Working Paper submitted by the Delegation of Egypt
To the Open-Ended Working Group on Developments in The Field of
Information and Telecommunications in The Context of International Security
I. Introduction:
1.
Egypt attaches great importance to this historic Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG)
as the first inclusive institutional process under the auspices of the United Nations (UN)
which enjoys the full participation of all Member States on this increasingly important topic.
2.
The international security aspects of Information and Telecommunication Technologies
(ICTs) are becoming increasingly important and represent a global challenge that requires
a global response. ICTs offer both massive opportunities and challenges. There is an urgent
and pressing need to identify and develop rules for State behaviour to increase stability and
security in the global ICT environment.
3.
It is also important to highlight how timely this historic process is in light of the
exponential growth of technological advancements and the heated debates related to the
far-reaching revolutionary implications of the 5th Generation technologies and the
“Internet of Things”, combined with rising tensions at the global and regional levels and
alarming trends towards the militarization and weaponization of ICTs, including the
increasing incidents involving the malicious use of ICTs by State and non-State actors
in a manner that represents a real threat to international peace and security.
4.
Therefore, this process provides an excellent platform for achieving meaningful progress,
building on the previous recommendations on this topic in order to codify rules on
responsible State behavior in cyberspace and on tangible international cooperation to
minimize the threats posed to international security by the malicious uses of ICTs, thereby
creating improved conditions for reaping the full benefits of their peaceful uses.
5.
This OEWG is an important steppingstone that should lead to meaningful outcomes on
three main fronts:
a. Elaborating detailed rules based on the recommendations of the previous Groups
of Governmental Experts (GGEs) of 2013 and 2015 which have been endorsed by
the General Assembly. It is long overdue for the United Nations to adopt binding
rules for responsible State behaviour in relation to the use of ICTs. Most, if not all,
of the 2015 GGE recommendations could be used as the basis for such politically
or legally binding rules, especially that most of these recommendations and
guidelines are derived from the established rules and principles of international
law and the UN Charter.
b. Reaching an initial agreement on the establishment of an inclusive institutional
platform dedicated to international cooperation on safeguarding the peaceful uses
of ICTs and mitigating their associated risks. Such an institutional platform would
enable an inclusive and transparent exchange of information on vulnerabilities and
best-practices, foster international cooperation and capacity-building, issue
recommendations on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), and contribute to
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