8 - 19 Nov, 2021
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC)
The International Telecommunication Union, through its Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), organizes a World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in the period between two Plenipotentiary Conferences to consider topics, projects and programmes relevant to telecommunication development.
WTDCs set the strategies and objectives for the development of telecommunication/ICT, providing future direction and guidance to the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D).
16 - 18 November, 2021
Online
Octopus Conference
The Octopus Conference, held every 12 to 18 months by the Council of Europe, constitutes one of the biggest and finest platforms of exchange in cybercrime gathering experts from 80 countries, international organisations, private sector and academia.
This year’s Octopus Conference will take place on 16-18 November providing an opportunity for cybercrime experts from public and private sectors as well as international and non-governmental organizations from all over the world to share experience.
- A special event with high level interventions will be organized on 16 November in cooperation with the Hungarian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Budapest Convention and the 2nd additional Protocol on enhanced cooperation and disclosure of electronic evidence.
- On 17 and 18 November, multiple workshops will punctuate the day, including regional workshops (for Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Africa), “lightning talks” with interventions by participants, and other thematic sessions (Capacity building, Ransomware, AI...). A closing Plenary session will take a look at Octopus take-aways.
16 November 2021
NICE Symposium: A Coordinated Approach to Supply Chain Risks
1:30 - 5:00 PM EST
The NICE Symposium: A Coordinated Approach to Supply Chain Risks is a half-day virtual symposium that serves as a precursor to the annual NICE Conference in June 2022.
In light of dramatic events and emerging threats, experts will come together on Tuesday, November 16 to discuss the role of the cybersecurity workforce and the need for a coordinated response to strengthen the supply chain.
Panel 1: Risk and Policy Considerations for Securing Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure
Panel 2: Enhancing Software and Technology Supply Chain Security
11 - 13 Nov, 2021
Paris, France
Paris Peace Forum
The Paris Peace Forum is held every year on 11-13 November in Paris with the aim to place global governance at the top of the international agenda. Stakeholders discuss global governance issues and cooperate on solutions through three spaces:
- Space for Solutions: Presenting solutions for incremental change. All organizations can present their global governance project to a wide variety of stakeholders to showcase results and advance the initiative.
- Space for Debates: Discussing solutions rather than problems. Stakeholders discuss projects, initiatives, and ideas to address the challenges of our world.
- Space for Innovations: Developing digital prototypes. Experts help create technological solutions for the world of tomorrow.
In 2021, the Paris Peace Forum will focus on spurring a more inclusive recovery and offering initiatives to better tend to global challenges and global commons.
Organisation
8 - 12 November 2021
Online, United Kingdom
EmPower Cyber Week
The EmPower Cyber Week will take place from 8th - 12th November 2021. It will give 12 - 13 year olds an exciting opportunity to learn about cyber security. Each day will feature a different cyber-related theme, delivered through on-demand videos and live sessions - all available for free.
The five-day programme includes:
Day 1 - Cyber Security
Day 2 - Networks
Day 3 - Logic & Coding
Day 4 - Cryptography
Day 5 - Speciality Day
9 - 11 Nov, 2021
The Hague, Netherlands (the)
2021 Conference on Cyber Norms | Governing through crisis. Conflict, crises and the politics of cyberspace.
The Covid-19 pandemic has both stopped the world in its tracks as well as accelerated its pace digitally. As the world moved its daily life and work online to deal with the crisis, it also opened itself up to new cyber crises. The vulnerable health care sector was exposed to criminal and state attacks, vaccine manufacturers became subject to IP theft and espionage, and disinformation about Covid-19 muddied the national and international debate about the nature of the crisis and how to deal with it. The new digital ‘normal’ kept the world running, but also vastly increased the attack surface for malicious cyber actors. While some were trying to govern themselves through the crisis, others were using the crisis as a governance mechanism. ‘Never waste a good crisis’, comes in benign and in malicious shapes.
In cyberspace, crisis comes in many shapes and forms. Mis- and disinformation has created a crisis of trust in information and authority in many societies. For some states this is a governance problem, while for others it is an instrument of governance. New cyber operations keep shifting the goal posts on what is and is not acceptable behavior in cyberspace. Recent operations such as SolarWinds and the Microsoft Exchange hacks put pressure on the demarcation between cyber espionage and (military) cyber operations. Conceptual clarity is still very much subject to debate, with some analytical categories facing a crisis of their own. The field of UN cyber diplomacy has been governing itself through the crisis of the failure to reach consensus in the 2017 UN GGE by multiplying its processes. There is now an ongoing UN GGE, an OEWG process that reached consensus, a new OEWG round 2021-2025, a committee of experts to review the possibility of a UN cybercrime treaty and a proposal for a cyber Programme of Action (PoA) that is gaining support. All against a background of mounting geopolitical tensions and increased state cyber activity.
The relation between crisis and governance is inherently double faced. Crisis management is about preparedness, capacity and capacity building, resilience and more generally combining accurate threat and risk assessment with strategy, policy and resources. But crisis is also a method of governance: escalation can be a conscious political strategic choice, disinformation a policy tool and political and diplomatic fragmentation can be a positive outcome depending on where you stand and what your interests are. Crisis can fragment and can unite, can be a centrifugal or a centripetal force.
In 2021, we want to place the conversation about cyber norms in the perspective of crises. How well equipped are the governance mechanisms and diplomatic processes that have been put into place to deal with crisis? What are the effects of a global crisis like Covid-19 on state behaviour(s), diplomatic behaviour and international cooperation in cyberspace? What strategies do states – and other actors – develop to deal with crises? How do states use crisis, or the opportunities shaped by crises, to further their own interests? Why do some states escalate and other de-escalate?
The conference will take place in the Hague from 9 - 11 November 2021.
10 November 2021
Online
Cyberdiplomacy: Critical challenges in cybersecurity and digital sovereignty
Time: 17:00 - 18:00 CET
Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) is delighted to welcome Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair of Microsoft to deliver a lecture on Critical challenges in cybersecurity and digital sovereignty. The lecture will be followed by an interactive exchange with the audience.
New technologies have given raise to conundrums that neither governments, civil society, nor industry can tackle on their own. Moreover, given the interconnected nature of our online environments, we can no longer hide from them behind our national borders. In his lecture, Mr. Smith will highlight some of the most pressing concerns we need to tackle today as a society, as well as preview how we might evolve our current models of cooperation to solve them.
More information will be provided in the coming days, including a dail-in link, which will be shared with you upon registration.
Themes & Topics
10 November 2021
Online
Strengthening inclusive cybercrime policymaking: Europe regional consultation
12:00-3:30 PM (UTC)
Join Chatham House and the EU Cyber Direct project for this virtual regional consultation, intended for civil society, the private sector and other non-state stakeholders from the wider European region to share their perspectives on developing a new international convention on cybercrime, pursuant to United Nations General Assembly resolution 74/247.
As the United Nations prepares to negotiate a new convention on cybercrime starting in January 2022, it is vital that non-state stakeholders (such as civil society, the private sector, academia, and the technical community) have the opportunity to meaningfully share their opinions and concerns.
To this end, Chatham House’s International Security Programme is facilitating a series of virtual regional consultations to engage with non-state stakeholders from different regions during the negotiations on cybercrime, providing a platform for sharing knowledge, information and positions on different issues.
Participants include:
- Joyce Hakmeh, Senior Research Fellow, International Security Programme; Co-Editor, Journal of Cyber Policy.
- Patryk Pawlak, Brussels Executive Officer, European Institute for Security Studies.
Themes & Topics
Organisation
9 November 2021
GFCE – OAS Donors & Implementers Forum
The GFCE - OAS Donors & Implementers Forum will take place virtually on 9 November at 15:00 - 18:00 UTC
This is the first event being held under this framework and the purpose of the meeting is to bring together as many of the donors and implementers involved in cybersecurity capacity building in the Latin and American and Caribbean Region to discuss coordination efforts in the region and find areas of intersections for collaboration and cooperation among regional cyber-capacity and development actors.
Organisation
3 Nov, 2021
Online
Responsible state behaviour in cyberspace at the United Nations: How can the multistakeholder community ensure that existing agreements become a reality?
3 November 2021 at 11:00 EDT /15:00 UTC / 17:00 CEST
In an effort to build on the December 2020 and February 2021 Let’s Talk Cyber multistakeholder discussions and to mark the launch of their new multistakeholder engagement website, currently under construction, the LetsTalkCyber Initative, is organizing a virtual session titled: “Responsible state behaviour in cyberspace at the United Nations: How can the multistakeholder community ensure that existing agreements become a reality?“
In the first half of 2021, two United Nations (UN) processes successfully concluded with the adoption of two consensus reports by the GGE 2019/2021 and the OEWG 2019/2021, re-affirming the framework for responsible behaviour of states in cyberspace. But where do we go from here? How can we ensure these agreements are respected and implemented, and how can the multistakeholder community play an active role?
