22 Nations Supports A Resolution To Pre-Empt Cyber Attacks

22 nations, including Russia and US are co-sponsoring a resolution to pre-empt cyber attacks that Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is expected to adopt this week. The proposal calls for member nations to exchange information about the way they intend to deploy cyber technology during military conflicts. A decree to this effect has been introduced by a Belgium parliamentary member.

OSCE parliamentarians are gathering this week in Serbia to select provisions for inclusion in the Belgrade Declaration, an annual statement that guides OSCE decisions. The organisation, which represents North America, Europe and Central Asia, provides a venue for negotiations on conflict prevention and post-war rehabilitation.

This is a significant regional cyber security initiative that can help in the formulation of a dedicated international regulatory regime for cyber security. However, the ideal forum for worldwide discussion of cyber security threats is the United Nations (UN).

Regional cyber security cooperations can help in consolidation of international cyber security initiative. Last month, defense ministers at NATO, which does not include Russia, approved a new policy on cyber defense to help allies protect their communications systems and deter cyber attacks. This way cyber security is in the process of being consolidation in stages.

If the OSCE succeeds in conducting dialogues between states on norms in cyber security it would be a major step toward a more global approach, which may be promoted by the United Nations. The UN and OSCE do not share a budget but coordinate closely on field operations.

A proposal to establish a cyber security unit within the OSCE secretariat is also in process. Separately, the White House in May distributed a voluntary international strategy for cyber security that, like the OSCE proposal, urges cooperation in developing standards for acceptable conduct on the Internet.