2024 Cyber Dialogues: Part I

Hybrid (Geneva and online)
20 February 2024
Past
2024 Cyber Dialogues: Part I

This first dialogue brought together the nuanced viewpoints of diplomats, policymakers, think tanks and private sector, providing a fuller picture of the dynamics on existing and potential threats to cyberspace. Key questions included: 

  • What are the most pertinent challenges of the malicious use of ICT, and how are they evolving over time? 
  • How have cyber threats evolved over time, and do OEWG discussions reflect States’ and stakeholders’ perceptions? 
  • What joint State-private sector initiatives currently address supply chain challenges and proliferation of malicious tools? 
  • What is the impact of ICT threats on multiple sectors, including the healthcare, maritime, aviation and energy sectors and how are States responding to these threats?

Please visit the pages for dialogue two and dialogue three for an overview of the whole series.

Event Recording

Speakers

Elizabeth Wuraola Kolade is a Cybersecurity professional. She has been involved in the strategy, creation and implementation of security measures and the delivery of cyber security awareness across critical organizations. Elizabeth has served as an Analyst, Technical Specialist and Advisor over the course of her career across government, the private sector and civil society. She has embarked on numerous campaigns to promote end-user security education in and outside Nigeria. Her interest spans Incident Response, Cyber policy, Cyber Capacity Building, and Cyber Diplomacy, all geared towards enhancing and sustaining international peace and security. Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and has been a part of several multi-stakeholder engagements on Cyber Security in and outside Africa. She was listed as one of the Top 50 Women in Cybersecurity in Africa in 2020. In 2021, she was named a Global Influencer in the IFSEC Global Awards under the “Security – One to Watch” Category and was soon after nominated for the 2021 Young CISO of the Year Awards. Elizabeth served as a member of the presidential committee, which reviewed and produced Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2021. She is the current Director of membership  of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) and remains an ever-avid advocate for the education of women in technology. She is currently the Executive Director at Resilience Technologies and a PhD Researcher at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.

Kamilia Amdouni is Public Policy Advisor at the CyberPeace Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, contributing to efforts to promote responsible behavior in cyberspace and to operationalise and advance international laws and norms. She is a multilingual professional with +10 years of experience in developing and implementing international security strategies. She has previously worked as a consultant on emerging technologies for multinational corporations and focused in the past few years on advocacy and policy development on international security issues including nuclear disarmament and cybercrime, having contributed to efforts from organizations such as the EU agency for law enforcement cooperation (EUROPOL) and the Center for International Studies and Diplomacy in London. Kamilia holds an MA in Global Diplomacy from the University of London (SOAS) and has an MBA from the French business school ESLSCA.

Samuele Dominioni is a Researcher (Cyber) within the Security and Technology Programme at UNIDIR. He has expertise in multiple domains related to the international dimensions of cybersecurity, such as cyber diplomacy and cyber norms. He is also interested in political regimes in cyberspace, particularly in terms of disinformation and elections. Before joining UNIDIR, Samuele was a research fellow at the ISPI Center on Cybersecurity. He has also worked as a consultant on various projects funded by international bodies like the Council of Europe and the European Commission.He holds a PhD in International Relations and Political History from Sciences Po (Paris) and IMT School for Advanced Studies (Lucca). He has also been a visiting PhD student at the Department of Political Sciences, Columbia University, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bonn. He speaks English, French and Italian

Amb Richard Kadlčák (Czech Republic) was appointed as the Special Envoy for Cyber Space at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2016. Prior to this position, Kadlčák served as the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Estonia from 2012 to 2016. He has previously held different positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic at the Strategy, Analysis and Planning Office as well as at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union.

Moderator

Ms Moliehi Makumane is a researcher at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). Ms Makumane’s current focus is on the Open-Ended working Group (OEWG) on ICT and her research focus is on perspectives and implementation of the Framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace in Africa and the global South.  Moliehi was previously a foreign service officer and OEWG and GGE delegate for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Where and Where

20 February, 12 March and 16 April 2024  – 14:00 to 15:30 CET. Hybrid format: in-person (Geneva) and online.

Participants

UNIDIR encouraged the participation of representatives and experts working on or interested in issues pertaining to advancement of digital technologies, and their implications for international peace and security.