Supporting the Implementation of the UN Norms of Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace in the ASEAN Region

Summary

In September the ASEAN Ministers responsible for cyber security reached a landmark agreement. They agreed to subscribe in principle to the norms recommended in the 2015 Report of the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (UNGGE), and to focus on regional capacity-building in implementing these norms.

Inspired by previous work on cyber confidence building measures with the ASEAN community, the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has designed a program to support the ASEAN region towards further adoption and meaningful implementation of the UNGGE 2015 report’s recommendation.

The objectives of the training and capacity-building program are to:

• Build an understanding of the UNGGE process, focusing on international norms, CBMs and the application of international law;
• Enable skills of key individuals and agencies in government, and in the Track 2 strategic policy community;
• Encourage the ASEAN community to be confident in regional and global forums.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are supporting this initiative.

By means of a ‘train and assist’ approach, ASPI will be developing tailor-made activities which seek to enable each ASEAN member state and the ASEAN community as a whole to play a constructive role in global debates, to ensure ASEAN interests are well articulated and to demonstrate ASEAN’s commitment to a rules-based cyberspace as enabler of economic progress and betterment of living standards.

Project activities include a series a national training sessions and regional workshops, the development and publication of training and awareness-raising materials, as well as the compilation of national implementation reports for states in the ASEAN region.