What does it mean to be a diplomat in a world shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption and increasingly complex global challenges? As diplomacy evolves, so too do the skills and approaches required to navigate international affairs, build consensus and foster cooperation.
Ms Dominique Hasler, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein and former President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, brings extensive experience in government, multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation. In December, she will join the Diplomacy, Negotiation and Policy programme as a guest speaker for the session “The Modern Diplomat, from Diplomacy to Diplomacies”.
Ahead of the session, we asked her to reflect on how diplomacy is changing and what it takes to navigate an increasingly complex international environment.
As Foreign Minister, I served a small, highly industrialised and export-driven country without an army – a country that has known for three centuries that its only defence is far-sighted diplomacy: never in isolation, always in cooperation and trusted partnerships. But what has shifted in recent years is of a different order: three things have changed at once, and the combination makes it new.
First, the geopolitical order is shifting – in an unknown direction, with news almost daily that would have seemed unthinkable the day before. Second, for the first time we face a technology that does not merely provide information but interacts with humanity – and may even compete with it. Third, all of this unfolds at a speed no institution was built for: the gap between how fast technology advances and how fast people and organisations adapt is, for me, the governance question of our time.
What do these three dimensions mean for the modern diplomat?
On geopolitics: the UN Charter was – especially looking back from where we stand today – a diplomatic masterpiece, and it is painful to watch it being disregarded. The modern diplomat, to me, is someone who can act when the rules no longer hold – without abandoning them. She holds a process together when the actors, interests and languages in the room no longer share a common frame, and she decides under ambiguity, because waiting for certainty is no longer an option.
On technology: when we negotiated the Council of Europe’s AI Convention, I learned that the law can require a human to oversee the machine – but it cannot create the judgement of that human. That is where diplomacy comes in, and it is what AI cannot do: bring people together in formats no algorithm would think of, create the space where trust can grow, sense what a room is not yet ready to say, put on the agenda what is not yet on anyone’s agenda – and keep doing it even when we are told it could be replaced.
On speed: writing the perfect memo is still necessary. But today it takes new and creative ways of working alongside it – and a diplomat who chooses to act rather than react, who finds the niche where she makes a difference and turns it into norms and concrete action.
The presidency came at a demanding time for the organisation, in the midst of the war against Ukraine – as the Register of Damage, the first step towards accountability, was taking shape. It deepened lessons I had been learning all my life.
I have always worked with people in complex contexts: in humanitarian aid in Africa, with people with disabilities, in palliative care, and then in international teams during severe crises. What that taught me is that diplomacy, too, is all about people. You have to like people. You have to read what is not said, and stay in the room when it is uncomfortable. You have to find controversial discussions fascinating rather than threatening. You have to name the problem while already thinking about solutions. And you have to believe in the wisdom of the crowd.
That is why consensus does not mean agreement. It means that no one is prepared to block – and that requires give and take. The AI Convention – the first binding international treaty on AI – was adopted under our presidency because we designed the process as carefully as the text.
Another lesson, learned when the war began: trust cannot be built when you need it. It is built long before, in the moments when nothing is at stake. Diplomacy means investing in relationships for years – so that, when a crisis comes, you know the people, not just the positions.
And: listen for the interest behind the position. A “no” in a multilateral room is rarely a “no” to the substance – it is often a signal about pressure, precedent or a dilemma at home. Treat it as an obstacle and you get a blockage. Put yourself in the other side’s shoes and treat it as information – and you get an opening.
We have to check honestly where we are still trained for a gone world: our institutions, our curricula and our leadership models were built for a world that no longer exists. Anticipation is the foundation – acting before a risk hardens into a crisis. On that foundation, I would say three things.
Judgement: diplomats will have more information, faster, than anyone before them – and AI will happily produce options. But this makes lifelong learning more important, not less: if you want to negotiate successfully, you have to know the dossier – not just the AI. When I look back at my hardest diplomatic decisions, no system could have taken the responsibility off my shoulders. Training one’s own judgement, the way an athlete trains, is essential.
Self-leadership: diplomacy has always required a high degree of intrinsic motivation, and that will not change: serving when the success belongs to others, staying curious, staying anchored when the ground shifts – and leading yourself the way you lead a negotiation: set a goal, test it against reality, adjust, and keep going.
And accountability: the diplomat of the future will take difficult decisions and answer for them. Crises also release political energy, and we should use it: responsibility should not be a burden but a chance to shape things. Yes, those who step up sometimes get exposed – but it is worth it. This world needs people who take responsibility.
This is where I see the opportunity. While many professions are being replaced by technology, I am deeply convinced that a diplomat with this mindset will be needed more than ever – because navigating our future is, in the end, a deeply human task.
Learn more about the Executive Diploma in Diplomacy, Negotiation and Policy on our website.
