That gives science and technology a central role in multilateralism. Diplomats and policy-makers across the globe are thus ever more focused on understanding and using research breakthroughs, both to anticipate their impact on individuals, society and the planet, and to apply them in their own work. Here we provide insights into the ongoing research into key topics and capabilities in this field, including new approaches to modelling diplomacy, the future of prediction and foresight, methods to understand group behaviour, anticipated advances in digital security and an increasing impetus for futures literacy.

Associated Emerging Topics:

Emerging Topic

Science-based Diplomacy

It is now almost impossible to separate diplomacy from the influence of science and technology. Computational modelling, analysis and artificial intelligence are set to play important roles in international relations, especially when it comes to interactions between groups of people. Researchers are already compiling vast databases of historical interactions between actors in various international forums. Mining these databases produces an instant picture of an actor’s past statements and positions and helps to find common ground in negotiations. These databases are the bedrock of science-based diplomacy, a strategy that is likely to become more powerful, more comprehensive and more widely used. Indeed, negotiation engineering aims to “depoliticise” these discussions by automating certain aspects of the process.

Emerging Topic

Prediction, Foresight and Futures Literacy

Nobody can see what the future holds. This has been recognised as an absolute truth since at least the time of Aristotle. Modern civilisation is nonetheless built on attempts to do just that, over time scales ranging from hours (weather forecasting and traffic patterns) to decades (climate change and demographic shifts). These attempts allow us to anticipate what the future holds and to plan accordingly. The urgency of this anticipation has increased along with perceptions of the increased speed and complexity of change.

Emerging Topic

Digital Security

Much has been written about the potential of technologies like social media and data analytics to spread disinformation and polarise societies, thus weakening democracy, but there is now a countervailing movement: an effort to create, nourish and grow democracy-affirming technologies. Further advances come from innovations in fact-checking websites and tools that have been designed to help people better assess the validity of information online; digital identity technologies, which are emerging as a critical tool for helping democracy transition into the digital age, and technological means to evade attempts at censorship.

Related Content

Opportunity

Can We Bolster Democracy Through Technologies?

Opportunity

Creating a Global Curriculum on Science & Diplomacy

Invited Contribution

Misperceptions, Meta-perceptions and Conflict

Opportunity

Revitalising Multilateralism through Anticipatory Science and Diplomacy

Invited Contribution

Understanding the Reality of Multilateral Relations with Computational Diplomacy

Page

Where are the Limits in the Digitalisation of Conflicts?

Invited Contribution

The Future of Multilateralism

Invited Contribution

The Future of Trade

Next Page

4.1 - Science-based Diplomacy