Cyberculture agenda: “Social media used to prove MH17 was downed by Russian Buk missile

The yearly session of the UN General Assembly may be regarded as the pinnacle of the diplomatic calendar year. Within the space of a few days, global leaders are all offered the opportunity to address the General Assembly and, through global news channels, the world. Additionally, the General Assembly is often the sight of intensive bi-lateral and multi-lateral negotiations as delegations from various nations huddle into the corridors and back-rooms of the UN’s headquarters.

In recent years, the UN General Assembly is also accompanied by a flurry of digital activity. Leaders, MFAs, embassies and diplomats all storm their social media accounts in order to propagate their achievements and demonstrate their inclusion in high level policy making. But more importantly, leaders may use digital platforms in order to share their vision for the future and outline their foreign policy goals. As such, it is during the UN General Assembly that social media becomes an important tool for foreign policy narration.