Young at heart diplomats

The British Embassy in Addis Ababa and the United States Mission to the African Union (AU) will host a “young diplomats’” evening tonight. We held a similar event last year and many thought it an effective way to bring together stakeholders on issues which are important to the AU.

The event will be attended by diplomats from non-member states and member states of the AU; professionals from the AU Commission; International Organizations resident in Addis; and Civil Society Organizations and journalists covering issues on the AU agenda. I am pleased to be able to co-host such an evening, which contributes to taking forward the continental agenda in an informal setting. Diplomats are emissaries of their countries with their own perspectives. But relaxed events like this can help them identify common areas of interest and to exchange experiences and expertise.

One of the new faces of diplomacy in the 21^st century is digitisation. Digital diplomacy, tweeting and posting keep young professionals up to date. New technologies complement the more traditional diplomatic skills of face-to-face contacts, and the art of “reading” people. They enable us to move beyond government-to-government exchanges and speak to much wider audiences. I’d like to invite you all to consider following me on Twitter (@GregDoreyFCO) as well as my Embassy’s page @UKinEthiopia.

Congratulations to the young diplomats organising the event. I should explain that they have made it clear that the target audience is “young at heart” diplomats. Indeed, last time they invited me to talk to them about diplomacy in history, showing that age is no bar! I hope all those attending this time enjoy the evening!