From November 5-7, 2017, the Richard C. Holbrooke Forum held a seminar in Tallinn, Estonia, as part of its ongoing Digital Diplomacy Project. In cooperation with the Tallinn-based International Centre for Defense and Security (ICDS), participants conducted a deep- dive into the question of how the unfolding IT revolution will impact international affairs, diplomacy, statecraft, and global order. At the center of the discussion were issues of institutional adaptation in a networked world, the revolutionary impact of blockchain technology and quantum computing, the increasingly fuzzy distinction between war and peace, and how political order will come about and be maintained in a world where classic politics loses much of its ability to bring about outcomes. The seminar will be followed up by a series of essays on the subject, published under the Richard C. Holbrooke Forum publications page, and downloadable as PDFs.

Download and read the rapporteur’s summary by Judy Dempsey and chairman John C. Kornblum’s observations of the seminar.

Read Der Tagesspiegel coverage of the event in an essay by Anna Sauerbrey.