thing to do, for the reasons you mention. If it needs to be done it must be done with great care.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Shaping the agenda --- Thanks Taban. Yes, working with the media and, importantly, influential opinion leaders, can do a lot to help shape the negotiating atmosphere and agenda.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Microphones on --- You make me smile Taban. It never ceases to amaze me that people at top levels often fail to understand that forgetting the microphones can lead to disaster. Much of what is inadvertently spread to the whole room is personal commentary which denigrates other people in the room.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Evidence from the community --- Quite right Taban. The question is, of course, how to get that evidence to the negotiation in a validated state.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Power imbalances --- Thanks Marwa and Maria. I take the view that power issues need to be related to the principal goal of the negotiation. Stakeholder analysis should tell you what the other party wants and how to fashion your arguments. If you do this well you will not find yourself on the back foot, but the time for measuring this is when you can assess what you've obtained. You also need to remember that for HDiplomats there is no such thing as failure, just deferred success.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Relevance of IHL or IDRL --- Thanks Marwa but a great deal of HD work is in fields which have nothing to do with IHL or IDRL. To Shane, we added the relevance point to recognise this.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Context analysis --- it is clear that from module one up to this module 6, every step we do in HD, there is a need to do context analysis in order to prevent additional harm and retain organizational credibility

Source author: Samban Seng sengsamban@gmail.com

Preparation/preparedness to negotiate --- in many cases, advance preparation is vital but much more important for humanitarian negotiation as we are standing on the benefit of wider most vulnerable group or people

Source author: Samban Seng sengsamban@gmail.com

Formalise oral agreements? --- Thanks Marwa. JM expresses the reality well and many handshake agreements are not followed by a text. I think the best thing to be done in most cases is to write the thank-you letter we've mentioned before which provides a written acknowledgement of that handshake.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Rohingya return to Myanmar - a good case study --- Many thanks Ivy. Do you think you could turn this into a case study for the next course?

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

parties agree to participate --- as this also link to problem solving the implication is that - we are expecting that parties accepts to take part. But in many cases, one side just does not want or be willing to participate. What tool or strategy in this case to get that particular party take engage.

Source author: Samban Seng sengsamban@gmail.com

Target for negotiation and advocacy --- It is interesting to emphasize this that - the aim is to attack the problem but not each other or the people. In advocacy plan, often this is missing to be stated and perhaps this is why often there is a misunderstand by parties.

Source author: Samban Seng sengsamban@gmail.com

Cultural sidelines to negotiation --- Thanks Marwa, Virginia and Gerhard. To amplify Gerhard's point, my life story includes negotiations in Montenegro when I was Australian Ambassador in Belgrade. Practically every time I went there I was met at the airport by someone senior, usually the Deputy Foreign Minister, who produced a bottle of Montenegro country spirit (usually Lozova rakija) and we drank several shots while waiting for the baggage from the plane - at 0630 in the morning, and several more at the Foreign Ministry waiting for the meetings to start. And usually some during the meetings. This set a scene for easy negotiations, if you know what I mean.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Frontline negotiation --- Thanks for these comments Ivy. We had intended to include these thoughts in the Module but we will try to improve the text for the future for you make very good points.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Oral agreements --- Thanks Virginia. This is where the advice and involvement of locals, and your own access to local staffers and others, is of paramount importance.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Japanese negotiating --- Thanks Manny and Gerhard. Perhaps KW can offer some insights on this?

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Negotiation for an IDRL law --- Very good John. When it's time to do so, it would be good if you could give us a case study on this excellent example.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Why we must talk --- Thanks for opening this thread, John. It is a good example of the value of a good stakeholder analysis. It should help you understand why and HOW you talk and with whom.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

South Sudan civilian sites --- Very interesting John. Do you have a link to this? Did the Red Cross play any part then and is it related to the work now?

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Impasse solutions --- Thanks Shane for this good anecdote. I wouldn't have logged your result as a "failure" for I'm sure from your description (and my experience in Myanmar) that what you did was a contributing ice-breaker for the impasse.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Quiet negotiation in chance meetings --- Thanks Shane. This is why one of our assignment quiz asks about settings for HD. It is important to be alive to opportunities for setting up "chance" meetings at other events.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Agreed points --- Thanks Wossene. I'd add, as said earlier, that agreed points are not a "culmination" of HD. The agreed points will usually include something relevant to implementation action, and this then needs to be monitored.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

HD and negotiation --- Thanks Gerhard, Marwa and KW. It's important to see HD as aiming at negotiation towards and including a result of humanitarian value. Some of the writing, and to some extent I think this is true for the good article noted by KW, seems to me to be about negotiation itself, not about results. This is why we always say that HD does not end with an agreement being signed. It includes work to ensure implementation. If a government negotiates and even signs an agreement this should be followed up, night and day sometimes, until implementation takes place successfully.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Red Cross mandate is not familiar to all people --- Red Cross staff sometimes have assumption that Red Cross mandate is clear and well understood by other humanitarian actors and all people, but it is not. Therefore, it is important for RC staff to present RC's mandate in advance in order to improve negotiation effectiveness...

Source author: Haris Magrdžija haris.magrdzija@ckfbih.ba

cessation of Nambian Refugges --- UNHCR with Botswana and Nambia governments had a tripartite repatriation agreement where refugees based at Dukwi Camp ( Botswana) were repatriated back to Namibia. this was successful negotiation

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

CEA pillars --- community engagement and accountability through its 4 pillars allows for both parties not only to understand the problem instead to devise better ways of delaying with it and also as tool for behaviour change. This is evident enough as both parties will each have evidence of the problem.

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

role of media --- i also see public advocacy coming to play especially whenever media becomes part of the negotiation or used as one of the tools for negotiations.

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

no nee to compromise --- negotiation does not mean one has to compromise or please one another. it has to be base on the interest of the vulnerable person.

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

The science of location --- Apart from the power inferences associated with location. There are also scientific factors to be considered. For example, heat, noise, smell and hunger are all scientifically proven agitators which could negatively impact the negotiation. So when considering the process it is important to take into account the implication of the physical environment and the timing of the negotiations to ensure you create the right environment or at the very least avoid the wrong environment.

Source author: Marwa Shabbar marwashabbar@yahoo.com.au