NATIONAL STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE OPEN-ENDED WORKING GROUP, 9 TO 13 SEPTEMBER 2019, UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK

Mr Chairman,

1 Let me start by congratulating you, once again, on your Chairmanship of this important Working Group. My delegation pledges its support to you, and we look forward to working with all delegations in order to reach a meaningful outcome in this Working Group.

2 Let me underline at the outset that Singapore regards this Working Group as a very important mechanism and process for intergovernmental consultations on the issue of cyber security. In our view, an open-ended process like this one is not only inclusive, it can also help to build understanding, bridge differences and forge consensus among all members of the United Nations. 

3 As we begin our substantive work in the Working Group, we must all recognise that cyberspace is fundamentally an issue of managing the global commons. The challenge of managing cyberspace requires a global approach, based on global norms and rules. A safe, secure and stable cyberspace will bring peace and prosperity to all countries. 

4 Around the world, cyber-attacks are becoming more advanced, persistent and more frequent. All of us are vulnerable, but small states are particularly vulnerable, especially developing countries and least developed countries. The countries with the weakest capacities are also the countries that are most vulnerable. Accordingly, if we are serious about a global approach to cybersecurity, we have to start with a strong focus on building capacity in countries that need help. This is one area where this Working Group can make a meaningful and concrete contribution.  

Mr Chairman, 

5 As a small state, Singapore has always supported the multilateral rules-based system in every domain. Our approach is no different with regard to cyberspace; we believe it is important to build a rules-based international order in cyberspace. A rules-based order is key because it gives all states, big or small, the confidence, predictability and stability that is essential for economic progress, job creation and technology adoption. Ultimately, this will help to enhance the lives of all our people. 

6 Singapore believes that the UN has an important role to play in developing rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour in cyberspace.  We support the UNSG’s Agenda for Disarmament, which affirms the UNSG’s commitment to foster a culture of accountability, adherence to norms in cyberspace and to take steps to encourage responsible innovation by industry, engineers and scientists. Please allow me to make a few specific points:

7 First, the Working Group must build on the work previously done by the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE). As a working group with universal membership and with a separate mandate, this Working Group can naturally address any issue that it deems to be important. We agree with that, but at the same time, it is important for the Working Group to build on the work of five previous GGEs that have been established since 2004, including the 11 voluntary and non-binding norms which was adopted by the UN General Assembly. The reports of the GGE provide us with a normative framework to address the six key areas of focus that we have to deal with over the next few days. 

8 Second, my delegation will take a pragmatic view on any issue raised in the Working Group. We will keep an open mind on all proposals made. For us, the key question is a simple one: how can we build convergence and how can we reach agreement on concrete outcomes. In this regard, we think it will be useful to take a step by step approach. We should identify issues on which there is a high level of convergence that could allow us to reach agreement quickly. For issues in which convergence is challenging, we should allow time and space for more informal discussions, so that we can hopefully reach understanding and form consensus. 

9 Please allow me now to underline some specific issues that could potentially find some convergence; namely, the role of regional organisations, and the importance of capacity building and the necessity for confidence building measures (CBMs). Let me elaborate on these issues.  

10 With regard to regional organisations, our view is that they play an essential role to support UN discussions. Regional organisations can also assist in the implementation of the cybersecurity principles developed at the UN. For example, the 3rd ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity (AMCC) in September 2018 agreed to subscribe in-principle to the 11 voluntary, non-binding norms recommended in the 2015 Report of the GGE, as well as to focus on regional capacity-building in implementing these norms. 

11 With regard to capacity building, it is important to have a serious discussion within the Working Group as to how the UN can support all Member States. We need a framework to guide countries to access capacity building programmes. The UN will not be the only provider of capacity building support but the UN can play an important role in disseminating information about various capacity building programmes available around the world. The UN can be a one-stop contact point to guide Member States to where they can find the help they need. It will be useful to have discussions within this Working Group on how the UN can help countries to enhance their capacity in the field of cyber space. Within the UN, Singapore supported the UNODA’s development of a flagship online training course on the use of ICTs in the context of international security. We are also working with the UNODA on a Singapore-UN Cyber Programme which will develop and run an annual Norms Awareness Workshop and a Cyber Policy Scenario Planning Workshop. We remain committed to working with and supporting the UNODA to offer further capacity building programmes.

12 CBMs are another important aspect that we must consider in the Working Group. At the heart of governments’ decision-making in cyberspace are understanding and trust. The 2015 GGE Report placed CBMs at the core of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The Working Group should look at ways to mature and refine CBMs globally to reduce mistrust and increase transparency to help governments make rational judgements and de-escalate tensions during incidents.

13 Regional organisations can also play an important role in both capacity building and CBMs. Within ASEAN, Singapore has been supporting capacity building programmes for countries in Southeast Asia. We have also decided to establish an ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE), which will open in October 2019 during the Singapore International Cyber Week. This centre will be a multidisciplinary centre for capacity building to deal with issues such as CBMs, policy, strategy, legislation, and operations. We believe that the ASEAN centre in Singapore will help to make countries in Southeast Asia better prepared for cyber challenges by sharing information, best practices and by offering mutual support. On CBMs, the ASEAN Regional Forum has established a cybersecurity Points of Contact Directory, and ASEAN is studying the feasibility of establishing an ASEAN Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to address the cyber threats in the region. 

Mr Chairman, 

14 Let me conclude by saying that we have to work together to ensure the success of this Working Group. The work we do here will complement the work of the GGE. Conversely, the work of the GGE will complement the work of this Working Group. We cannot take a zero-sum approach, by emphasising one process over another or by marginalising one over the other. We need both the GGE and the Working Group to succeed and deliver meaningful outcomes. We also need to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach, by engaging other relevant actors, in particular the private sector. Singapore looks forward to the discussions over the next few days, and to working closely with all countries to build partnerships and understanding towards a resilient, rules-based and innovation cybersecurity ecosystem.  

15 I thank you, Mr Chairman.

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