Estonia’s response to the OEWG zero draft, February 2021 15. We find it important that countries would voluntarily share their national views on the issue of international law, including by utilising the annual report of the Secretary-General (paragraphs 35 and 41). 16. We also believe that the recommendation for states to submit, on a voluntary basis, their national views on how international law applies to the use of ICTs to the Cyber Policy Portal of UNIDIR will notably help to increase transparency and the sharing of best practices (paragraph 42). Rules, norms and principles for responsible state behaviour 17. It is paramount to continue efforts to operationalise existing norms. To that effect, we support the norms guidance text proposed by Canada on the GGE 2015 norms. It allows to build common understanding on what actions States should or should not take on norms agreed by consensus, without prejudice to States’ existing rights and obligations under international law. This initiative is one important way of addressing the need for further common understanding expressed by delegations throughout. 18. Estonia notes that how norms are implemented should not hinder States’ economic development and highlights that adherence to human rights and paying due attention to gender perspectives contributes to creating more stable societies and economic growth. Estonia therefore welcomes the mention of the need to mainstream gender perspectives into norms implementation (paragraph 49). 19. We support the mention of the healthcare sector as part of critical infrastructure protection within voluntary norms and welcome its specific inclusion (paragraphs 50 and 55). This clearly reflects that the OEWG developed its report under the circumstances of COVID-19 and underscores that states consider medical services and medical facilities to be regarded as critical infrastructure under the norms (f) and (g) of the 2015 GGE report. However, we also note the concerns raised by some delegations and would therefore would also support further clarification that this does not preclude other critical infrastructure. 20. To further streamline the report and enhance the ease of voluntary reporting for States on the various aspects discussed during the OEWG, we express support for suggestions to consolidate survey-related recommendations in the report into one recommendation and include a template in the annex for the model “National Survey of Implementation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 70/237.” Confidence-building measures 21. Estonia agreed with the notion that inclusive, open and transparent dialogue within the OEWG was in itself a CBM (paragraph 67). 22. Estonia reaffirms the notion of interlinkages between norms and confidence-building measures as the latter may often support the effective implementation of the voluntary and non-binding norms. As such we welcome the clear mention of practical CBMs recommended in each of the consensus GGE reports (paragraph 68) and the commitment to be guided by the 2015 GGE report (paragraph 74). 23. Estonia has previously expressed support for a global repository a list of confidencebuilding measures adopted at regional and sub-regional levels to enable the sharing or exchange of information and best practices on confidence-building measures. We welcome the call for States to voluntarily engage in transparency measures by 3