From 2021 to 2025, the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the security of and in the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) played a central role in advancing the Framework for responsible State behaviour in the ICT environment.

Over the course of its mandate, the OEWG adopted three annual progress reports and a final report. These outcomes helped further develop the existing framework and led to the establishment of a new permanent forum: the Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security and advancing responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs. In addition, the OEWG discussions also generated substantial material on how UN Member States addressed key issues related to ICTs and international security, which were not captured in the agreed reports.

This report provides an analysis of the evolution of the process and a detailed account of those discussions, including major themes and trends, across the main pillars of the framework: threats, rules, norms and principles, international law, confidence-building measures, capacity-building, and regular institutional dialogue.

This publication is made up of eight individual chapters, which can be downloaded and used independently or as a single volume (see Download section above):

  • Chapter 1 | Introduction, by Dr Samuele Dominioni and Dr Giacomo Persi Paoli.
    Introduces the report’s focus on the 2021–2025 UN OEWG on ICT security, outlining its background, research questions, chapter structure, and methodology.

  • Chapter 2 | Existing and potential threats, by Dr Giacomo Persi Paoli, Aamna Rafiq and Chimdi Igwe.
    Addresses how States have discussed and understood major ICT threats in the context of international security during the 2021–2025 OEWG.

  • Chapter 3 | Rules, norms and principles of responsible State behaviour, by Dr Andraz Kastelic.
    Provides an overview of how States have addressed Rules, Norms, and Principles of Responsible State Behaviour in their use of ICTs during the 2021-2025 OEWG.

  • Chapter 4 | International law, by Andrea Gronke and Dominique Steinbrecher.
    Analyses States’ discussions on international law and its applicability to the ICT environment during the 2021-2025 OEWG.

  • Chapter 5 | Confidence-building measures, by Dr Samuele Dominioni.
    Explores how States have discussed and developed CBMs, including the Global Intergovernmental Points of Contact Directory, during the OEWG 2021-2025.

  • Chapter 6 | Capacity-building, by Dr Ekaterina Martynova and Moliehi Makumane.
    Identifies major milestones and themes discussed by States on Capacity Building during the OEWG 2021-2025.

  • Chapter 7 | Regular institutional dialogue, by Pavel Mraz and Lenka Filipova.
    Examines how States have negotiated and agreed on the Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security and advancing responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs during the OEWG 2021-2025.

  • Chapter 8 | Cross-sectional analysis and conclusions, by Dr Samuele Dominioni and Dr Giacomo Persi Paoli.
    Conducts a cross-cutting analysis of all the chapters and identifies key factors that characterized States' negotiations during the OEWG (2021-2025) and provides some concluding reflections.
 

Citation: Samuele Dominioni and Giacomo Persi Paoli (eds.) (2026) "Unpacking the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on ICT in the Context of International Security (2021-2025)", UNIDIR, Geneva, Switzerland, doi.org/10.37559/SECTEC/26/CR/05