The International Journal of Cyber Diplomacy (IJCD) hosts an eclectic group of contributors, from cyber experts to diplomats, military and law enforcement representatives and contributes to the knowledge community that ICI Bucharest has been building through its events, its partnerships and its publications. We, the Editors, want the Journal to become a valued meeting point of discussions for a network of trust emerging organically from an ambitious program of research, training, publication and events, including our flagship yearly International Conference on Cyber Diplomacy as part of the Digital Innovation Summit Bucharest.
For us, Cyber Diplomacy is necessary to address all of the consequences of the digitalization of economic life, society, and politics, which can no longer be confined and addressed within the borders of each individual polity, as issues such as cybercrime, regulatory standards, cyber-warfare have important cross-border valences. Despite a growing corpus on cyber-related issues in the study of international relations, a consolidated body of knowledge has yet to be set up. A cyber-inclusive view of international relations has become an imperative rather than a convenience. Cyber diplomacy is not just the purview of diplomats, but also of experts in various fields and of non-state actors such as civil society groups or corporations which are increasingly reliant on transborder cooperation through decision making, standard setting, information sharing and institutional buildup. Diplomats need to be joined by critical infrastructure experts, cyber experts, public servants, military and law enforcement personnel and a host of other professional categories impacted by cyber issues.
Our line-up reflects the inherent diversity of the concept. Cyber acts not only as a medium for communication, coordination and integration of systems, but also as a binding agent for disparate systems in different sectors, diverse geographic areas and, just as important, different jurisdictions. Talk about cyber and, depending on your conversation partner, one may be talking about energy, or finance, about defense and security, or about privacy and consumer protection. There is no nation that will not increase its degree of digitalization of commerce, public administration, education or warfare, and no nation will ever be secure and resilient without approaching the cyber issue also in conjunction with likeminded partners and with rivals. Any who shirk this duty open themselves up not only to random accidents and cascading disruptions, but also to deliberate threats with cyber as a means for coercion and subversion.
Ultimately, in a multipolar world that is growingly interconnected, Cyber Diplomacy may become not just a tool for supporting political decision-making, but also a useful instrument for a cooperative operating model in the increasingly uncooperative international community that nevertheless is impacted by a rapid pace of technological development. Cyber Diplomacy therefore has all the pre-requisites to become central to the fabric of world politics, with a unique influence on the geopolitical landscape.
The International Journal of Cyber Diplomacy is published annualy.
