Issue Brief on “The First Ever UN Security Council High Level Open Debate on Cyber Security: An Assessment “

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“Digital technologies are increasingly straining existing legal, humanitarian and ethical norms, non-proliferation, international stability, and peace and security… These dynamics can encourage States to adopt offensive postures for the hostile use of these technologies. It can also enable non-state armed and criminal groups and individuals seeking to develop or access potentially destabilising capabilities with a high degree of impunity.”[1] This was said by Ms Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate on Cyber Security: Maintaining international peace and security in cyberspace.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Ms Kaja Kallas presided over the meeting. The US, UK, Russia, China, France, Ireland, Kenya, India, Mexico, Niger, Norway, Tunisia and Vietnam attended the meeting. The UNSC also invited all the member states of the UN that are not members of the Council and permanent observers to the UN to participate in the discussion through a written statement.[2] The objectives of this open debate were to: i) discuss the present and emerging cyber threats to international security; ii) analyse the general as well as the humanitarian impact of potential misuse of cyber technologies during the future-armed conflicts; iii) recognise the existing mechanisms at national, regional and global levels for the promotion of responsible state behaviour and mitigation of threats in cyberspace; iv) identify the ways to improve the state compliance with the existing international law and implementation of the UN norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace; v) examine the role of all key stakeholders for cyber resilience, confidence-building measures and conflict prevention.[3]

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