The evolution of secret diplomacy in the digital age

While the confidentiality of diplomatic missions and negotiations is sometimes necessary for states to achieve their objectives, in the digital age secret diplomacy is being tested as the diplomatic space expands and is inevitably exposed to public opinion. To what extent have the new digital tools led to a redefinition of the confidential environment of diplomacy? 

          The main purpose of diplomatic missions is to gather information, and as Raoul Delcorde, a prominent Belgian diplomat, points out, in the age of the Internet, information is even more valuable because the information reported and analyzed by diplomats carries the seal of authenticity. In our increasingly interconnected age, traditional diplomacy has had to evolve rapidly to incorporate the dynamics of the digital age.

         One of the pioneers who anticipated the impact of new technologies on diplomacy was President Carter's former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. As he told the New York Times in 1983: "The whole diplomatic system has to be modernized to work faster rather than maintaining a cumbersome and costly establishment. . Many American advisers and secretaries of state subsequently worked to lay the groundwork for future digital diplomacy. 

     As a result, a number of foreign ministries around the world have begun to digitize their archives to make them more accessible, so that, for example, they can be used to contextualize a given situation by using a keyword search to find all the documents needed to formulate a strategy. This is what is known as the "digitisation of diplomacy", a phrase that reflects the concern to gradually extend the use of digital technology to the various areas of the profession.

 In general, megadata helps diplomats refine their analysis by giving them access to vast amounts of information. It therefore makes diplomacy more effective and inclusive, with the potential to radically transform key aspects of the function such as negotiation and communication.

   However, the rise of digital diplomacy poses complex challenges to the diplomatic corps of states, which are summarized in what is known as digital disruption. This is the unhealthy use of information technologies, namely cybercrime, hacking, propaganda and disinformation (fake news), which can destabilize political figures and even governments. 

      The transparency and openness of American discourse in the post-Cold War era seems to have reached its limits, as illustrated by the Wikileaks affair in 2006, which saw the leak of 250,000 diplomatic cables containing very frank and direct diplomatic analyses by American diplomats of heads of state, elected representatives and personalities from various countries.

      We are literally talking about a pre- and post-Wikileaks era, as diplomats are confronted with the need to be accountable to their people, because the public has become more involved in foreign policy issues via the internet. The notions of 'confidentiality' and 'state secrets' have been circumvented and transparency has become the order of the day. But the most important consequence of this affair, known as 'Cablegate' after the diplomatic cables, is the overturning of the notion of 'unpublishable data' and the establishment of a 'new world order' shaped by digital resources.

          In summary, as Hillary Clinton's former policy advisor Alec Ross puts it, "Every government in the world is torn between wanting to be more open or more closed”. On the one hand, digital diplomacy represents a revolution in diplomatic practice, reshaping international relations in the information age through a proactive and innovative approach. On the other hand, the risk aversion of diplomats, in the wake of numerous international scandals involving the dissemination of personal or confidential data, undoubtedly explains their slow adoption of new technologies in the exercise of their profession. This encourages them to remain cautious and not to abandon the culture of secrecy too quickly. 

It is therefore important to stress that, despite the rise of digital interaction, traditional diplomacy remains essential for building relationships based on mutual trust and respect for international norms. Face-to-face meetings, behind-the-scenes meetings at international summits and diplomatic visits continue to play a crucial role in strengthening diplomatic ties and resolving conflicts.