Cyber diplomacy is a concept that refers to the use of traditional diplomacy and digital tools to promote international cooperation, security, and national interests in the context of information technology.
Cyber diplomacy focuses on bilateral and multilateral international collaboration aimed at sharing information on cybersecurity, preventing cyberattacks, contributing to the building of cyber capabilities in developing countries, and defining cyberspace governance.
In this context, Italy promotes a free, secure, accessible, and human rights-respecting cyberspace, in which international law is fully applicable (Read the national document on International Law and Cyberspace).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) is committed to asserting its vision, promoting Italian expertise, and contributing to international stability on multiple fronts, including in implementation of the National Cybersecurity Strategy. These range from traditional multilateral forums to many informal coalitions between like-minded countries.
Some examples are made below:
AT EU level
Cooperation among European Union Member States is a fundamental and significant issue for Italy.
The EU aims to strengthen Europe’s collective resilience against cyber threats and ensure that all citizens and companies can fully benefit from digital services and tools. The priority actions that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) is pursuing, jointly with other government departments, include the implementation of the Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox, the promotion of dialogue with third countries, and capacity-building projects.
EU Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox: it is a set of tools for systematizing the possible diplomatic actions available to the EU to prevent or respond to malicious actions, in order to maintain peace and stability in the cyberspace. These include the possibility of adopting restrictive measures against individuals or entities deemed responsible for malicious actions against one or more EU member States.
AT UN level
Since 2004 six Governmental Expert Groups (GEGs) and two Open-Ended Working Groups (OEWGs) have debated and sought consensus on various aspects of the use of information and communication technologies in the context of international security: norms of responsible State behaviour, the applicability of international law to cyberspace, confidence-building measures, potential threats, and capacity building (See the OEWG final report 2021-2025).
The new Global Mechanism on ICT developments in the context of international security and to promote responsible State behaviour in cyberspace has been active since March 2026.
At NATO level
Over the past decade, NATO has sought to adapt its defence capabilities to the evolving cyberspace and related threats. In 2016, it recognized cyberspace as an operational domain and adopted the “Cyber Defence Pledge,” a tool for convergence of the individual Allies’ efforts to improve resilience to cyber attacks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) is committed – within its remit – to implementing these efforts, participating in the development of the “Guide for responding to cyber activities below the threshold of armed attack,” and contributing to the inclusion of specific cyber components in crisis management exercises and other training activities with a view to achieving civil-military integration.
AT OSCE level
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has developed 16 Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) designed to address potential misperceptions among countries regarding the use of ICT by others, thus improving the quality of cooperation among participating States.
During Italy’s 2018 OSCE Presidency, Italy hosted a Cyber Security Conference, intended to serve as a platform for sharing and exchanging views on digital security in the region, and to promote cyber resilience, including through public-private partnerships. To this end, Italy adopted CBM14, contributing to the drafting of a report on the importance of public-private partnerships and funding its translation into Arabic to broaden the reach and dissemination of such an initiative in the broader Mediterranean region.