5 Jun, 2023
San José, Costa Rica
GFCE Regional Meeting for the Americas and the Caribbean 2023
The meeting will take place in person only and that you need to also register for the RightsCon 2023.
The objective of this year’s Regional Meeting in the Americas is to discuss the role of the GFCE in Latin America and the Caribbean and how to best coordinate capacity building efforts in the region. It will also give the opportunity to participants from the region to connect and engage in conversations about existing gaps in cyber capacity building, share good practices, and prioritize their needs for the future. Specific attention will be given to gender aspects and cyber workforce development in the region.
The meeting will serve as a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas and collaborate, and as an opportunity to introduce the progress of the GFCE regional Hub and highlight the GFCE's possibilities for involvement to key actors active in the region.
Themes & Topics
1 Jun, 2023
Hybrid (Geneva and Online)
Drawing Parallels: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on the Cyber PoA Scope, Structure and Content
Drawing Parallels: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on the Cyber PoA Scope, Structure and Content The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is a one-day hybrid event dedicated to the multi-stakeholder community to gather their views on the scope, structure and content of the “Programme of Action to advance responsible State behaviour in the use of information and communications technologies in the context of international security” – (Cyber PoA).
The day will be divided in two sessions, providing an opportunity to discuss lessons from other comparable processes, the possible role of different stakeholders in the Cyber PoA as well as more practical inputs on key elements of the Cyber PoA based on the guiding questions provided by UNIDIR.
This event will complement the process mandated by UN General Assembly resolution A/C.1/77/L.73 on the Programme of Action for the UN Secretary General, to seek the views of Member States on the scope, structure and content for the programme of action; and for the Office for Disarmament Affairs to collaborate with relevant regional organizations whose members are also Member States of the United Nations to convene a series of consultations to share views on the Cyber PoA. A summary report of the event including a compendium of all written contributions from stakeholders will be prepared and released in time to support discussions of the First Committee during the 78th session of the General Assembly.
AGENDA
- 10:00-12:00 Session 1: Introduction Panel 1: Review of existing POAs – Lessons Learned and Best Practices //// Panel 2: Roles of Multi-stakeholders in the Cyber PoA – Civil society, Academia, Industry and NGOs
- 12:00-13:00 Lunch break
- 13:00-14:30 Session 2: Plenary discussion Scope of Cyber PoA Structure of Cyber PoA Content of Cyber PoA
- 14:30-15:00 Coffee break
- 15:00-16:00 Wrap-up and closing
Hybrid format: In-person (Geneva, Switzerland) and online.
UN Headquarters in New York, Conference Room 7, United States
Facilitating Confidence- and Capacity-Building in the Digital Age: UNIDIR Cyber Policy Portal and Other Digital Tools
Taking place alongside the United Nations (UN) Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs), this interactive event showcased four UNIDIR Digital Tools. These tools promote transparency on the development of national capacities to address technology-related challenges. UNIDIR’s digital tools promote international stability by facilitating confidence- and capacity-building in the sphere of technology and international security.
Participants discussed the UNIDIR Cyber Policy Portal, its utility as a confidence-building tool, and its underlying data-collection methodology. Launched in January 2019, the UNIDIR Cyber Policy Portal is an interactive map of the global cyber-policy landscape. It provides profiles of the cyber policies, legislation and relevant national organizational structures for all 193 UN Member States, as well as for various intergovernmental organizations and multilateral frameworks. This confidence-building tool seeks to promote trust, transparency and cooperation in cyberspace.
Geneva, Switzerland
UNIDIR Cyber Breakfast: Lessons from the Fourth Substantive Session of the OEWG on ICTs
Following the successful fourth substantive session of the Open-Ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021–2025, UNIDIR's Security and Technology Programme will organize a breakfast debrief session open to all Member States as well as industry, academia, civil society and think tanks to discuss key findings, insights and outcomes of the session.
This session is aimed at unpacking substantive inputs by States and multi-stakeholder community to facilitate dialogue and establish practical and action-orientated projects in Geneva during the intersessional period.
14 Apr, 2023
Online, Zoom
Gender, Peace and Cybersecurity in the Americas: Towards a Regional Agenda
Sign up at: https://oas-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W1otgQjWQ_GmezRCHlA-aw
Gender, Peace and Cybersecurity in the Americas: Towards a Regional Agenda Building on the findings of UNIDIR’s recent publications on the topic, the webinar seeks to promote an interactive dialogue on gender perspectives in regional and international cybersecurity. It will also encourage a collective analysis of the relevance of these perspectives and their transformative potential in the Americas and the Caribbean region.
Potential questions for discussion include:
- Why do we need intersectional and gendered approaches to cybersecurity?
- What practical steps could be taken to integrate these perspectives into cybersecurity in the Americas?
- What are international organizations, OAS member states, academia and civil society doing to promote greater gender equality in international cybersecurity?
- What joint actions or strategies could be undertaken to integrate gender and diversity issues into international cybersecurity forums and discussions?
- To what extent are the cybersecurity and Women, Peace and Security agendas being linked at the national and regional levels?
* The event will be moderated by Kerry Ann-Barrett, Program Manager of the OAS/CICTE Cybersecurity Program
Language: Simultaneous translation in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
3 Mar, 2023
New York and Online, United States
The 2023 Cyber Stability Conference (CS23)
Nearly a decade ago, States agreed that international law is applicable and essential for a secure, stable, peaceful information and communications technology (ICT) environment. The remaining question is how international law applies to the use of ICTs by States.
To facilitate focused future deliberations and therefore meaningfully contribute to the advancement of multilateral negotiations, CS23 will focus on the first source of international law that States agreed on as being applicable in cyberspace – the Charter of the United Nations (UN). Specifically, CS23 will investigate the rights and obligations of the UN Charter applicable to cyberspace, including legal principles and thresholds related to the topics such as the use of armed force; armed attack and self-defence; role and powers of the UN Security Council; and peaceful settlement of disputes.
In addition to providing a platform for the exchange of views among national experts, CS23 will also feature introductory briefings from reputable scholars, adding clarity on key concepts and supporting meaningful participation of all States in the relevant multilateral discussions.
18 Jan, 2023
Online
Cyberspace Governance at the United Nations
With a dual focus on cyber capacity building and international law, this event considers how these two elements interact and intersect, how discussions on them could progress in the UN space and outside it and how the two contribute to a safer and more secure cyberspace for all.
The event will explore how member states can achieve lasting, adaptable, and meaningful success in cyberspace governance at the United Nations whilst overcoming challenges for operationalization efforts, including differences in national capacities and capabilities, and divergences in national perspectives regarding the application of international law to cyberspace.
Themes & Topics
Organisation
26 Jan, 2023
Brussels, Belgium
ENISA Cybersecurity Policy Conference
The first ENISA Cybersecurity Policy Conference will bring together policymakers, industry representatives and key stakeholders to discuss implementation of cybersecurity policy and challenges ahead. The conference is organised in collaboration with the European Commission (DG CNECT).
The conference will address the following topics:
Development and implementation challenges of EU cybersecurity policy:
- Key cybersecurity policy files: NIS2 Directive and Cyber-resilience Act
- Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure programmes
- Sectorial policy files and cybersecurity implications
- Foresight dimension of cybersecurity policy
4 - 5 April 2023
Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Dialogue
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Sydney Dialogue is the premier policy summit for critical, emerging, cyber and space technologies. First held in 2021, the Dialogue recognises that technology is reshaping societies and economies in every part of the world, and nowhere is that more acute than in the Indo-Pacific region. It is being developed and applied so quickly, within an increasingly intense geopolitical landscape, that neither laws nor international consensus on rules and norms are keeping up.
The 2023 Dialogue will be held in-person and will be invitation-only. It will feature leading decision-makers and experts who are willing to break new ground in discussing technologies that will shape the future. The Dialogue will stimulate frank conversations about the roles for governments, industry and society in shifting away from the business-as-usual international mindset on technology.
On the agenda is cyber and digital governance, space and the geopolitical implications of expanding human activity off-earth, technology game-changers, technologies that shape war, technological competition and strategic advantage, and the role of technology and innovation in advancing human rights, climate action and human security.
Themes & Topics
10 Jan, 2023
Vienna, Austria
Gender mainstreaming the proposed cybercrime convention: Commentary on the consolidated draft
Since the first session of the Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes (AHC), member states have made notable progress on incorporating gender and gender equality. Member states have moved from several general initial commitments to women’s participation in treaty negotiations to some states providing more nuanced considerations of gendered dimensions of cybercrime and the importance of gender mainstreaming.
However, while some member states have made considerable progress on advocating for gender considerations in the convention, more remains to be done, especially with regards to: ensuring gender equality pertains to the entire convention; recognizing the rights of people of diverse gender identities, expressions and sexualities; and recognizing the essentiality of the right to privacy to gender and sexual equality.
Held under the fourth negotiation of the AHC, this meeting will bring together policymakers and civil society to discuss the gendered impacts (implicit and explicit) of the current negotiating document.
Themes & Topics
Organisation
25 - 26 April 2023
Brussels, Belgium
European Cyber Agora
The European Cyber Agora is a multi-stakeholder platform bridging the gap between government, civil society and industry across Europe to shape the European cybersecurity policy agenda and identify European perspectives on global cybersecurity policy debates. It promotes collaboration across sectors including diverse voices and contributes to evidence-based cybersecurity policymaking through research-based and outcome-oriented engagement.
The agenda will feature high-level panel debates and armchair discussions with representatives of the EU institutions, national governments, cybersecurity agencies, civil society, academia and industry, as well as expert-led workshops organized by the European Cyber Agora community.
Key themes will range from EU cybersecurity policy, cyber threat intelligence sharing, cyber mercenaries and the interlinkage of geopolitics and technology.
22 Nov, 2022
Hybrid, Italy
Cyber Peace: Cooperating for the Stability and Security of the Cyber domain
In an era of technological interdependence, international cooperation is taking new and multifaceted forms to ensure sustainable transnational governance of the cyber domain. Cyber Diplomacy is emerging as a new diplomatic practice, involving non-traditional sets of actors called to negotiate international agreements, but also technical protocols and forms of governance accountability.
The event, organised as part of the Global PeaceTech Conference 2022, addresses the challenges and opportunities of Cyber Diplomacy as a new diplomatic practice and explores the challenges and opportunities of this shift for the peace and stability of the transnational digital domain.
Organisation
12 Dec, 2022
Geneva, Switzerland
Advancing Cyber Stability: Developments and Challenges
The discussion “Advancing Cyber Stability: Developments and Challenges” will address questions on how to accelerate the implementation of norms and raise awareness on the principles of international law central to responsible State behavior in cyberspace. What are the key requirements in achieving cyber resilience and how to fill the gaps in cyber capacity-building efforts? How could the proposed PoA assist in achieving more stability and resilience globally?
Themes & Topics
12-13 December, 2022
Brussels, Belgium
Study Visit of ECOWAS Member State officials
The ECOWAS Commission and Germany, with the support of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) and the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EU ISS), will be organizing a Study visit from 12 – 13 December 2022 to Brussels, Belgium. This visit is part of the jointly developed Action Plan for Advancing Cyber Security and intends to explore how cross-regional exchange with the European Union as well as regional cooperation within the ECOWAS community can strengthen cyber diplomatic capacities, cyber resilience of critical infrastructure, protection of vulnerable communities and sovereignty of data.
During the Study visit, the nominated ECOWAS member state representatives will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with main cyber policy structures and developments in the European Union, identify lessons and good practices for the ECOWAS Member States, and explore opportunities for closer cooperation between ECOWAS and the European Union. Further, the Joint Action Plan on Advancing Cyber Security with ECOWAS launched under Germany’s G7 Presidency, developed during inclusive workshops in Accra, Ghana and Bonn, Germany earlier this year, will officially be presented during the visit.
14-17 November, 2022
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (the)
CyberWeek @LAC4 2022
The Latin America and Caribbean Cyber Competence Centre LAC4, implemented by EU CyberNet, organises a week full of different discussions, training, workshops, and networking on the most important topics that will take place in cooperation with many countries and organizations.
