DIPLOMACY IN THE DIGITAL ERA: BETWEEN OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

In a constantly changing world, digital tools have become an essential part of our lives. Digital revolution has influenced every field of activity, and even the diplomacy, a domain rooted in protocol and etiquette, has been shaped by this process. With an impact to daily diplomatic activities, new technologies bring speed and efficiency in domains like public diplomacy, consular affairs, analyzing process and of course, internal communication. At the same time, digital changes have become a subject of negotiation at the international level, in this way shaping the diplomatic agenda. And even the negotiation table has been influenced by the Third Industrial Revolution, by bringing new non-state actors to the discussions. New digital opportunities bring more complexity to the diplomatic activity and certainly new risks and vulnerabilities. In this context, a proper analyze of new technologies that emphasize both strengths and weaknesses are essential for the security of the sensitive information with which diplomats operate. At the same time, the speed of technological changes requires new abilities of the diplomatic services' employees, constant training for efficiency and security reasons being fundamental.