In 2020, the United Nations General Assembly established a five-year (2021–2025) Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) focused on the security of and in the use of information and communications technologies (ICT). The group is mandated to further develop the rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour of States and to consider initiatives aimed at ensuring security in the use of such technologies. It also seeks to establish, under the auspices of the United Nations, regular institutional dialogue with broad participation from States.
The OEWG is tasked with studying existing and potential threats in the sphere of information security, including data security to promote common understandings. It aims to identify possible cooperative measures to prevent and counter these threats and to examine how international law applies to the use of ICT by States. The OEWG also emphasizes confidence-building measures and capacity-building initiatives to enhance collective cybersecurity.
During the OEWG 9th substantive session, UNIDIR will convene key discussions to promote international peace and security by addressing further avenues of cooperation and transparency among states, the AI-cyber nexus in malicious ICT activities and cloud computing governance.