OEWG 2021-2025 adopts its Final Report
Summing up five years of negotiations, the Final Report reflects the consensus on existing and potential threats, rules, norms and principles of responsible state behaviour, international law, confidence-building measures, and capacity building in a challenging geopolitical environment.
The Open-Ended Working Group on the security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021-2025 (OEWG) has concluded its work in the final session on 11 July 2025 by adopting its Final Report A/AC.292/2025/CRP.1.
Summing up the past five years of negotiations, the Final Report reflects the consensus on existing and potential threats, rules, norms and principles of responsible state behaviour, international law, confidence-building measures, and capacity building in a challenging geopolitical environment. The recommendations in all of the areas call for continued discussions and deepening the understanding of topics, including tangible outcomes of the OEWG 2021-2025, such as the Global Points of Contact (POC) Directory and corresponding Template for Communication. In all of the areas, the Final Report puts great emphasis on the capacity building efforts in its recommendations for future work.
The Final report also sets up a new single track permanent mechanism called ‘Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security and advancing responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs’ that will continue discussions about five pillars of the framework for responsible state behaviour in the use of ICTs. The Global Mechanism, a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly reporting to the First Committee, will start its work by March 2026.
The Global Mechanism will convene in different formats. It will hold substantive plenary sessions once a year during each biennial cycle, work in two dedicated thematic groups (one general, one on capacity building) that will allow for more in-depth discussions to build on the plenary’s work, and hold a review conference every five years. The process also may set up intersessional meetings if needed.
The Final Report also sets up modalities for stakeholder participation in the Global Mechanism. Relevant non-governmental organisations with ECOSOC status can be accredited to participate in the substantive plenary sessions and review conferences of the Global Mechanism, while other stakeholders would have to undergo an accreditation on a non-objection basis.