If you do a Google search for digital diplomacy, cyber diplomacy, or internet governance, you will likely see a link to DiploFoundation at the top of the list. This Bilo-Swiss organization is a major global player in digitization and international relations.

Outside of Google – which is a reliable indicator of the relevance of an organization’s resources, a sort of digital vox populi – I discovered the overall impact of Diplo in my work as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Whichever country I visit, I will likely meet one of Diplo’s 6,000 alumni – mostly diplomats and government officials, from 202 countries and territories.

Diplo alumni hold senior positions in diplomatic centers, such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. They are ambassadors or senior officials from foreign ministries and missions around the world. Equally important, many former Diplo students are from small island states. Considering the number of people trained from the Pacific and Caribbean region, Diplo is considered “the diplomatic academy of small states”; it is a highly respected foundation in all divisions of the modern world. You can hear about Diplo among technologists in Silicon Valley, academics in Europe and Asia, and high tech officials in African countries.

After this great discovery of Diplo’s substantial global footprint, I began to discover the organization and its people. Diplo’s roots go back to 1992, when Jovan Kurbalija, a former Yugoslav diplomat who lived in Malta for many years, began to combine his experience in international law and diplomacy with, at the time, IT.

His research began even before the internet arrived in Malta, and through his work he has placed Malta on the historical map of technological developments. Diplo has offices in Malta, Geneva, Belgrade, Washington DC and dozens of researchers and professors around the world.

During my recent visit to Belgrade, I visited Diplo’s AI and data lab. It was a fascinating experience on AI research and the use of data in international relations. They also involve philosophers, artists, religious and others to place technology in the larger context of ethics and its impact on society.

I discovered the global impact of Diplo in my work as Minister of Foreign Affairs– Evariste Bartolo

In particular, I was impressed with their goal of anchoring AI and high-tech developments as a public good in the service of the future of humanity. This aspect is also represented visually in their logo, which sandwiches AI within humanism.

During this journey of discovery, I learned that when the COVID-19 pandemic began, Diplo helped many organizations maintain business continuity by teaching them how to use Zoom and other tools. The online workspace has been a reality for this foundation since it began its work decades ago in Malta.

Recently, they have reacted with agility to the call of the UN Secretary General to protect the rights of future generations by bringing Maltese initiatives and research from the mid-1990s back to the forefront. both avant-garde and practical: they proposed to the UN and to governments around the world the concept of “Future Chair” as a physical reminder during political and diplomatic meetings that there is another invisible actor – our future generations.

It’s time for the rights of future generations to be protected when we discuss climate change, AI, or many other political issues. As I indicated in my speech to parliament, this “hidden gem” deserves to be better known because, through its noble cause, it contributes to promoting our country as a hub for digital diplomacy and as a hub for technological innovation. creative and responsible.

Next year Diplo will turn 20 – an important milestone for Malta as well. On the occasion of this anniversary, we are bringing together, online and in situ, the great Diplo family to discuss digital diplomacy, the governance of AI and issues related to technological development and the future of humanity. .

It will be a great opportunity to take stock of the progress made over the past decades and discuss the future of this influential Malta-based foundation.