Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA)

Summary

ESIWA (Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia) is a project developed by the European Union, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Details

Aim

The ESIWA project supports EU efforts to promote international law, norms of responsible state behaviour and security standards in cyberspace, and strengthen cybersecurity cooperation.

Context

Cyber security is an integral part of our security and we depend more than ever on secure and reliable digital tools and connectivity. Malicious cyber activities targeting critical infrastructure are a major global risk and can have a significant impact such as on energy grids, hospital systems, transport and water systems. The trend towards ever more complex threats, such as highly sophisticated supply chain compromises, or even increased attack surface for malicious cyber activities, has created a need for more robust security frameworks. In order to address these and other challenges, the EU developed a new cybersecurity strategy in 2020. The sharing of cyber security best practice and experiences between the EU and partner countries in Asia is critical to enhance preparedness to prevent, mitigate and address these threats, thereby ensuring our societies reap the benefits that cyberspace bring to economic, social and political development.

Outcomes

The project is designed to:

• support deeper and more operational security dialogues with partner countries (India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore and Vietnam)
• promote greater convergence between the policies and practices of the EU and these partner countries in the field of security
• and contribute to increasing international awareness and acknowledgment of the EU as a security provider.

Activities

Activities, tailor-made according to partner countries’ interests, focus on:

• promoting cyber diplomacy policies and standards
• advancing implementation of responsible state behavior in cyberspace
• improving mutual understanding between countries on the application of international law on cyberspace
• encouraging the sharing of best practice and implementation experiences on confidence-building measures (CBM’s), to improve predictability and mutual understanding in State use of information and communication technologies
• fostering collaboration to respond to and mitigate cybersecurity risks
• raising awareness and understanding of the EU Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox
• strengthening abilities to counter malicious cyber activities, taking into account evolving cyber threat landscape

ESIWA works closely with EU cyber competent agencies and EU Member States. Cooperation activities with partner countries can take various forms: exchange of experience or expertise, field visits, training courses, tabletop exercises, etc. Activities can be bilateral, multilateral and regional.