Cyber capacity-building stakeholders have called for cyber resilient development to stimulate action and voluntary commitments to elevate cyber resilience across international and national development agendas as well as promote cyber capacity building that effectively serves the needs and priorities of developing countries.
The call was made on the occasion of the 2023 Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B) which was held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Ghana, on November 29 and 30, 2023, jointly organized by the Government of Ghana, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, and the CyberPeace Institute.
Participants at the GC3B included governments, development donors and partners, multilateral and bilateral financial institutions, international and regional organizations, the private sector, the technical community, civil society, academia, and philanthropic institutions.
At the end of the Conference, participants came up with the Accra Call for Cyber Resilient Development which aims to stimulate action and voluntary commitments to elevate cyber resilience across international and national development agendas as well as promote cyber capacity building that supports broader development goals and effectively serves the needs and priorities of developing countries.
To achieve sustainable development objectives and effectively manage risks, the Accra Call outlines crucial actions which include:
- Encouraging decision-makers across various sectors to prioritize cyber resilience in national and international sustainable development strategies.
- Promoting the integration of cyber resilience into international development programs, including digital risk impact assessments and mitigation plans.
- Accelerating the integration of the cyber capacity building community with the broader development field through structured dialogues and collaboration.
Recognizing the diverse needs of developing countries, the Accra Call also emphasizes tailored cyber capacity building initiatives which includes: designing initiatives that address gaps across policy, technology, legal, and institutional frameworks tailored to each country’s unique context; investing in capacity building that enhances cyber resilience in key sectors, promotes holistic risk management, and addresses the prevalent cybersecurity skills gap; and ensuring that cyber capacity building initiatives are sensitive to gender and other societal dimensions, providing relevant education and skills development.
To tackle the cross-sectoral and interdependent nature of cyber resilience, the Accra Call advocates for strong partnerships and coordination including: fostering the leadership of developing countries in coordinating cyber capacity-building efforts in collaboration with donors and multistakeholder partners; promoting partnerships and market incentives to enhance cyber resilience in developing economies, supporting local cybersecurity markets; and encouraging greater information sharing between the cybersecurity community and development stakeholders to address cyber threats effectively.
Recognizing the need for comprehensive financing options, the Accra Call outlines key actions to be taken which include utilizing a variety of implementation modalities, from technical assistance to loans, to support developing countries in strengthening their cyber resilience capabilities; and systematizing South-South and Triangular cooperation in cyber capacity building to facilitate cost-effective and context-sensitive interventions.
Please visit here to read and download the full outcome document from the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building.
