The first India-Australia Virtual Leaders’ Summit was a notable event recently held, marking significant decisions being made ranging from military interoperability to jointly dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. This summit stands out due to its unique method of implementation, applying digital substitutes to traditional summit diplomacy in response to the dangers of Covid-19.
Understanding e-Diplomacy
Electronic diplomacy or e-Diplomacy is a new approach where technology is leveraged by countries to define and establish diplomatic goals and objectives. This efficient method assists diplomats in carrying out their duties such as representation and promotion of their home country, establishing both bilateral and multilateral relations, consular services and social engagement.
The global pandemic has triggered a shift towards maintaining physical and social distance, urging people to work from home and–by extension–the use of online platforms for education, business, community interaction, and more. Consequently, nation-states have been required to adapt and migrate to using virtual platforms for conducting summits and meetings.
Benefits of e-Diplomacy
Virtual summits come with various advantages. They are physically safer for leaders as they eliminate the need for any physical contact. Moreover, the process saves time as leaders can attend the summits from their offices, cutting down the necessity to travel. Lastly, these events are cost-effective as they steer clear of expensive physical journeys and event management.
Challenges Associated with e-Diplomacy
Despite the benefits, e-diplomacy faces some challenges. Major agreements or deals requiring direct interactions from leaders might pose difficulties due to the absence of in-person dialogues. e-Diplomacy might potentially be less productive as online summits may fall short in meeting broader political goals and significant objectives that heads of states have. Cybersecurity threats are another concern as e-diplomacy could lead to potential hacking of classified content, reducing the spontaneity and openness of conversations.
India’s Engagement in e-Diplomacy
In addition to the virtual summit with Australia, India has participated in several multilateral e-diplomacy rounds since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of these include the SAARC Leaders’ video conference, the Extraordinary G20 Leaders’ Summit, and the Non-Aligned Movement Virtual Summit.
Looking Forward: The Future of Summits
As per British scholar Ernest Satow’s statement – “summits are a permanent feature of diplomatic topography”, it is clear that in-person summits will eventually resume. However, for the moment, the use of online platforms must continue to ensure that diplomacy progresses. Even if video conferencing seems somewhat artificial and unsatisfying, having some form of a summit is arguably better than not having one at all. Key partners must continue to conduct high-level meetings as part of their strategic signaling.
