From 8-10 July, UNIDIR, together with Thailand’s Office of the National Security Council (NSC), National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), convened a workshop in Bangkok on the national implementation of the UN norms of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace, with support from Global Affairs Canada.
Held at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the workshop brought together representatives from across the Government of Thailand to explore practical approaches for translating international commitments into national policies, institutional processes and operational practices. It builds on a series of similar bilateral trainings UNIDIR has already delivered in Thailand and across the region in Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Building on a long-standing partnership
UNIDIR has worked with Thailand for several years to support the development of cyber resilience. In May 2025, a joint cyber capacity-building and policy training featured an interactive tabletop exercise simulating a major ICT incident. The objective was to test national coordination, decision-making, and response arrangements.
This exercise helped identify a number of practical actions to strengthen cyber resilience.
UNIDIR and Thailand then worked together to develop a national roadmap to address priority issues in greater depth, and support implementation of specific elements of the UN framework of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace.
Co-developing implementation-focused support
As a part of this broader initiative, in July 2026 UNIDIR in collaboration with the NSC, NCSA and MFA designed a follow up workshop tailored specifically to Thailand’s priorities and institutional context. The training focused on translating select elements of the UN framework into national policies, processes and practices suited to Thailand’s specific context.
This approach reflects the capacity-building principles set out by the Open-ended Working Group on ICT Security: support should be demand-driven, context-specific, developed with national partners, non-duplicative and building on previous engagement. By adapting programme design to nationally identified priorities, UNIDIR’s activities are built to support long-term implementation of the UN framework rather than functioning as standalone training events.
Bringing together the national cyber governance community
Effective implementation of the UN framework requires coordination across government. To support this, the recent workshop brought together representatives from Thailand’s technical, legal and diplomatic communities.
Through expert briefings, policy dialogues and simulated tabletop exercises, participants explored how different institutions can contribute to implementing the UN framework while building synergies across Thailand’s national cyber governance ecosystem.
The workshop provided a platform for cross-sector dialogue, enabling participants to examine implementation challenges around specific UN cyber norms from complementary technical, legal and policy perspectives.
Looking ahead
This workshop represents the latest milestone in the Institute’s ongoing partnership with Thailand and broader capacity-building efforts in Asia-Pacific, delivered through UNIDIR’s Security and Technology Programme. It reflects a shared commitment to translating the UN framework for responsible State behaviour in cyberspace from principle into national policy and practice.
UNIDIR will continue working with Thailand and other Member States through practical, tailored capacity-building activities that strengthen national cyber resilience while contributing to regional cooperation and a more stable, secure and peaceful cyberspace.
For further information on UNIDIR’s research-based training and capacity building initiatives, visit the UNIDIR Academy.
This project is funded by Global Affairs Canada under its Indo-Pacific Strategy.