Amb. (ret.) Paul Meyer participated on behalf of ICT4Peace in the ODA/EUISS consultations of 16 June 2023 on the Program of Action (PoA) on Cybersecurity in the context of the UN OEWG.
He’s statement reads as follows:
The Programme of Action (PoA) represents one effort to produce an institutional result from the deliberations of the OEWG. Its self-proclaimed features as a “permanent, inclusive, action-oriented mechanism” require some elaboration and clarification if it is to emerge as a proposal capable of garnering consensus approval.
From the perspective of ICT4Peace this would require action in the following five areas:
1. Clarification as to what the institutional manifestation of “permanent mechanism” is to be. This should specify a forum under UN auspices that would serve as the on-going focal point for discussion of cyber security matters. This forum could be a new standing committee of the UN General Assembly akin to the Committee on Information.
2. The establishment of such a forum should be supported by a dedicated secretariat, perhaps via an Office of Cyber Affairs similar to the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs.
3. The work of the forum should focus on the implementation of the existing framework of norms of responsible state behaviour. In this connection, the forum could conduct periodic reviews of the implementation by states of their cybersecurity commitments under the framework including examination of reports submitted by states on their implementation record.
4. While the existing framework from 2015 should remain the basic agreement enshrined in the PoA, the forum could be responsible for further development of the framework.
5. Establish modalities for input by civil society and private sector stakeholders in the work of the forum. These modalities should ensure the right to attend and address the forum.
Elaborating this blueprint for the operationalization of the PoA concept should be the chief task of its supporters in future consultations within and without the OEWG process.
I thank you for your attention.
Paul Meyer
ICT4Peace Executive Director Anne-Marie Buzatu on 14 June 2023 participated in the OSCE regional consultations on the proposed UN Program of Action for Cybersecurity.https://www.osce.org/secretariat/546097
ICT4Peace has been supporting the creation of a PoA from the beginning. See our paper by Amb. (ret) Paul Meyer, Senior Advisor, ICT4Peace:
UN OEWG – Walking the Talk: For a new UN Program of Action (PoA) for Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace https://lnkd.in/e73Wx2ua
And also see the report by Allison Pytlak Pytlak: “Advancing a Global cyber Programme of Action, Options and Priorities.” https://lnkd.in/e9-8T_NG