The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore, in collaboration with ICT4Peace Foundation, held the inaugural ASEAN Cyber Norms Workshop in Singapore from 8 to 9 May 2017 under the auspices of Singapore’s ASEAN Cyber Capacity Programme.
This Workshop aimed at launching a regional conversation on the promotion of(1) norms of responsible behaviour by states and non-state actors in the cyberspace, and (2) the use of ICTs for peaceful purposes by providing an opportunity for participants from ASEAN countries to receive updates on and discuss significant recent developments in international cybersecurity norms discussions, including those at the UN Group of Governmental Experts (UN GGE) on Developments in the field of Information and Telecommunications in the context of International Security.
In addition to fourty senior-level participants from ASEAN Governments, thirteen Senior Diplomats from and Experts from Australia, China, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, United States, Finland and Estonia participated. These countries are also members of the ongoing UN GGE. ICT4Peace, which was invited by Singapore to collaborate in the organisation of this workshop, was represented by Dr. Eneken Tikk, Dr. Mika Kerttunen and Dr. Daniel Stauffacher.
Cyberspace underpins much of the critical information infrastructures that keep the global community running, and is a crucial enabler for improved living standards across the world. The maintenance of the stability and resilience of cyberspace and the promotion of responsible behaviour by state and non-state actors alike is an imperative matter deserving of the full measure of our attention. The UN GGE reports underlined since 2010 that the lack of capacity can make the citizen and critical infrastructure of a State vulnerable or make it an unwitting haven for malicious actors. International cooperation and assistance can play an essential role in enabling states to secure ICTs and ensure their peaceful use.
ICT4Peace has been conducting similar workshops since 2014 in cooperation with Regional Organisations such as Organisation of American States (OAS), ASEAN, African Union, OSCE and the Governments of Kenia, Netherlands and Singapore. In 2016 ICT4Peace organised a similar workshop in Vientiane, Laos for the CLMV Countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. See the ICT4Peace on Capacity Building here.
On 20 February 2017 ICT4Peace organised a workshop at the Palais des Nations in Geneva in support of the UN Group of Governmental Experts (UN GGE) on Developments in the field of Information and Telecommunications in the context of International Security: “Existing and Future Norms on International ICT Infrastructure and Data Integrity”.
More output by ICT4Peace Foundation on cyber-security can be read here.
Some earlier examples are mentioned below: