CBM 6: Best practice exchange

Background: Introduced in the third APR (2024), this CBM seeks to promote communication and mutual understanding by encouraging regular organization of seminars, workshops, and training programs on ICT security issues.360

Practice: Such workshops, training programmes, and seminars are a typical capacity building activity, thus, this CBM is connected to CBM 5. As with CBM 5, this CBM has not yet been explicitly implemented, but it builds on countless bilateral, regional, and multilateral training activities implicitly fulfilling this CBMs’ implementation widely. In an implicit manner activities by UNIDIR contribute to implementing this CBM by regularly facilitating trainings and events, one specific example is its “training on norms, international law and cyberspace”-course to deepen understanding of this framework and to assist member states for example in the development of national positions on how international law applies in the cyber domain contributing to building capacities as well as confidence.361 The OEWG has also served as a venue for information exchange on such efforts, particularly under its capacity-building agenda item. The above-mentioned possible establishment of a dedicated GSCCP could further enhance coordination of these efforts and thus implicitly contribute to the implementation of this CBM since it is proposed that this portal could be “a central location for providing practical information on ICT security events to foster the active participation of States.”362 This CBM also connects to CBM 1, since states have acknowledged “Capacity-building activities such as training sessions, seminars and other initiatives were noted as useful for strengthening expertise, knowledge and cooperation, which would in turn allow for more effective engagement in the directory.”363

• States already participate in seminars, workshops, training programmes, and side events that strengthen cyber capacity and thus implicitly support implementation of the UN framework.

• Implementation is implicitly supported by capacity-building activities organised by UNIDIR, ITU, and other organisations, as well as proposals for a future global portal to coordinate ICT security training opportunities.