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The Growing Importance of Cyber Diplomacy
Cyber diplomacy has become a crucial component of every nation’s diplomatic agenda. As international awareness of cybersecurity challenges continues to expand, multilateral and bilateral efforts have intensified to foster common understandings, mitigate risks, and enhance global stability. Despite notable achievements in UN-led and other multilateral forums, much work remains. The evolving international landscape underscores the need for increased confidence-building measures and dialogue—not only among states but also with the private sector and civil society—highlighting the growing demand for diplomatic expertise in this complex arena.
Diplomacy in the Digital Age
Cybersecurity, a relatively recent addition to the realms of international security and foreign policy, has necessitated a shift in diplomatic engagement. Earlier UN Groups of Governmental Experts (GGEs) included technical specialists and academics as national representatives. However, by the 2015–2017 GGE, leading nations recognized the necessity of deploying diplomats with negotiation expertise to advance discussions on responsible state behavior in cyberspace. The challenge of navigating cyberspace diplomacy continues to grow, reinforcing the critical need for skilled diplomatic professionals.
Contributions from Leading Experts
This handbook features over 20 essays from practitioners and experts in cyber diplomacy. It also includes forewords by Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. These contributions provide a timely analysis of the current state of cyber diplomacy and outline the path forward in shaping frameworks for responsible state behavior in cyberspace. Dr. Joanna Kulesza, Director of the Łódź Cyber Hub, is the author of a chapter dedicated to the application of international law in cyberspace: