On September 22–24, 2026, the 20th Anniversary International Forum Partnership of State Authorities, Civil Society and the Business Community in Ensuring International Information Security was held at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The Anniversary Forum was held under the motto For a Peaceful Global Information Society. The event was organized by the National Association for International Information Security (NAIIS) with the support of the Office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The goal of the Forum was to discuss current challenges in cooperation in the field of International Information Security (IIS) and to identify promising areas for the development of international expert interaction in the new geopolitical realities and amid the intensive development of the global ICT environment.
The Forum was held in a mixed format (in‑person and online) and included a Plenary session and six thematic Round Tables. More than 350 experts took part in the work, including 114 international guests from 50 countries representing Asia, America, Africa and Europe, Union State of Russia and Belarus, as well as international organizations: the UN, BRICS, the CIS, the SCO, the CSTO and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The central topic of the discussion was International Information Security: World Order Transformation and Protection of Digital Sovereignty.
The Plenary session was opened by Boris N. Miroshnikov, President of NAIIS, who emphasized that over the long years of its activity, the Forum has become a recognized and authoritative international platform for dialogue between the state, business and society on IIS issues.
Dmitry G. Gribkov, Assistant Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in his speech emphasized that the current state of IIS is characterized by an increase in the scale and intensity of the use of ICTs to achieve military‑political goals. Critical information infrastructure facilities are increasingly becoming targets of cyberattacks. At the same time, the actions of malefactors are practically terrorist in nature and pose a threat to human lives. As the most illustrative example, D. Gribkov cited the cyberattack committed on July 28, 2025 against Aeroflot, responsibility for which was claimed by the hacker groups Silent Crow* and Cyberpartisans BY*, which stated that they had conducted a prolonged and large‑scale operation. *In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, both groups are recognized as extremist.
“A serious threat also remains the activity of internet fraudsters who encroach on the funds and property of citizens and companies. At the same time, the goals and objectives of financial criminals often overlap with the interests of politically motivated actors. Literally in these days, the media is fuelling a scandal around a network of Ukrainian call-centers that committed thefts both on the territory of Russia and in European countries. The activities of the fraudsters were covered by several law enforcement agencies under the patronage of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine. The total number of such centers is approximately 2,000. The number of persons employed in the activities of such structures is almost 60,000. It is indicative that the main reason cited for the activation of law enforcement agencies is the fact that telephone fraudsters began to ‘scam money’ out of the European and even American ordinary citizen,” noted D. Gribkov.
Alexander S. Alimov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, noted that the topic of IIS remains among the key ones on the global agenda. “A serious danger is the militarization of ICTs and the use of so‑called ‘IT armies’ to conduct operations against other states. At the same time, military‑political threats of the unlawful use of ICTs, including AI, are growing. This concerns intelligence, espionage, operational planning, and target acquisition. Of course, this was secretly done before as well, but now such steps are not concealed and are even enshrined in relevant doctrinal documents. All this is carried out in close conjunction with the private sector. The largest developers, who offer supposedly secure solutions, are in fact contractors of military departments and special services. In essence, we are witnessing a new form of colonialism, where digital metropolises hook clients on their solutions, subordinating key sectors of client countries,” emphasized A. Alimov.
“The most important achievement of recent years has been the development, on Russia’s proposal, of the UN Convention against Cybercrime – the first universal treaty in the digital sphere. The document, intended to establish effective law enforcement cooperation in the fight against hackers and online fraudsters, has already been signed by 81 countries. We plan to complete ratification procedures as soon as possible. We know that many of our partners are carrying out similar work. We call on all countries to join the document, as well as to actively engage in negotiations on expanding the Convention’s scope, including to crimes of a terrorist and extremist nature,” noted A. Alimov.
The next logical step, according to the Russian diplomat, should be the development of international legal instruments on other aspects of IIS, aimed primarily at preventing and peacefully settling interstate conflicts in the ICT sphere. “We intend to conduct negotiations on this matter within the framework of the UN Global Mechanism on International Information Security launched this year. It is important that the circle of states supporting such an approach continues to expand.”
The Russian side pays particular attention to overcoming the digital divide, ensuring sovereignty and building the capacity of the Global South in the field of IIS. In conclusion of his speech, the diplomat stated that the entire set of topics, including those related to AI, is regularly discussed in regional and bilateral formats. Traditionally close cooperation in the field of AI is being built within the CSTO, CIS, SCO, BRICS, and ASEAN. Great importance is attached to deepening contacts on the digital agenda with the African continent, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. On a regular basis, Russia holds international events, including familiarizing foreign colleagues with current Russian solutions in the field of information security.
An important and, one might say, flagship event of the year will be the Global Digital Forum, which will be held in Moscow on October 8–10 of this year.
A video address to the Forum was delivered by Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under‑Secretary‑General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. She emphasized the importance of interaction between governments, civil and international organizations, and the private sector in the face of threats common to them in the ICT field. According to her, the first session of the UN Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs, held on July 20–24, 2026, already demonstrated, despite contradictions between its participants, a common interest in shaping international law norms that take into account changes in the cyber sphere. “The new platform is of exceptional importance. It is intended to help shape common rules of behaviour in the information and communication sphere in the context of a rapidly changing landscape of challenges and threats,” she concluded.
The speeches of Russian representatives, including from the Ministry of Digital Development and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia, as well as from the scientific and business communities, aroused great interest on the part of foreign diplomats who took part in the Forum’s activities.
In particular, Abdul‑Karim Hashim Mostafa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Iraq to Russia, stated that the United Nations and its relevant agencies, together with other competent international organizations, should remain the primary framework for dialogue on cybersecurity. This is especially important in the elaboration of norms of responsible state behavior, in the affirmation that international law and the Charter of the United Nations apply fully to cyberspace, and in the consistent respect for the sovereignty of states and the principle of non-interference in their internal affairs.
At the same time, the regional dimension cannot be set aside. The Middle East’s energy and telecommunications sectors confront complex security challenges, and vital sectors—banking and essential public services—face growing risks. Regional mechanisms for dialogue, information-sharing, early warning, and capacity building can make a meaningful contribution to stability. Regional cooperation, however, must complement international efforts; it must not replace them. It should not give rise to closed digital spaces or technological blocs that simply mirror existing geopolitical divisions.
“From Iraq’s perspective, cyberspace must serve as a bridge for cooperation, not as a new arena of confrontation,” emphasized the diplomat.
Within the framework of the Forum, a ceremony was held to award the winners of the competition of student research papers from Russian universities on IIS issues.
A detailed discussion of the challenges to the development of a system for combating offenses committed with the use of ICTs took place at the first Round Table of the Forum, moderated by NAIIS member Alexander A. Vurasko.
The second Round Table was dedicated to the topic “Further Development of the Global IIS System: from the Harmonization of Norms to their Application,” with Andrey V. Morozov and Ivan V. Surma as moderators.
At the third Round Table, moderated by NAIIS Vice‑President Dmitry I. Grigoriev, priority areas for the development of public‑private partnership in the implementation of state policy in the field of IIS were discussed in detail, as well as the promotion of domestic information security products and services to international markets.
The fourth Round Table “A Fragmented and Dynamic Digital World: Sovereignty, Cooperation and Competition. New Personnel for IIS” was moderated by Ekaterina A. Mikhailova.
At the fifth Round Table on the topic “Security and Transparency. Innovation and Trust. Convenience and Reliability. Finding Balance in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Disruptive Technologies,” the moderator was Anatoly I. Smirnov.
The final, sixth Round Table was dedicated to topical issues of preserving traditional spiritual and moral values in the global information environment. Michail B. Kurakin, Deputy Editor‑in‑Chief of the journal International Affairs, and Ekaterina A. Mikhailova served as moderators.
During the discussions at the Round Tables, many concrete proposals were put forward to improve the effectiveness of work on ensuring international information security.
The speeches of the participants of the Anniversary Forum will be published in a separate collection and posted on the Association’s website.
