Over the past year, the EU has taken concrete steps to strengthen its cyber and digital posture. At the global level, the international community has been engaged in three major processes aimed at 1) strengthening accountability in cyberspace through a framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace (Open-Ended Working Group on Cyber), 2) adopting new rules to counter cybercrime and boost criminal justice responses (Ad-Hoc Committee on Cybercrime), and 3) developing shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all (Global Digital Compact).
Although these processes represent only a fraction of various conversations about the future of cyberspace, collectively they are likely to impact the future of cyberspace and trajectory of international cooperation in this domain. Paradoxically, although they unfold under the UN umbrella, they are also used as platforms for contestation of the existing rules-based international order and to undermine the multilateral cooperation. At the same time, the international environment has significantly evolved: with big players like Russia and China becoming even more assertive and the newcomers more demanding.
The confluence of these elements raises important questions about the future of cyberspace and the EU’s role in shaping the evolution of this domain. Consequently, the aim of this year’s European Cyber Diplomacy Dialogue (ECDD) is to identify trends, anticipate the most critical challenges for international cooperation in cyberspace and reflect on the EU’s role in this rapidly evolving environment.
This year’s edition of the ECDD, organised by the EU Cyber Direct – EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative and the EUI School of Transnational Governance, is designed to provide a maximum space for open and frank discussion. Together with non-governmental experts and their input, the aim is to identify the most important ideas concerning the future of cyberspace and jointly look for out-of-the-box, even controversial, solutions that will pave the way forward for the EU’s cyber diplomacy.
Participation in this event is by invitation only.