The new guardians of cyberspace

The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace debuts today.

As conflicts between states are now moving to the cyberspace, the peaceful use of the Internet and technology is threatened putting our freedoms, economies, and security at stake. Given the plethora of actors and players, finding solutions is challenging. It’s a complex ecosystem that the newly launched Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace wants protect and help move forward for the good of all.

The Global Commission, launched today on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference 2017, is a unique initiative that brings together key voices representing government, industry, academia and civil society. It aims to create policy recommendations and norms of responsible behaviors that are coherent and broadly supported by all stakeholders to enhance the stability and security of cyberspace.

The initiative was announced by the government of the Netherlands, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) and the EastWest Institute (EWI) with principal supporters including the Internet Society (ISOC) and Microsoft.

“Cyberspace is becoming increasingly exploited. It requires greater coordination among us all. It needs the development of norms to provide a stable and secure environment. So we can all benefit,” said Bert Koenders, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

We are on the threshold of a new era. It’s time to safeguard our cyberspace.

The Global Commission, to be based in The Hague, will be chaired by Marina Kaljurand, former Foreign Minister of Estonia, and will be comprised of over two dozen prominent independent commissioners, from over 15 countries, with the expertise and legitimacy to speak on different aspects of cyberspace.

“As cyberspace continues to rapidly evolve, it offers distinct advantages to our way of life while also posing specific threats,” said Kaljurand. “It is for this reason that this body was devised as a means to ensure the exchange of knowledge and ideas between governments, the business community, academia and concerned citizens. Each is affected by, and has a contributing role to play, in shaping cyberspace.”

Co-chairs are Michael Chertoff, former US Scretary of Homeland Security, and Latha Reddy, former Indian Deputy National Security Adviser. Among the commissioners, former Swedish prime minister and foreign minister Carl Bildt, Joseph Nye and Jonathan Zittrain of the HarvardKennedySchool at Harvard University, Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake, and Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, former Senior Special Assistant Innovation & Technology to the National Security Adviser to the President of Nigeria. Google’s Vint Cerf is a special adviser.