The Scottish Government's Digital Influence

Conclusions

103. Today, while face-to-face diplomacy remains the cornerstone of international engagement, digital diplomacy is an essential complement, assistance, or substitute for face-to-face exchange even during traditional diplomatic activities such as negotiations or crisis response.

104. Digital diplomacy is the most useful lens through which the Scottish Government can think about developing a strategy for digital influence. As the literature review describes, digital diplomacy is conceptualised along dimensions which are already central to what the Scottish Government wants to achieve internationally:

104.1 The need to reach target audiences, gain their attention, and establish connections;

104.2 The need to understand and engage with who, or what organisation, is influential, in which context;

104.3 The desire to set agendas and shape the direction of policy debates;

104.4 Being actively engaged in relevant topics of interest in the specific contexts in which the Scottish Government operates; and

104.5 Building productive networks through which Scotland can engage in sustained conversations and through which Scotland's views can resonate with international audiences.

105. Digital diplomacy is necessary in today's world.^[60] State and non-state entities all compete for influence and power in the same online space: "When used properly, digital diplomacy is a persuasive and timely supplement to traditional diplomacy that can help a country advance its foreign policy goals, extend international reach, and influence people who will never set foot in any of the world's embassies".^[61]

106. As the Scottish Government delivers the Programme for Government 2021-22, with its aim of enhancing Scotland's international reputation and attractiveness as a place to live, work, study, visit and do business, it should build effective, measurable and implementable strategies for digital influence to serve, influence and mobilise its international audiences. To do this, it needs to build its capacity and capability to practice, monitor and evaluate digital diplomacy.

107. In addition, digital foreign policy, which aims to shape the governance of digital issues, is another dimension of increasing international interest. Similar countries to Scotland, and with whom Scotland competes for influence in some areas are highly active in this space (this report looks at Denmark and Switzerland).

108. The Diplo Foundation, a Swiss-based non-governmental organisation specialising in Internet governance and digital diplomacy, describes the reasons why digital foreign policy matters^[62]:

108.1 Changes in the political, social, and economic environment in which diplomacy is conducted;

108.2 The emergence of new policy issues in foreign policy such as cybersecurity, privacy, data governance, e-commerce, and cybercrime; and

108.3 The use of digital tools in the practice of diplomacy such as social media, online conferencing, and big data analysis (digital diplomacy).

109. There are, therefore, reasons why it is in the interests of Scotland, in any digital influence strategy, to address both the wider digital foreign policy and digital diplomacy agendas. Global digital governance debates and decisions impact on every aspect of modern life, and they have long-term commercial and political implications. There is also an ongoing contest between democratic and illiberal actors, with each side seeking to impart its vision on the digital economy^[63].

110. The Scottish Government's Programme for Government 2021-22 explicitly links Scotland's international engagement to values: support for democracy, sustainable development, human rights, future-thinking, and acting as a good global citizen. These are all areas where Scotland, through the development of a digital foreign policy, could potentially contribute to and help shape bilateral relations with like-minded countries such as Denmark and Switzerland that are already active in this space. They also present opportunities for participation in multilateral contexts such as the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD), and possibly with global organisations such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

111. The Programme for Government also commits the Scottish Government to a range of policy actions that would require digital diplomacy and digital tools in the practice of external relations: enhancing Scotland's economy and international competitiveness, increasing support for international development, showcasing Scotland internationally and, crucially for this report, the strengthening of diplomatic ties and international presence – establishing new offices in Copenhagen and Warsaw, and reviewing approaches to future policy and economic engagement to enhance Scotland's global reach and presence.

112. The interview evidence supported the idea of developing an explicit strategy for digital diplomacy, based on a greater coherence between policy, communications and influence activities.

113. Evidence is starting to emerge that a co-ordinated approach would bring benefits. The joint-working approach of Brand Scotland is starting to deliver improvements in terms of awareness and reach. While the evidence is still emerging, and relates only to the areas covered by Brand Scotland (live, work, visit, study, business), it indicates that increased co-ordination does bring results that could potentially be replicated in relation to other policy goals.

114. Any such strategy would of course have to recognise the constraints of resources. This is not necessarily the barrier that it first appears. The literature review and interviews confirmed that there are considerable areas of existing expertise in the Scottish Government and its agencies, and a great deal of positive commitment. There are actions which can be undertaken within existing resources, such as improving processes that support digital influence, including work to develop an explicit strategic communications narrative to provide global consistency of messaging, and support context-specific engagement, and supporting measures to improve agility.

115. There is also considerable digital expertise and resources in Scotland outside Government (in universities and business) which a strategy could leverage and aggregate in support of both a digital foreign policy and a digital diplomacy strategy.

116. Scotland has the potential to address its digital influencing goals. The question is whether the many opportunities that were identified to maintain, further develop or expand bilateral relationships, increase Scotland's impact on international decision-making, to continue developing productive networks and delivering improved outcomes for the people of Scotland can be taken. To do so, this report proposes a number of recommendations.