This article discusses the first hurdle for consular diplomacy in the digital age: the communicative challenge. Providing information and assistance to nationals abroad is a major challenge, and governments are well advised to go about this activity in a more citizen‐centric fashion. It is therefore important for ministries of foreign affairs (MFAs) and their consular divisions to acquire a deeper understanding of their nationals' communicative behaviour. Creativity from a new generation of tech‐savvy diplomats is going a long way in applying digital tools to consular challenges, but greater control across communication channels, and therefore management capacity, is required. Getting through to citizens in a fragmented communication environment in the 2020s implies the strategic coordination of various forms of offline and online communication. Framing consular services in market terms and identifying citizens as customers would, however, go against the MFAs' own interests. Governments would do well to view consular assistance as part of their growing diplomatic engagement with domestic society. Analysis of consular policy and practice also suggests that there are good reasons for MFAs to articulate existing links between consular assistance and wider foreign and security policy, rather than seeing ‘consular’ as a self‐contained activity.

中文翻译：

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领事外交的第一个挑战：向海外国民传达援助

本文讨论了数字时代领事外交的第一个障碍：交流挑战。向海外国民提供信息和帮助是一项重大挑战，因此建议政府以更加以公民为中心的方式开展这项活动。因此，重要的是外交部及其领事司对他们本国人的交往行为有更深入的了解。新一代精通技术的外交官的创造力在将数字工具应用于领事挑战方面走了很长的路要走，但是需要对沟通渠道进行更大的控制，因此需要管理能力。在2020年代零散的交流环境中接触公民意味着对各种形式的离线和在线交流进行战略协调。但是，以市场术语来设计领事服务并将公民识别为客户会违背MFA自身的利益。各国政府最好将领事援助视为其与国内社会日益外交接触的一部分。对领事政策和做法的分析还表明，外交部有充分的理由阐明领事援助与更广泛的外交和安全政策之间的现有联系，而不是将“领事”视为独立的活动。各国政府最好将领事援助视为其与国内社会日益外交接触的一部分。对领事政策和做法的分析还表明，外交部有充分的理由阐明领事援助与更广泛的外交和安全政策之间的现有联系，而不是将“领事”视为独立的活动。各国政府最好将领事援助视为其与国内社会日益外交接触的一部分。对领事政策和做法的分析还表明，外交部有充分的理由阐明领事援助与更广泛的外交和安全政策之间的现有联系，而不是将“领事”视为独立的活动。