2.4 Broader context
🎯 What is the link between human rights and cyber-norms?
🎯 How does cybersecurity impact economic development and SDGs?
Deliberations about cybersecurity and related norms don’t happen in a vacuum. In order to observe a broader context, cybersecurity should be connected with policy discussions related to digital aspects of human rights, and economic development.
The link between cyber norms and human rights may not be immediately obvious. Report of the APC and Global Public Digital, Unpacking the GGE’s Framework on Responsible State Behaviour: Cyber Norms, clarifies that the goal of cyber norms of promoting responsible state behaviour in cyberspace contributes to the underlying conditions that are needed for the exercise of human rights today. The report further elaborates on how each of the norms relates to human rights.
In addition, the relationship between the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and cyber-enabled threats and cybersecurity is explored in the report “System Update: Towards a Women, Peace and Cybersecurity Agenda” by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). The paper analyses the linkages between WPS priority themes – gender equality, women’s participation in international security, prevention and protection of violence against women, gender-differentiated needs – and international cybersecurity. It identifies priority areas that should be addressed to ensure gender-inclusive cyberspace that protects the rights of women and girls.
On the other hand, sustainable development heavily relies on digitalisation and digital technologies, as the link between digital transformation and the Sustainable Development Goals showcase. ‘The Global Risks Report 2022’ of the World Economic Forum emphasises the link between the two particular digital concerns, ‘digital inequality’ and ‘cybersecurity failure’. A GFCE report ‘Integrating Cyber Capacity into the Digital Development Agenda’ underlines that digitisation and resilience are two sides of the same coin, and identifies pathways to bridge the commonly detached topics and communities – development and cybersecurity communities, particularly in the field of capacity building.
Case study
In his interview for the ‘Inside Cyber Diplomacy’ podcast, co-hosted by Mr Jim Lewis and Mr Chris Painter, Mr Moctar Yedaly, Africa Program Director for the GFCE, and former Head of the Information Society department within the African Union Commission discusses the African context and cybersecurity negotiations. Mr Yedaly also provides a cross-link of security with development, discusses the need for high-level political interest and attention to the issues of ICTs, and the value of including more stakeholders in multilateral negotiations.
Contribute and engage
To learn more about the broader context of cybersecurity, refer to the introductory Knowledge Module.