Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia

The Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (in Catalan language Consell de Diplomàcia Pública de Catalunya; acronym: DIPLOCAT) – previously known as the Patronat Catalunya Món – is a public-private consortium set up by the Catalan government, the Generalitat.[1][2] It is devoted to promoting international awareness of Catalonia within the international community[3] through public diplomacy tools. Albert Royo i Mariné was the secretary general of the Diplomacy Council from 14 February 2013[4][5] to October 27, 2017[6] when the government of Spain decided to close the consortium in application of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution. Its creation has been controversial, since the constitution reserves external action to the government of Spain exclusively.[7] With the arrival of the new government of the Generalitat, the President Quim Torra convened the first meeting of its board of trustees since the beginning of the process of liquidation. With this announcement, the liquidation of the consortium was terminated and the process of reactivation started.[8] In December 2018 its board of trustees appointed Ms. Laura Foraster as the new secretary general of Diplocat.[9]

Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (DIPLOCAT)
Consell de Diplomàcia Pública de Catalunya
PredecessorPatronat Catalunya Món
FormationNovember 20, 2012 (2012-11-20)
FounderGeneralitat de Catalunya
Legal statusActive
PurposeIncrease awareness on Catalonia
HeadquartersLa Rambla
Location

Activities
Public Diplomacy Meeting in Barcelona

From 2013 to 2017 DIPLOCAT organized academic events to discuss both internationally relevant topics within Catalonia with international guests and the Catalan independence process in universities around the world. Examples of these events include debates in Lisbon, Utrecht, Oslo, Cambridge, Princeton, Sciences Po Paris, Stockholm and Tokyo.[10][11][12]

Diplocat also organized public events in Catalonia itself. In that sense, Diplocat invited Jeremy Rifkin to talk about the possibilities for Catalonia to implement the third industrial revolution,[13] and also organized an international forum in Barcelona about reception and integration of refugees in the European Union.[14]

It also published articles in international press to explain the political situation in Catalonia;[15] awards grants;[16] organized an executive master's degree in diplomacy and foreign affairs;[17] organized meetings with foreign members of parliaments to promote debate on the question of the "right to decide";[18] invited well-known figures from different fields of work or studies to visit Catalonia;[19] participated in electoral observation missions;[20] aided civil society organizations carrying out activities abroad; prepares informative documents explaining key aspects of everything related to Catalonia; and carried out digital diplomacy with activity on social networks - especially Twitter.[21][22][23][24]

They also carried out activities in the field of cultural diplomacy, such as the #BooksAndRoses campaign, which promotes giving roses and books in and around April 23, when Sant Jordi is celebrated in Catalonia,[25] or supporting documentaries such as the one about the 40 years of Dutch soccer player Johann Cruyff in Catalonia.[26]

DIPLOCAT also gave the annual Catalan Business Diplomacy Award, aimed at recognizing those companies which identify themselves or their products and services as Catalan. The award was first created in 2013 by DIPLOCAT working together with PIMEC.[27] It has been won by Aranow (2013), Scytl (2014), Moritz (2015), Ultramàgic (2016) and Beabloo (2017).[28] With Diplocat reactivated the award was restored and the company Munich was awarded in 2019.[29]

One of the first activities held by Diplocat once reactivated was a seminar on public diplomacy in Barcelona in which professor Nicholas Cull gave the key speech. In that conference the new secretary general Ms. Laura Foraster said that Diplocat's goals are to export "the image, assets and values of Catalonia abroad".[30]

Impact in international journalism

The presence of DIPLOCAT has been acknowledged to improve the positive perceptions on Catalonia of the international journalists who had previously established contact with the consortium. Moreover, there is a correlation between the professional needs of correspondents (information sources and materials) and the Public Diplomacy activities being provided by DIPLOCAT.[31]

Composition

The following public bodies constitute the Public Diplomacy Council:[32]

Public institutions
Financial, economic and business bodies
  • Federation of Catalan savings banks (Federació Catalana de Caixes d'Estalvis)
  • General Board of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Catalonia
  • Association of small and medium-sized businesses (PIMEC)
  • Employers' association (Foment del Treball Nacional)
  • Multi-sector business association
  • Foundation of private businesses (FemCAT)
  • Confederation of Catalan cooperatives
  • Comisiones Obreras de Catalunya (trade union)
  • Unión General de Trabajadores de Catalunya (trade union)
Social and sport bodies
  • Federation of Catalan third sector social bodies (Taula d'Entitats del Tercer Sector Social de Catalunya)
  • FB Barcelona
Universities, business schools and academic centres
  • Universities of Catalunya
  • EADA Business School
  • Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (BGSE)
  • Barcelona Institute of International Studies (Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals IBEI)

References
  1. "Patronat Catalunya-Món". Enciclopèdia Catalana. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  2. Colomer, M.; Mateos, R. (20 November 2012). "El Govern crea un Consell de Diplomàcia pública per divulgar i promoure la causa catalana al món". Ara (in Catalan). Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  3. "La diplomàcia catalana inicia a París una gira per explicar la consulta". Eldiario.es (in Catalan). 2 June 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  4. "Albert Royo és nomenat secretari general de DIPLOCAT, l'organisme de referència en la diplomàcia pública del país". Sala de premsa (in Catalan). Barcelona: Generalitat de Catalunya. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  5. "Katalanskt avgörande närmar sig – Arbetet".
  6. Ferreres (2017-10-31). "L'Estat cessa Albert Royo, secretari general del Diplocat". Ara.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  7. "El Gobierno cierra las 'embajadas' de Cataluña en el exterior". El Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-11-01.
  8. ccma.cat (2018-07-26) "El Diplocat torna a estar en marxa i volen reincorporar el personal acomiadat"
  9. Bathgate, Rachel. "Diplocat gets a new secretary general". www.catalannews.com. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  10. "European politicians agree in Utrecht on the right of Catalonia to hold an independence referendum". Vilaweb. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  11. "Self-determination processes in the EU: The case of Catalonia". UiO - Centre for Development and the Environment. University of Oslo. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  12. "The 25th ORIS Seminar "Self-Determination Processes within the EU:The Catalan Case" (July 20)".
  13. Pous, Laura. "Catalonia has the potential to lead the Third Industrial Revolution, says American economist Rifkin". www.catalannews.com. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  14. País, El (3 May 2016). "Colau acusa el Govern espanyol d'impedir que Barcelona sigui ciutat refugi". EL PAÍS (in Catalan).
  15. Moffett, Matt (17 January 2016). "In Far-Flung Corners of the World, Catalan Secessionists Push for Support for Independence From Spain". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  16. "Ajuts per realitzar estudis internacionals | Sol·litica la teva beca d'estudis abans del 27 de juny de 2013". www.barcelonesjove.net (in Catalan). 17 June 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  17. "Romeva inaugura la cuarta edición del Máster Ejecutivo en Diplomacia y Acción Exterior". Lainformacion.com (in Spanish). 10 February 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  18. "La Generalitat vende la independencia de Cataluña en Uruguay". ABC (in Spanish). 9 May 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  19. "Deputados de parlamentos europeus vão acompanhar eleições na Catalunha". Expresso (in Portuguese). 26 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  20. Coll, Gaspar Pericay. "Catalan News Agency - Catalan diplomacy participates in election observation mission in Costa Rica". Catalan News Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  21. Clavell, Roser. "Experts Answer: Women in Public Diplomacy-Full Length Response". USC Center on Public Diplomacy. University of Southern California. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  22. "Catalan Public Diplomacy Council promotes the projection of civil society organisations abroad". Catalan News Agency. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  23. Coll, Gaspar Pericay (18 September 2014). "Catalan News Agency - The Internet has strengthened the Catalan independence movement". Catalan News Agency. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  24. Meyer, David (25 February 2016). "Who needs Twitter?". Alphr. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  25. Pous, Laura. "Catalonia celebrates St Jordi's Day with books, roses and signatures for the referendum". www.catalannews.com. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  26. EC, Redacción (2014-11-03). "Cruyff, 40 años en Cataluña: el documental de una estrella". El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  27. Bou, M (26 April 2013). "NacióDigital: Les pimes que portin Catalunya al món tindran premi". Nació Digital (in Catalan). Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  28. "Els Premiats del 30è aniversari dels Premis Pimes – 30è Edició Premis Pimes 2017". 30è Edició Premis Pimes 2017 (in Catalan). Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  29. "Pimec premia a las mejores iniciativas empresariales de las pymes catalanas". La Vanguardia. 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  30. White, Cristina Tomàs. "Public Diplomacy Council holds first event after forced closure". www.catalannews.com. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  31. Torras-Vila, Joan; Fernández-Cavia, José (2017-09-06). "DIPLOCAT's public diplomacy role and the perceptions towards Catalonia among international correspondents". Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. 14 (3): 213–222. doi:10.1057/s41254-017-0073-7. hdl:10230/32840. ISSN 1751-8040.
  32. "Estatuts del Patronat Catalunya Món - Consell de Diplomàcia Pública de Catalunya (PCM - DIPLOCAT) | Patronat Catalunya Món - Consell de Diplomàcia Pública de Catalunya (DIPLOCAT) | Normativa local". Cercador d'Informació i Documentació Oficials (CIDO) - Diputació de Barcelona (in Catalan). Retrieved 2019-03-05.

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