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Press release on the adoption of the second intermediate report by the Open-Ended Working Group on International Information Security

31 July 2023 17:48
1530-31-07-2023

Following its fifth session, the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on International Information Security (IIS; New York, July 24-28, 2023) adopted a second intermediate report. The main achievement is the implementation of Russia's initiative to establish an intergovernmental registry of contact points for the exchange of information on cyber attacks. This mechanism opens opportunities for the cooperation of national relevant authorities in preventing or resolving incidents in the information space.

The report reflects many of Russia's key priorities, primarily the concept for a UN convention on ensuring IIS suggested by a group of countries (Belarus, Venezuela, the DPRK, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria) as a prototype of a universal legally binding instrument in the digital area. The report takes into consideration Russian proposals on the future negotiating mechanism for IIS: decisions should be made by consensus, taking into account the national laws and interests of states and with only an advisory role for non-governmental actors.

However, the Western countries persisted with their policy of intensifying the geopolitical confrontation against the backdrop of this generally constructive approach. The United States and its allies were promoting subjects that are of secondary importance for the OEWG (such as the role of NGOs in ensuring information security, as well as aspects of gender and human rights). They were also intent on emasculating the provisions allowing the elaboration of new, including legally binding, rules, norms and principles for the conduct of states. By so doing, the West wants to preserve its technological advantage and get rich by exploiting ICT vulnerabilities, given the specific nature of these technologies. . This primarily refers to anonymity on the internet, which makes it possible to harvest personal data in an uncontrolled manner and embed backdoors into software for spying and conducting computer attacks. Washington also engaged in new abortive attempts to interfere with the effective work of Russian experts: a number of members of the Russian interdepartmental delegation were denied visas again.

Russia will continue upholding the need to create a fair IIS system based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, trust and regard for the interests of all states. We will focus on elaborating an international legal regime to regulate the information space. The main goal here is to upgrade the existing norms of international law and draft new ones. We will be based on IIS agreements reached with our foreign partners, including those signed following the second Russia-Africa Summit.