GPPi fellow contributes to international cyber-security conference

On December 13, GPPi Fellow Tim Maurer presented a recent research paper about cyber-security norms during a two-day international cyber-security conference hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, the Freie Universität Berlin and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. Mauer’s paper is titled Cyber Norm Emergence at the United Nations – An Analysis of the UN’s Activities Regarding Cyber-security.

The conference – Challenges in Cybersecurity – Risks, Strategies, and Confidence-Building – drew top policy advisors from the US, China, Russia, Germany and the UK. In all, about 200 experts attended. Maurer spoke on a panel about ​“Introducing Transparency and Confidence-building,” moderated by Theresa Hitchens of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. The other speakers included Michele Markoff, senior policy advisor at the US State Department; Rex Hughes of Cambridge University; former Ambassador Paul Meyer of Canada; Greg Austin of the EastWest Institute; and Detlev Wolter of the German Federal Foreign Office.

Maurer outlined the two key streams of negotiations at the UN dealing with cyber-security. The norm emergence process was illustrated using the negotiations on cyber-security in the UN General Assembly’s First Committee as an example. He concluded by raising awareness of the lack of an institutionalized and regular input by non-governmental actors – civil society and the private sector – in the interstate discussions at the UN despite their key role in cyberspace.