Working Paper by Pakistan
Open-Ended Working Group on Developments in the Field of Information and
Telecommunications in the Context of International Security
Introduction
1.
Pakistan attaches immense importance to the Open-ended working group on developments in the
field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security (OEWG), established
pursuant to General Assembly resolution 73/27 of December 2018. The OEWG represents the first
inclusive institutional process under the UN auspices, having universal membership on this topic of great
significance.
2.
Information and communications technologies (ICTs) have reshaped and transformed every
aspect of national and global economies and societies. Progress in this field is a measure and driver of
economic growth and prosperity. However, the benefits offered by ICTs and emerging technologies do
not come without risks.
3.
Threats to security and stability in cyberspace due to the malicious use of ICTs risk undermining
the opportunities offered by ICTs. This represents a global challenge that requires a global response.
There is an urgent need to identify and formulate rules for State behaviour, as well as to develop clarity
regarding rules and responsibilities for States and other stakeholders, to increase stability and security in
the global ICT environment.
4.
In this context, the OEWG provides an extremely useful forum for achieving meaningful
progress, building on the previous recommendations on this topic in order to strengthen rules for
responsible State behavior in cyberspace, and to achieve meaningful international cooperation to
minimize the threats posed to international security by the malicious uses of ICTs.
5.
Pakistan hopes that the OEWG would be able to achieve meaningful outcomes on the following
main fronts:
a) Elaborating detailed rules based on the recommendations of the previous Groups of
Governmental Experts (GGEs) which have been endorsed by the General Assembly. There is a
need for the United Nations to adopt binding rules for responsible State behaviour in relation
to the use of ICTs. The 2015 GGE recommendations could provide a useful basis for such
politically or legally binding rules.
b) Arriving at a preliminary agreement on the establishment of an inclusive institutional
platform dedicated to international cooperation on ensuring the peaceful uses of ICTs and
mitigating their associated risks. Such an institutional platform could 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 addressing the threats to security and stability in the cyber domain.
c) Agreeing to meaningful recommendations on capacity-building measures, especially for
developing countries, and on international cooperation in this field.
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