Minister Borg unveils Malta’s digital diplomacy profile
Ian Borg, Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, has announced on his official social media account the country’s ‘Digital Diplomacy Profile’ and the publication of a document outlining Malta’s future digital diplomacy policy.
Through the official X/Twitter account @MFETMalta, Ian Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion of Malta, unveiled his country’s Digital Diplomacy Profile.
‘We are a small country in a year when we are not only elected to the United Nations Security Council but are also leading the OSCE, the largest regional security and cooperation organization in the world, following a unanimous agreement between 57 countries. This is the determination that we must continue to show even when it comes to digital diplomacy,’ Borg added. He also highlighted how good digital diplomacy may contribute to opening up new economic prospects for Malta and Gozo.
Why does it matter?
The new Digital Diplomacy Profile is part of Malta’s digital strategy for 2022-2027, which aims to advance the nation’s digital transformation while considering social and economic opportunities and challenges.
It demonstrates a commitment to integrating digital strategies into the country’s diplomatic efforts, ensuring that the country remains proactive and engaged in the evolving digital landscape.
The document, ‘A Digital Diplomacy Profile for Malta’, explains how Malta is committed to being proactive in the digital world, in areas ranging from tech regulation and the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) to internet governance and cybersecurity. The initiative is a key step in Malta’s digital diplomacy, which is expected to generate new economic opportunities for the country, as it helps promote the country’s business attractiveness virtually in regions where there is no physical diplomatic presence.
Malta’s Digital Diplomacy Profile is part of a wider trend of countries integrating digital strategies into their diplomatic efforts. Several countries have appointed dedicated tech diplomats or established offices focused on innovation, technology and digital issues, in their foreign policy, including Denmark, Estonia, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. Moreover, Digital diplomacy, as a soft power tool, has the potential to enhance public diplomacy and international relations by engaging with new audiences, overcoming traditional diplomacy limitations, collaborating with new actors, and promoting cross-cultural dialogue.
About author
Mouloud Khelif
Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Mr Mouloud Khelif is an independent digital strategy, policy, and governance advisor/consultant with over 25 years of international experience, spanning multiple industries across public, private, and non-profit sectors. Mouloud joined the Digital Watch Observatory as a Digital Knowledge Fellow in August 2023, contributing to the technology and economic baskets. His current interests span AI governance and policymaking, the impact of disruptive technologies on the future of work, and linking geoeconomics and geopolitics to digital innovation.