Session
Cybersecurity, Cybercrime & Online Safety
Child Online Safety
Cyberattacks, Cyberconflicts and International Security
Disinformation
Misinformation
New Technologies and Risks to Online Security
Online Hate Speech and Rights of Vulnerable People
Organizer 1: Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u, 🔒PRIDA
Organizer 2: Adil Ismail Sulieman, 🔒AUC
Organizer 3: Nnenna Ifeanyi Ajufo, Africa Union Cybersecurity Expert Group
Organizer 4: Joshua Joshua, 🔒Africa IGF
Speaker 1: Nnenna Ifeanyi Ajufo, Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Speaker 2: Sherif Hashem, Technical Community, African Group
Speaker 3: Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 4: Martin KOYABE, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u, Technical Community, African Group
Adil Ismail Sulieman, Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Joshua Joshua, Technical Community, African Group
Round Table - 90 Min
1. As a continent, are we ready to embrace the CBMs and contextualise them to address our challenges? How can we structure capacity building initiatives across the continent to address this?
2. How are African national and international laws applied in cyberspace in the context of the applicability of international law to cyberspace? What policy and regulatory gaps exist and hindering contextualisation of the CBMs in Africa?
3. At the continental level, how can trust and cooperation be Enhanced towards advancing the CBM’s in the African context, taking into account emerging cyber threats and conflicts?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Further knowledge about the adoption and implementation of CBMs in the African region
An understanding of the relevance and need to contextualise CBMs at the national, regional and continental level
The outcome of the AUCSEG SADC capacity building workshop will be shared
Knowledge of the capacity building efforts in the African region and the international partners leading such efforts
Description:
In 2021, the UN Open Ended Working Group concluded in its final report that States should voluntarily identify and consider Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) appropriate to their specific contexts and cooperate with other States on their implementation. Both the OEWG report and that agreed by the UN Government Group of Experts (GGE), recommended a number of related transparency and cooperative measures that States could consider as part of CBM implementation.
To date, several regional organisations have established working groups to support the efforts of States in their efforts to implement CBMs. There is an expectation that regional organisations will participate in cooperative exercises as well as cross-regional exchanges of lessons and good practices on CBMs. However, the African region has hardly participated in such contexts. Very little is being said of CBMs in a distinct African context. It is important that the discourse of cyber norms and the CGMs are also interrogated from region perspectives to highlight the disparities and commonalities which can shape the advancement of CBM implementation.
As a means to further these and related objectives, the African Union Cyber Security Experts Group (AUCSEG) within its mandate under the auspices of the African Union Commission aims is convening a regional capacity building workshop in August to advance awareness of UN’s OEWG and GGE CBMs in Africa. The workshop will build capacity amongst cyber diplomats and government officials from the region
This session will provide a platform to present the deliberations and findings from the workshop and provide a platform for a global consideration of the outcomes of a workshop which is being delivered to serve as a case study.
The session will generate further content to the AUCSEG’s effort to produce a police brief on Africa’s approach to CBMs implementation
Compilation of contributions from participants from other regions on best practices and lessons learnt which will feed into AUCSEG report
Collated feedback which will serve the basis of further AUCSEG workshops on CBMs in Africa
Greater awareness of the mechanisms, procedures and capacities that individual states may need to have in place at national level for the CBMs to meet their intended objectives.
Evidence of relevant contexts for Africa perspective at the ongoing OEWG process.
Hybrid Format: -There will be two moderators. One online and one onsite. The two will coordinate to ensure that the discussions are inclusive taking the views of all participants either online or onsite.
-Panellists will be encouraged to be in the room or connected at least 15 minutes to the session and proactively respond to the questions presented through various platforms.
There will be five panellists. Each will have 3 minutes to make introductory remarks including the moderators 5 minutes to introduce the session- a total of 20 minutes. This will be followed by an interactive discussion of the five panellists for 25 minutes answering structured questions. The floor will then be opened for questions and answers with a balance of online and onsite questions for 35 minutes. The panellists will then have 2 minutes each to make closing remarks (10minutes)