EU PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND THE NEED TO BOOST COLLABORATION WITH NON-STATE ACTORS

Public diplomacy is a dynamic process of engagement which can help to ensure that the best of EU’s policies are known overseas and, if properly connected into the policy making mechanism can help produce better policy.

One major feature of today’s Public Diplomacy is that international organizations, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, non-state actors and multinational corporations are players on the international stage and practitioners of diplomacy, public and otherwise. The EU should not expect to ‘go it alone’ in its public diplomacy, but rather it should look to a future of a public diplomacy based on partnerships with like-minded fellow actors on the international stage: universities and individual academics can be highly effective public diplomacy agents and already have highly effective networks; schools/colleges can engage foreign citizens during the formative years; many NGOs, national and international are already well plugged in to counterparts in other countries; journalists; political parties who have already developed effective networks among themselves at European level, citizen groups; business associations and individual companies, especially at the SME level; youth movements etc.   

The EU Public Diplomacy should be positioned in such a way as to maximize such partnership possibilities. This kind of function is not necessarily compatible with the highly politicized advocacy element of public diplomacy and suggests that at least part of the apparatus of the EU public diplomacy should be located at arms length, perhaps taking the form of a non- governmental entity e.g. European Institute of Public Diplomacy(EURID) , empowered to broker collaborations in the sphere of public diplomacy.

Indeed,  Non-state actors enjoy more neutrality and credibility in the field. Many do have specialist knowledge of the key areas. They also have more natural ways of engaging with their opposite numbers which arouse less suspicion of their motives. They are more neutral and they are not necessarily seen as self-interested. Furthermore their credibility comes from their expertise and know-how on the ground with adequate local knowledge. They have more visibility in the field “grounded in actions and events” which lead to more healthy interpersonal behavioral relationships as opposed to mediated symbolic relationships. In addition, non-state actors are more committed for long-term efforts on the ground. They naturally maintain their relationships for their main purposes. Non-state actors can add long-term vision to public diplomacy activities with all their advantages.

Non-state actors are better connected to the public and/or centrally located to reach influential elites in certain publics. In other words, non-state actors may enter areas in which the EU has difficulty entering.  Collaborating with or outsourcing to more connected non-state actors would bring more effective results for public diplomacy objectives. Some of these non-state actors may act as brokers or as “network bridges”

There is much to do for the EU (responsible for public diplomacy) with its limited human, financial and social capital. In order to make up for these insufficiencies, the EU needs to collaborate with or outsource to the non-state actors that is already doing – or that has potential to do – effective activities in line with public diplomacy objectives of the EU. Non-state actors’ specialization (know-how) in certain issues and expertise can save the EU resources as it does not need to develop the same expertise and know-how in-house. This would help share the costs (including the opportunity costs of maintaining relationships) with non-state actors.

A public diplomacy strategy along the lines outlined above has significant implications for the structure of EU public diplomacy and culture of Member States’ foreign ministries. The role of the EU and diplomats in relation to these non-state actors will be more as catalysts, coordinating their activities within a broader strategy, encouraging those not already engaged in such activities and, on occasion, providing discreet technical and financial support. But it should also be pointed out that many potential agents will be reluctant to be seen as to close, or acting at the behest of a government. Indeed, being seen to do so could undermine the very credibility that otherwise represents much of their added value. The EU will therefore need tact, openness and understanding. Effective public diplomacy at home is an essential precursor to successful public diplomacy abroad.