“Cooperation of states in ensuring international information security. Current Challenges”
The annual XVIII International Forum “Partnership of State authorities, civil society and the business community in ensuring international information security”, which proceeded under a theme “Cooperation of states in ensuring international information security. Current Challenges”, concluded on September 18, 2024.
The Forum was organized by the National Association for International Information Security (NAIIS) with the assistance of the office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, other interested federal executive bodies of the Russian Federation and also the Editorial board of the journal “International Affairs”.
The Forum was attended by representatives of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. More than 300 representatives of state bodies, expert and scientific community, business and civil society from over 40 countries of Asia, Africa, Europe and North America participated in the Forum sessions in person and online.
The President of the National Association for International Information Security, Boris N. Miroshnikov opened the Forum and addressed its participants with a speech. (URL ссылка на пресс-релиз)
The plenary session was traditionally devoted to the discussion of strategic tasks of ensuring the security of the national information space, as well as the formation of regional and global systems of international information security.
The Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of NAIIS Oleg V. Khramov in his address pointed out that the key factor influencing the aggravation of the situation in the global information space is the desire of the United States and the countries of the collective West following in their wake to impose on the world community such mechanisms for management of the ICT-environment, that would be advantageous only to them. They segregate countries that do or do not follow Western “rules” – all in circumvention of the generally recognized norms of international law. Satellite states are allowed everything, and the rest of the world is forced by various discriminatory actions to “voluntarily” give up on national sovereignty, and is groundlessly accused of carrying out malicious computer attacks. The United States intends to maintain control over the Internet by any means necessary, and to use technological dominance as a means of political pressure. For the world majority, the attempts of Western countries to shift the focus of international cooperation from such fundamental problems as overcoming the “digital divide” and capacity building in the field of information security, to secondary issues related to gender and human rights issues are obvious. Thus, at the upcoming “Summit of the Future” it is planned to adopt a Global Digital Compact, which does not contain real mechanisms for assisting developing countries of the Global South and the East, and also creates the preconditions for the politicization of the regulation of artificial intelligence technologies
Oleg V. Khramov focused on the initiatives promoted by Russia, the core idea of which is to create a universal legal basis for the international information security system. Among the significant achievements of the international community is the work of the Open-ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021-2025, including the creation, at the initiative of Russia, of a global, intergovernmental Points of Contact directory for the exchange of information on computer incidents and the approval of the draft international Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of ICTs for Criminal Purposes. It was emphasized that Russia actively pursues cooperation with all interested countries to form an international legal regime for the digital environment based on the principles of sovereign equality of states and non-interference in internal affairs.
The UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu in her message welcomed the Forum participants and presented an opinion on the most significant results of the UN activities at various platforms for discussing the issues of ensuring international information security. (URL)
This year, the topics of the round tables were centered around traditionally discussed at Forum issues of cooperation in the field of international information security, as well as the new tasks related to the reorientation of the foreign policy of Russia towards the East.
Round Table No. 1 discussed current issues of ensuring information security of the SCO and BRICS countries and promising areas of cooperation among them and with external partners as well. The session reviewed the results of Russia’s work in the UN Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes. The presentations paid significant attention to cooperation within BRICS, as well as the specifics of ensuring information security in Latin American countries.
Round Table No. 2 discussed the topical challenge of strengthening digital sovereignty as a basis for the formation of an international information security system. More than 20 presenters shared views on various aspects of strengthening the sovereignty of states in the ICT environment, which could form the subject of joint research by BRICS experts. The participants supported the idea that the International Information Security Research Consortium (IISRC), created at the Forum back in 2010, could provide the form for organizing and conducting such research.
Round table No. 3 was devoted to new directions of interaction in the technological sphere with friendly countries, including the SCO and BRICS. Representative participation of the Russian business community and the states of Africa and the Middle East, organized by ANO “KOMIB”, enabled discussion of the advantages of Russian approaches to organizing the market of trusted ICT products, the tasks of unlocking the potential of developing countries in the sphere of protecting the national information space, as well as the role of public-private partnerships therein. The substantive and productive discussion allowed examining relevant business ideas and approaches.
Round Table No. 4 discussed a topic that, in the context of the mass dissemination of false and falsified information, is increasingly attracting the attention of the world community. The Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria V. Zakharova in her video address touched upon the most important aspects of violation of freedom of speech and the imposition of “double standards” in the information space by Western countries (URL). More than 20 Russian and foreign experts took part in a vivid discussion about the specifics of conducting information, cognitive and hybrid wars associated with hotbeds of international tension and geopolitical confrontation, as well as possible methods of countering these threats, including raising awareness and strengthening spiritual and moral values.
The topic of Round Table No. 5 brought together discussions of various aspects of countering the use of ICTs for criminal purposes, as well as the influence of the foreign policy situation on key threats to the security of the information space. While discussing issues of detection, prosecution and punishment of criminals, who use information technologies to commit various illegal acts, emphasis was placed on the need to improve cross-border information exchange in the context of countering modern information threats, providing legal assistance and disseminating best practices. The participants noted the importance of agreeing upon the draft UN Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes, which creates a legal basis for international cooperation in this area. It was emphasized that without international cooperation between law enforcement agencies, it is impossible to ensure international information security. This fully applies to responding to computer incidents. In addition, presentations covered in detail the issues of ensuring the safety of minors, strengthening the rule of law in this area, and carrying out preventive and educational work.
The Forum featured nearly 100 informative presentations, interesting discussions and exchange of ideas.
The Forum papers will be made available on the website of the National Association for International Information Security, published in Forum proceedings, and on the pages of the International Affairs magazine.
In order to popularize research in the field of international information security, for the first time this year the National Association for International Information Security will announce a competition of student papers devoted to the issues discussed at the Forum.
