E-DIPLOMACY । PARAGRAPH E-DIPLOMACY

 E-DIPLOMACY 

Introduction :- E-Diplomacy or electronic diplomacy is a modern way to handle the process of diplomacy with the help of Internet. E-Diplomacy refers to the use of digital technology for enhancing the traditional process of diplomacy. The Internet and Communication Technology (ICT) is used in this process. 

History of E-Diplomacy :- E-Diplomacy is a new term which can be seen as a subset of E-Governance. The US State Department was the first foreign ministry to adopt its own E-Diplomacy unit. In 2002, the US State Department had established a task force (TF) of about 80 members.On 5 February 1994, the first e-mail exchange took place between two Government head, Carl Bildt and Clinton. After that various social site has been established. LinkedIn in 2003, Facebook in 2004, YouTube in 2005, Twitter in 2006, etc.

Importance Of E-Diplomacy :- 

Saves time :-  As one need not to go anywhere therefore the travelling time is removed. Therefore, we can say that E-Diplomacy saves the time of diplomats to a great extent.

Wide access :- Through various social site platforms, wide range of population can hear and respond to the policies made by the authorities.

Saves money :- The authorities spend huge amount of funds to attend various diplomatic activities. But now everything can be done using internet. Hence, E-Diplomacy saves money.

Fast and easy :- The use of internet and technology makes E-Diplomacy faster than the traditional diplomacy practices.

Disadvantages Of E-Diplomacy :- 

Hacking :-  As we know that digital platforms are prone to various cyber-crimes. Therefore, hacking can be another threat for digital diplomacy.

Anonymity :- The main problem with the social sites is fraudulent activities. Sometimes fraud can harm people by using their identity for illegal motives.

Security :- E-Diplomacy can face various security problems as the data on the network is not considered safe. Data leak is the major concern from the security point of view.

Reduce productivity :- The electronic diplomacy or E-Diplomacy are considered less productive than the traditional Diplomacy.

E-Diplomacy in India :- The digital diplomacy in India became official in 2010 when the Ministry of External Affair (MEA) posted its first tweet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had participated in various multilateral diplomacies during the Covid-19 pandemic. He had been part of various virtual summits like the SAARC leader summit on March 15 via video conferencing. The Non-Aligned Movement virtual summit in May. Another summit G20 was held using video link on 26 March. On September 2018, India-Bangladesh had carried out various projects through video conferencing. The first India-Australia bilateral virtual summit was held on 4 June 2020, which deals with many projects including military interoperability and to jointly tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Future of E-Diplomacy :- Due to the emerging importance of digitalization in the world, E-Diplomacy can play a major role in shaping the future of the nation. Earlier most of the diplomatic decisions are made inside the closed doors. Digital Diplomacy is the central part of the public diplomacy which targets mass online audience. Social media is a platform which allows young diplomats to represent their views globally in the form of blogs, posts or tweets. They are free to express their views and opinions in front of general public. About 82 Foreign ministers have their twitter account with more than million followers.

Conclusion :- The concept of E-diplomacy is not that much famous like any other digital platforms like E-commerce. However, many countries are adopting this newer concept. There is a huge presence of Government and its officials on the different social media platforms. During the outbreak of Covid pandemic, the Digital Diplomacy came into action. It helps other countries to communicate and take decisions together without travelling long distance.