This article is written by Melodena Stephens, professor of innovation at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) in Dubai

  • The problem: Too many governments overlook the importance of soft power
  • Why it matters: Friendly relations can vastly improve a nation’s standing globally
  • The solution: Harnessing private sector initiatives can help countries

The soft power of a nation is tied to the private sector, as seen with vaccine manufacturing and the control of intellectual property. Countries resisting support for a waiver on patents relating to COVID are Australia, the EU, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

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This topic raises the question of the private sector versus public sector contribution to public value. Currently, the private sector’s investments in vaccines have been offset by government grants and pre-purchase agreements. A pre-contract does not mean funds are paid, as seen with the issue of non-payment of vaccines by Israel. The EU’s reaction to AstraZeneca, by threatening to control its supply chain, is an example of government influence on the private sector. It hence impacts country perception (see the note from the European Council President).

Soft Power and Data

Data to manage the pandemic is one critical area for soft power. There are three aspects to think about: (1) data privacy, (2) data transparency, and (3) data influence.

The privacy of medical data will be an area of future concern. This data can be collected and shared based on traveling across borders (as in examples of shared clinical trial data, covid vaccine passports, or tracing apps). Those countries with stronger images in terms of data security and protection of an individual’s privacy may win in the future. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, in 2021, corporations had higher trust than governments.

Data transparency has become a critical issue in the management of the pandemic. Those countries with poor transparency of data on COVID cases and deaths, have lost some power in terms of reputation. This extends to vaccine trial data transparency. Hence, besides geopolitical tension, there was a certain reluctance to adopt some vaccines from Russia and China in some countries.

As early as May 2020, it was thought that Chinese vaccines would become a “global public good.” By February 2021, only 13 countries received China’s Sinopharm vaccine, including Pakistan, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Since then, China is focusing on Latin America and Africa, filling in the gaps due to the poor coordination between the other countries managing approved vaccine supply chains. The Sinopharm vaccine was only approved by WHO in May 2021.

Harnessing data influence

Data influence is seen via the power of social media and mainstream media. The challenge in India is a shortage of raw materials, which can be traced to bans on exports in the USA as early as March 2021. When the situation became dire in India, Indians took to social media to get help. There was significant pressure for the USA to reverse its America first stance and begin emergency aid and raw material supplies to India.

The pandemic is global, which means we are only as strong as the weakest country.

The CEO of the Serum Institute of India tweeted to President Biden on 16th April, asking to lift the embargo on raw materials. On 23rd April, India’s external affairs minister tweeted, “The world must support India, as India helps the world.” The USA changed its stance in three days, from not sending supplies to announcing a lift on the ban of raw materials and vaccines on the 26th April. Indians make up the second-largest group of Asian Americans in the USA. Soft Power needs to manage data being amplified or distorted by media (fake news), especially in a crisis.

Soft power is more important now than ever. It will impact citizens' perceptions of their own countries and future country partners. If we are to heal and solve this pandemic, governments need to work together. To return to some semblance of a pre-covid world, the way we focus on citizens and the “others” (non-citizens or minorities) may determine which countries will have the power of influence. In covid diplomacy, during a pandemic, the challenge is managing the two ends of the spectrum – citizens (local focus) versus global citizenship.

Collective action towards a collective goal

The pandemic is global, which means we are only as strong as the weakest country. Of course, some countries may have the luxury of smaller populations and the ability to shut borders to mitigate the global fallout.

But this situation is not the case in most countries where there are larger populations, low self-sufficiency (because of intricately entwined global supply chains), where economic and health benefits are not equally accessible to a majority of the people, and places that have areas that are hard to reach (geographically and mentally).

In a period where talent is mobile, where healthcare is a necessity but treated as a luxury, when relationships cannot only be satisfied online – this fallout from incorrect management of soft power via covid diplomacy will unfold in the coming years. — Melodena Stephens

This is part two of a series on Covid-19 and soft power. Read part one.

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