The fight against cybercrime cannot be siloed. On a national, regional and international level, the meaningful and sustained collaboration of governments, the private sector, experts and civil society organisations is the only way to mitigate and control the challenges cybercrime poses to an open and secure cyberspace.
In May 2021, a new UN process starts, mandated with working towards a possible comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for criminal purposes. The modalities for this process, including the role of civil society, are yet to be decided.
Divergent views and opinions around this issue mean the perception of civil society as valuable partners in these processes is not universally shared. From ensuring accountability to protecting human rights, the role of civil society is crucial in the anti-cybercrime efforts. However, multi-stakeholder engagement in the fight against cybercrime has not been without its challenges, and progress in this area has been hard-fought.
Concluding a series of workshops on engaging civil society in the fight against cybercrime, this public event aims to explore practical ways for civil society engagement in the upcoming UN process on and in global cybercrime policymaking more generally.
It draws on concrete examples from the open-ended working group on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security and on other UN processes on transnational crime.
The event includes representatives from states, civil society and private sector and aims to explore innovative ways for engagement and the prospects for multi-stakeholder coordination on cybercrime.
The discussion is organized in collaboration with the European Union Institute for Security Studies and takes place in English, Spanish, and French.
Participants
Moliehi Makumane, Special Advisor, South African Representative to the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE)
Marwa Fatafta, MENA Policy Manager, Access Now
Fernanda Teixeira Souza Domingos, Coordinator, Cybercrime Supporting Group, Brazil
Michele Socco, Policy Officer, Cybercrime Unit, European Commission
Daniel McBryde, Senior Policy Adviser, Global Affairs Canada
Co-chair: Joyce Hakmeh, Senior Research Fellow, International Security Programme, Chatham House; Co-Editor, Journal of Cyber Policy
Co-chair: Patryk Pawlak, Brussels Executive Officer, European Union Institute for Security Studies
