Protecting Global Internet Infrastructure: Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue

In an increasingly interconnected world, the global Internet plays a pivotal role in driving socio-economic development, closing digital divide, fostering communication, and enabling access to essential services. However, as indicated by the consensus reports of the 2019-2021 OEWG and GGE, malicious ICT activities against the technical infrastructure essential to the general availability or integrity of the Internet are a real and growing concern. Malicious ICT activities against this kind of critical infrastructure may result in frequent Internet disruptions, impeding people's access to information and critical services, and affecting stability in cyberspace. Building on these findings, this OEWG side-event brought together stakeholders from governments, civil society, and the private sector to discuss the significance of safeguarding diverse components of the Internet infrastructure. The dialogue explored the role of multi-stakeholder collaboration in developing comprehensive policies, frameworks, and best practices to mitigate risks, enhance cybersecurity measures, and foster resilience within the global Internet ecosystem. Through the identification and implementation of protective measures, the international community can work towards ensuring a global, interoperable and universal Internet for all, promoting stability in cyberspace and sustainable development. This event took place on 24 July 2023 at 13:15-14:30 EST in New York and Online. SPEAKERS Tupou’tuah Baravilala, Director-General Digital Government Transformation, Cybersecurity and Communications, Ministry of Communications, Fiji Kaja Ciglic, Senior Director, Digital Diplomacy, Microsoft Nathalie Jaarsma, Ambassador-at-Large for Security Policy and Cyber, Kingdom of the Netherlands Veni Markovski, Vice-President for UN Engagement, ICANN Peter Micek, General Counsel and UN Policy Manager, Access Now Moderator: Giacomo Persi Paoli, Head of the Security and Technology Programme, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Microsoft hosted this multi-stakeholder dialogue.