Public diplomacy as a challenge in foreign policy

The publication includes the conclusions of this Seminar held last September at the Diplomatic School in Madrid.

This document includes an introduction given by María Claver Ruiz, Director General of Media and Public Diplomacy, and the chapters “Public Diplomacy: New role-players in a new scenario,” by Rafael Rubio, a professor at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid; “Skills for the New Global Diplomacy,” by Juan Luis Manfredi, a professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha; “Diplomacy: Digital and public,” by James Pamment, a professor of Oxford University; “The Model of United States Public Diplomacy,” by Amy Bliss, of the United States Embassy in Madrid, and “Innovation, Diplomacy and Think-tanks,” by Charles Powell, Director of the Real Instituto Elcano, and Juan Luis Manfredi, a professor of the University of Castilla-La Mancha.

The seminar, whose conclusions are provided in this publication, was organized jointly by the Diplomatic School, the Real Instituto Elcano, the Directorate General of the Diplomatic Information Office, and the Directorate General of Media and Public Diplomacy of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, which reflects the concern and commitment of different role-players taking part in Spain’s public diplomacy project.
 
The day included attendance by numerous internationally known personages in the field, who contributed their knowledge and experience, including James Pamment, Charles Powell, Rafael Rubio and Juan Luis Manfredi, as well as representatives from many diplomatic missions (Australia, France, Mexico, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom).
 
The seminar was organized using a structure of panel discussions, which dealt with such essential topics as comparing the different models of public diplomacy, its role in international organizations and the role of think-tanks. It included a live broadcast on the Internet, which was followed virtually on Twitter, as well, marking a new era in how to discuss and understand the essence and importance of public diplomacy in the immediate future, with new media for communications, above all digital media, which will set the trend to be followed in a future which has already become a reality.

This publication is now available and responds to the concerns of this Directorate General about strengthening the use of public diplomacy in Spain’s foreign policy activities, as recently approved, demonstrating Spain’s commitment to this new way of understanding and adapting to international relations in the twenty-first century.