The EastWest Institute, along with the host Wilton Park and the Foreign and Commonwealth office (UK) took part in an expert exchange, which brought together up to 50 practitioners to examine new approaches to decentralized diplomacy.

The global nature of many foreign policy challenges, such as counterterrorism, climate change and cyber threats demand engagement beyond traditional bilateral or even multilateral formats. This three-day program will explore the disruptive challenges to present-day diplomacy, including the influence of transnational networks and citizen engagement and the power of diversity, among other key areas that underpin how diplomacy takes shape in the coming years.

“The art of diplomacy has significantly changed over the past few years, where technology and capacity building has altered the traditional landscape of country-to-country engagement,” said Ambassador Cameron Munter, CEO & President, EastWest Institute. “Tomorrow diplomacy will depend on the input and active participation of numerous influencers, representing the public and private sectors, academia and non-state actors. A variety of individuals and groups will increasingly have a voice and a role to play as to how nations and communities engage with one another to resolve local, regional ad global issues. This program is a step in better defining this direction.”

The interactive program featured a mix of plenary and ‘"break-through" sessions, informed and shaped by digital engagement with external stakeholders.

Event Details:

Date: March 15-17, 2017
Location: Wilton Park, Wiston House, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3DZ UK
Event hashtags: #NewDiplomacyWP

This event was by invite only. For more information please visit here.