U.S. Efforts in Strengthening ICT Infrastructure and Cyber Capacity Worldwide

ACTION AREA 4: Strengthen and Build International Partner Digital Policy and Cyber Capacity

Digital and cyber capacity building activities are powerful signs of digital solidarity in action. They assist partners build secure, diverse, and resilient ICT infrastructure and grow global markets for interoperable, secure ICT goods and services. They are also critical for emerging economies to achieve the SDGs.

Adversaries, and the PRC in particular, understand this and look to out-match the United States and like-minded partners by offering holistic support for ICT development from full package training programs to higher-level education and scholarships. The Department of State, working with other federal agencies, international allies and partners, and the private sector, seeks to mobilize technology as well as processes and people in support of our partners’ economic and development goals. This assistance often has a catalytic effect, encouraging partner countries to prioritize and invest further in cybersecurity and resilience. It also increases understanding of the benefits of the cybersecurity and digital policy approaches advocated by the United States.

In an effort to increase digital solidarity in the realm of foreign assistance, USAID launched the Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age in partnership with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and in collaboration with the Department of State. These principles – endorsed by 38 partner governments – offer a unified framework and set of benchmarks to promote an inclusive, rights-respecting approach to foreign assistance on digital issues.

To achieve our goals, we must work to ensure we can act quickly and effectively in supporting foreign partners’ needs for incident response, trusted infrastructure development, and capacity building.