A landmark series on the UAE’s place in the world
▶ Soft power is in technology and the arts, writes Damien McElroy
The relationship between the UAE and France was strengthened significantly during Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s trip to Paris in November.
The visit by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces showed the importance of cultural diplomacy in modern international relations.
A tour of the Sheikh Zayed Centre at the Louvre in Paris not only allowed Sheikh Mohamed to spend time with Emirati students in the city but set the scene for a roadmap of co-operation covering next year’s Special Olympics, Dubai Expo 2020 and the UAE’s Golden Jubilee in 2021.
The museum, which has a branch in Abu Dhabi, has become one of the linchpins of the relationship.
“The Louvre is a living example of France’s position as the epicentre of enlightenment, not only to Europe but to the whole world,” said Sheikh Mohamed. “In today’s world, we need the common heritage of humanity to unite peoples and nations in the face of global challenges.”
The French newspaper Le
Monde Diplomatique noted that Franck Riester, the French Culture Minister, was dedicated to the cultural agenda.
“The visit to Musee Louvre of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed is a sign of friendship to which we are very sensitive. It allows us to continue our dynamic cultural dialogue to better understand the world and its diversity,” he wrote in a tweet on the trip.
“The UAE has developed since the past few years quite effective tools of cultural diplomacy, not just with France but with the US, UK, or even with countries like India. They have developed strong links with cultural institutions across the world.”
Camille Lons, a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said: “They have created this year an Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy.
“It is part of a strategy of influence that aims at transforming the UAE into a global cultural centre while remaining quite discreet.”
The sense of renewal of diplomatic ties through cultural events pervades the UAE diplomatic calendar. Holding receptions in landmark British institutions to mark the UAE’s National Day – the Victoria and Albert in 2018 and the Natural History Museum and National Portrait Gallery in previous years – has opened new ground in projecting the country’s image overseas.
No longer was a soiree at the ambassador’s residence fitting to seize opportunities for getting national priorities across. Instead the use of museums underlined the diplomacy of arts and cultural endeavour.
In the Natural History Museum, the giant whale skeleton suspended from the vaulted roof served to remind guests of the ecological influences shared by everyone. Other national embassies in London have followed suit with their events in landmark venues.
Witness also the recent video collage superimposed over drone footage of the Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability pavilions that are under construction for the Expo 2020 in Dubai. The pavilion stresses the themes of the Expo – an event hoped to attract 26 million visitors.
The use of rope, wood and stone in the buildings, the solar canopy to power the space and structures that allow up to 4,500 people to pass through each hour are all statements of what is possible by prioritising an enlightened approach.
“Cultural diplomacy is an important tool of soft power to develop relations beyond the obvious areas of business and the diplomatic agenda between countries,” a source involved in diplomatic planning said.
“The UAE has been very aware of how to use these relationships to expand ties and has built up very effective campaigns to achieve these goals.”
To focus on a fast-changing landscape, DiploCon and other forums this year underlined the responsibility on policymakers to continuously refresh the offer to keep nations engaged in friendly ties at every level.
One of the visitors to the UAE was Corneliu Bjola, an Oxford University professor who is carrying out a study on the future of diplomacy.
Researchers into the increasingly digital nature of diplomacy, such as those working with Mr Bjola, foresee the onset of new frontiers, even as policymakers adjust to online realities.
“While digital technologies have evolved fast and have significantly challenged the practice of diplomacy, their impact thus far has been uneven,” Mr Bjola said.
“The communication function of diplomacy has been most affected by the digital turn and for good reasons, as foreign affairs ministries can now reach millions of people in real time and with no media ‘filters’, hence the rapid adaptation of digital tools to public diplomacy.”
It is an agenda that Dr Anwar Gargash, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, acknowledged during his address at the DiploCon, when he discussed how the UAE had adapted to the demands of i-diplomacy.
“We are living in what we are calling a 15-minute cycle,” Dr Gargash said.
“We used to have a two to three-day cycle but today, if there is information on Yemen that from our perspective in the UAE we see it is negative, we have to deal with that information within 15 minutes. Because the cycle that is influencing opinions is very fast.”
Some participants, including Bernardino Leon, the director general of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, told of the need to create a conversational dynamic.
“You don’t only send messages and tell them what you think about an issue, but you can engage in a conversation with them and they will respond,” he said. “This is what we call second generation public diplomacy.”
As President of the US, Donald Trump has transformed the tweet into a diplomatic tool. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in an article in Foreign Policy magazine, noted that the Trump administration was using social media power to measurable effect.
“The president’s communications function as a deterrence mechanism,” Mr Pompeo wrote.
“The all-caps tweet he directed at Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in July, in which he instructed Iran to