The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) conducted its fifth meeting in Lille, France, on January 25, 2018.
“We had a most productive session, deepening our commitment to international peace, security, and stability, exploring means of enhancing the general availability and integrity of the Internet, and setting out priorities for 2018,” said Marina Kaljurand, the GCSC’s Chair.
The one-day meeting produced a commitment to elaborate on the “Call to Protect the Public Core of the Internet” which the Commission issued at its November meeting in New Delhi.
“The Call to Protect is generating support from a variety of national and international public and private sector organizations,” said Michael Chertoff, GCSC Co-Chair. “We decided to increase buy-in by further explaining the implications of this foundational policy.” The Commissioners also examined the ways to promote the norm in capitals and board rooms around the world as well as with other international bodies.
The Commission charted its agenda for the coming year, including developing international norms to reduce the danger from technical vulnerabilities in information and communications technology (ICT), protect electoral systems, prevent the takeover of civilian consumer devices for offensive purposes, and discourage offensive cyber activity by private sector entities.
Finally, the Commission approved funding for six research proposals in response to the GCSC Call for Research issued in December 2017. The research will help inform the Commission’s deliberations.
The Commission selected Lille as its venue in order to participate in the 10th International Cybersecurity Forum. The GCSC co-chairs provided the Forum with valuable perspective on avenues to achieve international consensus on policies that will increase cyberspace stability and security. Other commissioners, advisors, and members of the management board and secretariat participated in panels discussing hacking back, international cooperation in capacity building and the Balkanization of the Internet.
The GCSC will convene in May 2018 on the margins of the GLOBSEC Forum in Bratislava, Slovakia. In the run-up to this meeting, the GCSC welcomes input from other organizations and institutions that are concerned with norms of responsible behavior and international cyberspace security and stability. Comments may be sent to info@cyberstabililty.org or cyber@hcss.nl.
