Open Forum #46 Africa in CyberDiplomacy: Multistakeholder Engagement

Summary

This panel discussion focused on cyber diplomacy in the African context, exploring its importance, challenges, and opportunities. The panelists, including government officials, experts, and parliamentarians, emphasized the growing significance of cybersecurity for Africa’s digital economy and national security. They highlighted that cybercrime costs Africa approximately 10% of its GDP, underscoring the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures.

Key themes emerged around the need for capacity building, international collaboration, and the development of appropriate legislation and policies. The Namibian Minister shared her country’s progress in implementing cybersecurity strategies and legislation, while other panelists stressed the importance of regional cooperation and participation in global cyber diplomacy forums. The discussion also touched on the challenges of limited resources and the need for African countries to balance national security concerns with international collaboration.

Panelists agreed that Africa needs to strengthen its cyber ecosystem, including education and training programs, to reduce dependency on foreign technology providers. They also emphasized the importance of trust-building among nations and the need for multi-stakeholder engagement in cyber diplomacy efforts. The role of parliamentarians in crafting appropriate legislation was highlighted, as was the need for alignment between national, regional, and global cybersecurity initiatives.

The discussion concluded with recommendations for fostering international collaboration, building capacity across various sectors, developing norms and standards, and improving public-private partnerships in cybersecurity. Overall, the panel underscored the critical importance of cyber diplomacy for Africa’s digital future and its role in the global cyber landscape.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– The importance of cyber diplomacy for Africa’s digital economy and security

– Challenges faced by African countries in participating in global cyber diplomacy efforts

– The need for capacity building, legislation, and infrastructure to support cyber security

– The role of collaboration between countries and different stakeholders (government, private sector, civil society)

– Balancing national security concerns with international cooperation on cyber issues

The overall purpose of the discussion was to explore the concept of cyber diplomacy in the African context, highlighting its importance for the continent’s digital development and security while identifying challenges and opportunities for African countries to engage more effectively in global cyber diplomacy efforts.

Speakers

– Mactar Seck, Moderator

– Emma Theofelus, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology of Namibia

– Tereza Horejsova, Senior Outreach Manager at the Global Forum for Cyber Security Expert

– Katherine Getao, Cyber Diplomacy expert at the Diplo Foundation

– Beyza Unal, Head of Science and Technology Unit, UNIDIR

– Susan Ndalama, Member of Parliament of Malawi, member of the African Parliamentarian Network

Cyber Diplomacy in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

This panel discussion explored cyber diplomacy in the African context, highlighting its importance for the continent’s digital development and security while identifying challenges and opportunities for African countries to engage more effectively in global cyber diplomacy efforts. Cyber diplomacy was broadly defined as the intersection of cybersecurity, international relations, and how governments handle diplomatic topics related to cyberspace.

The Importance of Cyber Diplomacy for Africa

The discussion underscored the critical importance of cyber diplomacy for Africa’s digital future and its role in the global cyber landscape. Panelists emphasized the significant economic impact of cybercrime and the urgent need to address cybersecurity issues on the continent.

Challenges Faced by African Countries

Key challenges faced by African countries in participating in global cyber diplomacy efforts include:

1. Low participation in international cyber negotiations

2. Need for funding and prioritization of cybersecurity amid competing interests

3. Limited resources and infrastructure

4. Dependency on foreign technology providers

Emma Theofelus, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology of Namibia, provided insights into Namibia’s efforts to establish cybersecurity foundations. She described their development of a national cyber security strategy, efforts to pass appropriate legislation, and recent experiences with cyber attacks. Theofelus highlighted the difficulties in keeping pace with rapidly evolving cyber threats, developing local expertise, and acquiring necessary equipment and software, all while facing funding constraints and competing national priorities.

Opportunities and Recommendations

Despite the challenges, the panelists identified opportunities for Africa in cyber diplomacy:

1. Exploiting emerging technologies and innovation

2. Strengthening regional cooperation and local capabilities

3. Developing norms and standards for cybersecurity

Recommendations for enhancing cyber diplomacy in Africa included:

1. Implementing comprehensive national cybersecurity strategies

2. Fostering international collaboration to increase African participation in global discussions

3. Investing in capacity building for all relevant actors

4. Building trust at national, regional, and continental levels

5. Improving public-private partnerships

6. Developing and implementing cyber-related legislation and regulatory frameworks

Capacity Building and Resource Allocation

A recurring theme was the need for capacity building and strategic resource allocation. Katherine Getao, Cyber Diplomacy expert at the Diplo Foundation, suggested leveraging foreign service academies for training diplomats in cyber issues. She also proposed using teleconferencing tools to overcome resource constraints and emphasized the importance of online training and courses for capacity building.

Tereza Horejsova, Senior Outreach Manager from the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), highlighted the GFCE’s initiatives in Africa, including regional hubs to connect various stakeholders and efforts to train cyber professionals.

Emma Theofelus stressed the need for a conversation between the Global North and Global South regarding financing of cybersecurity interventions.

Role of Different Stakeholders

The panelists emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement, including parliamentarians, technical agencies, diplomats, the private sector, and youth. Katherine Getao highlighted the potential of Africa’s youth population in driving cybersecurity innovation.

Balancing National Security and International Collaboration

The discussion touched on the delicate balance between protecting national interests and fostering international cooperation. Katherine Getao emphasized the importance of trust-building in international collaboration and suggested that African countries need a strategic approach to technology.

Additional Considerations

1. Beyza Unal, Head of Science and Technology Unit at UNDIR, mentioned the Women in Cyber project, highlighting the importance of gender inclusivity in cybersecurity.

2. The importance of identifying critical infrastructure in national cybersecurity strategies was noted.

3. An audience member suggested converting existing diplomats to cyber diplomacy experts as a potential solution to capacity challenges.

The discussion concluded with recognition of the complex challenges facing African countries in cyber diplomacy, but also with optimism about the continent’s potential to play a larger role in shaping global cyber norms and policies. Continued dialogue, capacity building, and strategic collaboration were emphasized as key to enhancing Africa’s position in the global cyber landscape.

Mactar Seck: Why cybersecurity is a key challenge in the continent? Because when we look at the negative impact in term of economic, cyber crime cost to 10% of the Africa GDP. Today, we are going to discuss cyber diplomacy in the Africa context. Why the subject is very important for the continent is for three reasons. The first, we have seen a lot of progress on digital economy in the African continent. We estimated by 2025, the digital economy will generate approximately $180 billion. But we are facing also several challenges. One of the key challenges now, deep in this digital economy, it is a cyber security, cyber crime. Why? As of today, cyber crime could cost around 10% of the Africa GDP. And we need to overcome this challenge. And we have several orientations for that. First, we need to build the capacity. We need to put in place the key regulatory framework. We need also to collaborate, because cyber security is not in one country. It is at the continental level, at the regional level, and at the world level. And through this, there is a new concept, an evolutive concept. It is called cyber diplomacy. That addresses the intersection between cyber security and international relations. And why today, we are going to discuss this concept. what key achievement and what is an opportunity for Africa to be part in this world discussion, global discussion on cyber diplomacy. As you know, it is a new concept. Today, I have the honor to moderate this panel with Excellency Honorable Minister Emma Theoforis, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology of Namibia. And also, I’m going to have also Mrs. Teresa, Senior Outreach Manager from the Global Forum for Cyber Security Expert. Also of our Honorable Susan, Member of Parliament of Malawi, also member of the African Parliamentarian Network. I’m going to have also Mrs. Beaza, Head of Science and Technology Unit at UNDIR. As well, Katherine Getao, Cyber Diplomacy at the Diplo Foundation. We have five distinguished representative and panelists who represent all across Africa. And they are only female. I think it’s not gender balance, but gender disparity. Now, let me start by, I told at the beginning, it is an evolving concept on cyber diplomacy. We can have several understanding. Before we start our discussion, I would like to ask each of our panelists to give us in one minute, an understanding on cyber diplomacy. I’m going to start by the Honorable Minister.

Emma Theofelus: Okay, all right. Thank you so much, Mactar, and a very good afternoon to everybody here live from IGF in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, and all our listeners and viewers online and participants. Very happy to be discussing this very important aspect of cyber diplomacy in Africa, looking at multi-stakeholder engagement. And in my small definition, I think cyber diplomacy touches on the ability of either states or multi-stakeholder actors, whether it’s intergovernmental organizations, to freely talk about the challenges that come with cybersecurity matters and the ability to converge to try to handle them. I’m talking about skills development. I’m talking about investment of financing. I’m talking about the ability to actually share cooperation between countries when one country is unable to handle cyber incidences. And I think it requires some level of deliberation, some level of discussion, some level of cooperation between institutions and countries to be able to have some cyber diplomacy in order to handle the challenges that come with cyber security. Thank you.

Tereza Horejsova: Thank you very much also, Mactar, for organizing the session. Very important topic, of course. So cyber diplomacy basically is how governments handle new topics that have emerged on the diplomatic agenda in the recent years and how they defend their interests in cyberspace in this respect. And I would like to stress the link to capacity building that Madam Minister has already brought up. Thank you.

Mactar Seck: Thank you very much. I think from my side, a lot has been said. I would say cyber diplomacy is like coordination between governments, whereby we want to make sure that our people are safe on issues of cybersecurity, and also making sure that we can promote friendly relations, especially on the cyberspace. Thank you very much.

Katherine Getao: It’s a pleasure to be here. So I believe cyber diplomacy is the field that will enable us to not only mitigate the risks that you mentioned in cyber security and cyber crime, but also to exploit the huge emerging opportunities for developing countries. We’ve seen that developing countries have really taken up this technology in social areas, like social media, as well as in technical and innovation areas. It forms a framework for collaboration between states, between single state and the private sector, who innovate, own, and manage the technology, and civil society, who are the advocates for emerging issues. And it gives us the areas where we focus, such as emerging technology, the norms and the culture that we adopt as a globe, the confidence building measures that prevent and manage areas of conflict, the development of international law that keeps us all in check, and also enables us to collaborate on very important issues, which you also mentioned, such as capacity building. So I’d say cyber diplomacy is a very broad field that gives us a framework to work on all these areas and create a peaceful, safe and productive cyberspace.

Mactar Seck: Thank you very much. Let me go now to Mrs. Beza.

Beyza Unal: Thank you very much. I completely agree with the other speakers. Coming from the UN side, cyber diplomacy really entails the diplomatic tools and strategies to address issues that relate to the cyberspace in general. And it could entail negotiation of treaties, norms, rules, setting up norms, rules and principles or certain standards. And the whole idea is really to understand what type of guardrails necessary in order for states to work together and to be able to mitigate the risks that emerge in cyberspace. It could also focus on many issues. You mentioned about cybersecurity and cybercrime. It could also include governance of the internet, international cooperation related matters, confidence building matters, capacity building matters, managing threats, as I mentioned. So the topic is really, really broad. Also, cyber diplomacy takes place between states, but multi-stakeholder community also has an important role within the discussion. And also, I would say that The topic itself includes not only the state-to-state relations and how to regulate state-to-state relations, including prevention of state-sponsored cyber attacks, for instance, and so on, but also it could also focus on frameworks to combat non-state actors. The UN Cybercrime Treaty, for instance, is a good example of that. Thanks.

Mactar Seck: All definitions are related to collaboration, capacity building, we have something in common, negotiation, norms, standards, and infrastructure. Now, I’m going to stay with Beyza, because the one issue on cyber diplomacy is the low participation of African countries in international negotiations. We can have examples of the United Nations group of government experts dealing with this issue. Since 2004, we have only eight countries selected in this discussion, in this group, very low compared to the challenge of the continent. Beyza, as you are head of this technology division at UNIDIR, and you work a long time with the UN, can you give us the global picture of the cyber diplomacy at the international level, as well as the participation on Africa please?

Beyza Unal: Yes, sure. So I can focus on the international peace and security elements, the pillar that we focus on in the UN system, which covers the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (INIDIR) mandate. Firstly, perhaps I could just mention a little bit of the evolution of how discussions have evolved within the UN context on cybersecurity issues. Believe it or not, the first resolution actually on cybersecurity was in 1998. So it’s been a very long time. And from 1998 onwards, we had seen a steady involvement of states. So initially, the discussion started in only a number of states being interested in the topic. And now what we’re seeing an inclusive space for all countries to be able to raise their voice on the topic. So from 1998 onwards, we had six group of governmental experts’ meetings. Basically, it means that the number of states that involved on those meetings were limited around 25 states or so. And we also had two open-ended working group (OEWG) meetings which were open to all countries. It was an inclusive intergovernmental multilateral discussion. As I said, each meeting, each intersessional or each multilateral meeting added up to the previous work that’s been done in this space. For instance, in 2015, states agreed to set up 11 voluntary and non-binding norms of responsible state behavior and this is quite important because the framework provides the guardrails of what is acceptable in cyberspace and what is not acceptable. And from 2015 to today if you look at it now the discussions is about norms is about how to implement those norms and whether there are more norms that are necessary. Whether some of the norms should be binding in nature or not. So there’s this great evolution that we’re seeing from states and the last OEWG meeting. The current OEWG started in 2021 and it’s going to be until 2025. It had many achievements so far and I think some of those achievements really relate to the African countries. First of all, I think we should recognize that this OEWG and the previous work that’s been done focus fundamentally on the capacity building element and it’s actually in one of the annual progress reports that was adopted by consensus. It’s acknowledged and recognized that capacity building is part of confidence building measure. So if you want to actually address state to state relations and build confidence, we need to also build capacities. And the draft program itself has a capacity building sub-theme as well that the chair has put together. And one of the elements as an achievement that’s a concrete achievement from this work is that it’s set up a points of contact directly. That’s basically states assigning diplomatic and technical experts. They gave us the name of those experts and we created a directory of that in order to facilitate communication between states in case of a cyber incident, in case they would like to share information with each other but that they don’t know who their counterparts are. Around 111 states have signed up to the POC directory. There are many African states also a part of that POC directory and we would like to increase these numbers so we’re reaching out to developing countries specifically for them to nominate names for us. But the POC directory, the points of contact directory was established in 2023-2024 so it’s only in one year we were able to get 111 states sign up to it so that’s really a good achievement. You also asked me how to increase the participation of African countries in these meetings. It has been always a challenge. One of the things that the chair has been doing is that in the OEWG meetings we are putting the meetings in hybrid format where teleconference setup is established and that really is all about connectivity and inclusivity even if you’re not in the room you would be able to hear what’s happening in the room. It’s not the same as being in the room I completely would agree on that. So as part of the work for instance in UNODA we are reaching to countries that has the capacity and that has the funds to be able to provide us those funds so that we could fly in countries from developed states to developing countries and so on. Ireland, for instance, has been really at the forefront on providing those funds in order to ensure better participation from developing countries in these meetings. There is also, outside of the UN actually, there’s also a women in cyber group that several countries are funding, ensuring that women delegates from developing countries would be able to come into these sessions and speak at these sessions. Thanks to actually that women in cyber initiative, we were able to get 50-50% participation, speaking roles in the OEWG discussions. So it is not perfect, but we’re putting all the efforts in place to ensure that developing countries and their voices are being heard. And also we’re doing everything to develop that a stronger diplomatic presence of those countries are there. Thank you.

Mactar Seck: Thank you very much for this global picture. I’m sure the minister hear you and we’ll see how we can increase the African participation in this negotiation. Now I’m going to give the floor to my dear friend, Honorable Minister Emma. She’s one of the key ministers of ICT in the continent. We are very proud of the work you are doing at national and continental level. We work together since some years. We have seen a lot of progress made by Namibia and also your contribution on the Africa digital agenda. Now, my question is, at the national level, if there is any initiative on cyber diplomacy or you plan to have this initiative in the future?

Emma Theofelus: Thank you so much, Mactar. And thank you to Beyza for giving us a rundown of how the role of multilateralism is very important in trying to achieve cyber diplomacy. And I can almost liken it to corporations that exist in the physical world, the corporations of Interpol in relation to our police agencies across our country, so even corporations of military trainings for various countries that might have advanced technology versus others. And I think that’s very similar to what we’re trying to achieve with the hope of multilateralism as a lever towards cyber diplomacy. So coming back to your question, Mactar, I think in Namibia, we have tried very hard to start with the right foundations because cyber security matters are moving so fast and so quickly that sometimes countries, and especially developing countries, cannot catch up very quickly in terms of ensuring the right legislation is in place, ensuring that it has the right experts in country to deal with possible incidences, having the right equipment and software sometimes because of the lack of funding and the competing interests in country. So in Namibia, we have done one or two things. One, we have tried to put down the right foundations of legislation. We’ve come up with a cyber security strategy that will run until 2025 to coincide with the working group’s timeline until 2025. And now we’re busy revisiting the current strategy to look at the next five years until 2030. And it’s very important for us because our strategies come with an implementation plan. and a costed implementation plan, so there is a commitment from government to put the necessary funding in place to implement the strategy. Secondly, we are busy with our cybercrime bill. It’s currently still with cabinet before it’s tabled in the National Assembly in our parliament, with the hopes that at least by next year we can start with a cybercrime law that is able to govern all cyber matters in the country. And thirdly, that I’d like to mention here, we have successfully implemented a Namibian computer security incidents response team. And this is very important to us because we just experienced a cyber attack two or three days ago. In fact, I was on my way to Riyadh when the cyber attack happened on our telecommunications company and our Ministry of Health. But thankfully because of a NAMSRT that we have established and that we costed and funded towards the tune of 20 million Namibian dollars, they were able to spring into action and now the situation is under control. But a lot of this money went not only to capacity, it went to a lot of equipment, which many a times costs a lot of money and software. And unfortunately for a country like Namibia now, where we’re in a state of emergency, where we’re experiencing our worst drought in 100 years, there’s so many competing interests and many countries are unable to prioritize 20 million of their currency money towards a possible cyberattack they could experience in the near future. And it’s so uncertain, you never know when it’s going to hit as opposed to a state of emergency situation happening at that moment, which many countries are experiencing. So this discussion around… Truly, cyber diplomacy and a multilateralism approach to prioritizing funding around cybersecurity matters is important. And it’s an honest discussion we need to have between developing and developed countries. Because it’s no secret that many of the attacks are coming from cyber hacking organizations in the Global North attacking Global South countries. So how do we ensure that we help developing countries put the necessary safeguards in place with funding that they do not always have to ensure that their critical infrastructure is protected? I’m talking about telecommunications, I’m talking about water infrastructure, electricity grid infrastructure, which could literally cripple developing countries. So these are some of the activities we are doing in our country, but we know too well that we are still not at the level we want to be at. Because if the attacks become frequent, which they will become frequent, in 2023 Namibia experienced 2.7 million cyber attacks. And thankfully, we’re able to contain the majority of them, and they did not do too much damage on our institutions and our economy. But we are seeing that the cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated. The hackers are becoming smarter in the way they target our critical infrastructure. And we just do not always have the necessary funding to wield them off. So thank you for that question, and I hope I’ve painted the picture.

Mactar Seck: Thank you very much. This is a very comprehensive response. I think you are fully right. We need this discussion between the Global South and the Global North about this attack. You are right also on several policies put in place in the country to fight the cyber crime. Now, let me go back to Katherine. You have a long experience in Nairobi, in Kenya, as a representative in a cyber diplomacy group. For you, what are the key challenges and opportunities for African countries in this cyber diplomacy discussion?

Katherine Getao: Well, thank you very much for that question, Moktar, and I’ve been listening to my fellow panelists with interest. Now, I took part in three United Nations Group of Governmental Experts, the 2015, the 2017, and the COVID one that spread all the way from 2019 to 2021 because of the challenges. And I would say that the developing countries, even though there were a few countries represented, there were about three countries per group, although over the whole period there were around eight countries. But their contribution was very significant. First of all, I’d say in 2015, we were sort of disinterested parties because we had the big boys and big girls in the room and they had very clear interests. But Africa came in often as a moderating because we were just looking at the issues. The second thing I would say is that the OEWG was actually born from the 2017 group, even though there was no consensus in that group. There are 11 countries that met and said that we need to allow the whole world to participate in this dialogue because there is no country in the world now that does not have cyber activities in its economy, in society, in government, and therefore all countries should have a chance to participate in global policymaking. And this is even more true for Africa because we know that we have a very young population. 65% of our population is young and they are very digital. They have grown up with this technology. They use it all the time. If I think of Kenya, we use this technology from morning to evening and especially the young. From something as simple as paying for a bus ticket to health issues, our health system is now being managed on mobile to our money. So every part is affected. And when we either receive cyberattacks from inside or outside the country, or when we lose opportunity, for example, we’ve never been able to spread our technology in the whole world, the way you have Visa and MasterCard and the others. There are certain realities in the global field, which means that African technology is not spreading worldwide as it should. So we lose opportunities. So that effort of the developing countries, Senegal, Egypt, Kenya, to say no, not just a few countries, but the whole world was very important. And in the 2021 group, we saw how we could participate. Even it’s the last thing I’ll say, even as I’m participating in this meeting now, using teleconferencing, which means there didn’t have to be a huge investment. So the collaboration and the working together that we need to make cyber diplomacy and cybersecurity a reality on our continent. it does not have to be overly expensive. We can meet and form relationships using this technology in a more cost effective way. So I think there are huge, huge opportunities for Africa and that’s where I like to focus, even as I appreciate the importance of mitigating and defeating the risks created by cyber insecurity and cyber crime.

Mactar Seck: Thank you. Thank you very much. I think we know very well now the challenge, understand very well the challenge faced by African country to be part of this global negotiation and you provide also some takeaway for reflection. Honorable Susan, we learn from the Honorable Minister, we learn from the Honorable Minister, from Catherine and from Biaza, the global picture at the national level, at international level, as well as the challenge and opportunity. As a member of parliament of Malawi and also a member of the African parliamentary network, what role you have seen for the parliamentary in this discussion?

Susan Ndalama: Thank you very much, Doctor. As parliamentarians, we have a very crucial role that we play, especially in coming up with policies, regulations, legislations, as well as on the issues of governance. As members of parliament, most of the times we are left out on these issues and mostly maybe the executive would take up these issues and then maybe have negotiations with other nations, leaving us out as members of parliament. But when we want to come up with the legislation, we want to know what are the… issues that have been agreed upon, what have nations agreed upon, so that when you are coming up with the legislation, it should be in line with those negotiations. So as members of parliament, we belong to different committees. And I believe that if we are able to use these committees as, for instance, the international relations committee, the ICT committee, together with the defense committee, and maybe the trade committee, we should be able to come up with proper legislation, which will be able to, for different countries, to make sure that we are able also to learn from other countries. For instance, what is Namibia doing on issues of, on cyber security? What is Zambia or maybe the neighboring countries doing? So that when we are coming up with that legislation, it should be in line with what our neighbors are also having. We may come up with a legislation, for instance, in Malawi on cyber security. But then when we go to Namibia, we check their legislation. It’s totally, it’s talking differently about what we have in Malawi. For instance, we are talking about cyber security. Most of the issues are happening, not internally, but maybe outside Malawi. In that case, we would want Namibia to help us when those issues happen. How can we be able to come out to work with Namibia? We should be able to come up with a legislation, which will be, can be maybe from both sides, it will be something that will work from both sides. If something happens in Namibia, we should be able to collaborate. We talk to Namibia and say, this has happened and we have noted, this is coming from your country. Help us so that we can be able to. maybe to keep these issues of cyber security. So for me, I would believe that it’s not something that can be done by one stakeholder, but we need to work together with the executive, with CSOs and other non-government organizations to make sure that we collaborate and come up with the best for Africa. If we work in isolation, if we work, maybe the executive works on its own and then the legislators works on their own, then we will not be able to achieve what we want to achieve. So from my side, I would believe that we have the ball in our hands. We are the people that come up with the legislation. We have to be concerted. We have to be together in coming up with the best for Africa. We believe that as members of parliament, you have mentioned about APNIC. We are not only talking about one country in Africa, we are in all countries in Africa. And with that, we believe that we are representing the whole continent of Africa. So we should be able to work together and make sure that every member of parliament, as we have come here, we have learned something. We have discussed this issue. We go out there, share with our colleagues what can be done, what should be done, what can we as legislators take home and then work together as Africa. Otherwise, I think from my side, that’s what I can say. But we are very ready to come up with the best legislation. Namibia has mentioned here that they have come up with the best legislation on the same. So we should be ready to do that. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for that.

Mactar Seck: I think you can start the discussion now. No, you highlight very important thing. Collaboration is a key now in this cyber diplomacy space. Now I’m going to Tereza. As a Global Forum for Cyber Security Expert, you have a lot of initiatives in cyber diplomacy across the world. And also you work with several organizations like the UN Economic Commission for Africa. Can you highlight some key initiatives and their impact in the continent and also what you plan to do with UNECA on this initiative for next year to support better African countries?

Tereza Horejsova: Thank you very much for the question. In your intro, Mactar, you have mentioned a very scary number in terms of how much percentage cybercrime costs Africa, 10% of GDP. That is not a nice number. At the same time, we can observe that many digital projects that are being implemented in Africa, cyber security is still not as much at the focus as it should be. So there seems to be a little bit of a disconnect. And if there is something that we as the GFCE, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, can do in this respect, we will happily do it. Then how? We are a global organization, now over 200 members and partners from various stakeholder groups. We have governments, we have civil society, we have academia, technical community, private sector. Because as you have also mentioned, dear colleague, involvement of various stakeholders in covering this issue, it’s key. It’s not just a question for governments. Now, to zoom in a little bit more, what we felt in the last year is that it’s not us in the headquarters in the Hague who should be telling what countries need in terms of their cyber capacity building, so we are trying to decentralize much more and have a bit more demand driven to cyber capacity building which practically speaking happened through the creation of GFCE hubs, regional hubs and in the context of this session, I of course need to highlight the hub, the regional hub that we have for Africa whose director is Moctar Yedaly and also Martin Koyabe who are here at the IGF and who are working for the hub. What we are actually trying to do a little bit more on the regional level is to help connect the dots a little bit more, help to see if we can practically contribute to better matchmaking, less duplication of efforts because the hub can be those eyes and ears on the continent, can also pass the message you know further to the global community, to implementers and also to donors because very important work that we are trying to do at the GFCE also at the regional level is to work more with the donors so that they align their efforts because something that we’ve been hearing from not only Africa but many other continents is that the donor efforts are not coordinated, they are often ad hoc, they are not complementing each other as efficiently as they could. So that’s a little bit on the context but the bottom line is everything we do comes down to cyber capacity building and cyber capacity building is connected to another issue which is very simple, very practical but also the hardest one and that’s the question of financial resources because much more is needed. One concrete action that we are trying to do in this respect is throughout our efforts of the so-called Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building GC3B which took its first edition place in Ghana, Accra last year and we will have the next one in Geneva in May. The outcome document of the conference has been the so-called Accra call, where we also try to really encourage global community to do some concrete action, which also, by the way, includes the question of unlocking more resources and also understanding that cyber security is really linked to digital resilience and development of countries in question. So other concrete, you know, points that I would really like to mention, especially as you have organized this question, is the MOU, the Memorandum of Understanding that we have signed with UNECA and we are really looking forward to working much more closely and complementing the efforts. I’m also very happy when Beyza mentioned the Women in Cyber project. Indeed, it’s one of those projects where we really believe that immersion does the magic, that we have helped facilitate on behalf of the funding governments participation of so many women from various regions, including Africa, to really get involved in the session of the Open Ended Working Group. So I will maybe stop here and happy to elaborate more in the discussion.

Mactar Seck: Thank you so much for highlighting all these key initiatives in the continent and we’re looking forward to our fruitful collaboration for next year. We already started the establishment of the Cyber Security Center in Togo also. We have to look at how we can include the cyber diplomacy component. Now let me open the floor for first round of observation or questions. Don’t hesitate, we have the experts here. You can ask any question, you will find the answer. I want to take the floor now for the first round of questions. Check online if you have a question.

Audience: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s all the points has been raised so far. So actually, I’m very happy with all the point that’s been raised so far. Well, I have one very good question. And the question goes like this. Since many African countries are highly dependent on foreign technology providers and their cyber security policies. This means that we are being shaped or influenced by SNF actors, including technology companies and foreign governments. What is Africa really doing to liberate himself from this autonomy in shaping its cyber diplomacy strategies and policies? Because I really want us to differentiate between collaboration and dependency. Thank you.

Mactar Seck: Another question. It is a new subject. You have to ask us questions to understand better.

Audience: My name is Francis from Kenya, the Communications Authority of Kenya, which is a regulator. Very interesting discussion from all the panelists. My question is about the need to balance between the need because cyber security issues are now matters of national.

Mactar Seck: Thank you. Let me go back to the panelist, and after I will come back to you. Any other questions here? All right, Honorable Minister, I give you the floor to answer to the second question. And the first one, I think anyone can provide input.

Emma Theofelus: Thank you very much, Mactar. Thank you very much for the question on the balance between national security and collaboration. I think I can liken it in terms of existing security cooperation between various countries. When it comes to, for example, cooperation of countries around Interpol and military exercises of one country being conducted in another country. Of course, one would hope that you don’t compromise your ability to deal with any. so-called enemy, should there be an attack on your national security infrastructure. But I think there is much more value in countries then sharing best practices and learning from one another, especially when there are no hostilities. And I think we can replicate the same around cyber security matters. Perhaps look at ways in which countries can try to strengthen their cyber security systems by allowing a so-called more advanced country to test their systems and possibly look at other ways in which to strengthen them. I think that’s the best way to do it, to do it when there is no time of crisis, when actually you have the ability to handle the situation, to do proper crisis management, when there is no real threat, but you do the necessary exercises to continuously test. It would be a tragedy for a country like Namibia to believe it has the best cyber security systems and then one day there comes a real threat and we don’t. I think I would rather know that we don’t have the best systems because we actually tested upon the best, who also believe they have the best security systems and we can test them. But I also wanted to add that in addition to cooperation with countries, it goes beyond national security matters. It also goes with legal matters. Imagine a hacker who has done significant damage in a country by hacking critical infrastructure, siphoning amounts of money or putting the country’s national security at risk and this person is apprehended in Malawi. It would be best to have a legal instrument between Namibia and Malawi in terms of prosecution. Either this person is prosecuted in Malawi and then served their sentence in Malawi or there is some level of cooperation between our two countries for this cyber criminal to be able to come to Namibia and face the Namibia’s prosecution courts and prisons. So I think those are some types of the cooperation that go beyond just infrastructure and go really around cooperation between our two countries. That if there is a cyber criminal in Malawi, Namibia must be able to claim that criminal so that they can face and face the law in Namibia. So I think those are ways we can cooperate without necessarily having the question of putting our national security at risk.

Mactar Seck: Thank you. For the first question, I think anyone can provide input. Let me start with Beyza for the first question.

Beyza Unal: For the first question, I think the importance in here is focusing on a multifaceted approach for self-sufficiency because the question was about how to decrease dependency to other actors and states. So I think one way of looking at it is really strengthening regional cooperation and also empowering local capabilities. So it would be important to create a cyber ecosystem at the national level, for instance, developing a robust cybersecurity infrastructure at the national level, but also regional and sub-regional levels with countries that are trustworthy, that the country itself trusts, I think should be able to easily cooperate with each other. Another important element of that self-sufficiency and linked to that, creating that cyber ecosystem is really setting up the the training and the education that is necessary for cyber professionals and training the new next generation of cyber professionals. And I think there are there are non-state actors, I mean, NGOs, I should say, not non-state actors, there are NGOs, there are academic organizations that could help with that capacity building to provide that training. So it doesn’t have to be coming directly from another government or country or representative. It could come from the multistakeholder community, which is, which is the good part of that discussion today, that like the role of the multistakeholder community. But it’s really all starts with how a state prioritizes its cyber related matters. So, you know, we could talk about critical infrastructure, there is no definition of a critical infrastructure, every country has different infrastructure for them to be named as critical. We, for instance, go to Singapore for cybersecurity fellowship that we hold there for for developing countries. One of the first things that Singapore says is that the water infrastructure is considered crucial and critical for Singapore. For some countries, it may not be right. So it’s important at the national level. While setting up those national policies to identify, what are the priorities and what are the priorities that need to be protected? What are the infrastructures that are considered critical? And in those infrastructures, what are the networks that need to be protected? Not all of the networks need to be protected under one critical infrastructure setting as well. So we need to also kind of triage, which elements of that needs to be protected. be protected as well. And then I think under that, you need to also establish layers of protection around data protection laws, for instance. And lastly, I would also say, for international cooperation purposes, you know, you can be self-sufficient, but also still relying on other countries, because in a globalized world, it’s impossible to be completely independent from others. And I think it’s not healthy as well. So as a country, it’s important to establish clear boundaries in which areas to share information, for instance, for international cooperation purposes. And if you could be able to do that as a state, then it becomes also easy to rely on countries in the areas that you would like to rely on and be self-sufficient in other areas.

Mactar Seck: Thank you. Thank you. Katherine, you want to add something?

Katherine Getao: Yes, please. So on the first question, yes, it is a concern that when you are totally dependent on the developed world for your technology, obviously, you have to follow the norms and the standards created by those technology providers. So I’d say there are three areas which I believe Africa still has a chance to assert itself, not only as a consumer of technology, but also somebody who drives technology. First is that cyber diplomacy, participating in the development of international policy, which will also affect and control these globalized companies. So part of the reason why Africa should really be involved in cyber diplomacy and international policy, cyber policymaking processes, is to make sure that the emerging policy is coherent with the needs and the priorities of Africa. Secondly, I think there is continental technology that’s coming up. And this is really a chance for Africa to put its money where its mouth is, and even have a preference for African technology, technology that is appropriate for our culture that has been locally developed, that will create jobs for young people in Africa. And this includes, I think several countries have tried to promote open source approaches to technology development. It hasn’t been very successful, but I don’t think we should give up. We should be moving towards an area where we are more in control of the technology that we consume. And lastly, I think Africa has a huge advantage in having the largest youthful population, people who are ready and available to have their capacity built and to become major players, not only in Africa, but globally in supporting systems, in providing cybersecurity, in innovating systems, and in creating the future, even in the adoption of new technologies. So if we have a strategic approach to technology, and not just a passive consumer-based approach, I believe we will address your issues. The only issue I would add on the second question is the issue of trust. It is impossible for countries to work together if they don’t trust each other. And so among our cyber diplomacy efforts, there must be trust building efforts to make sure that countries can trust each other when they need to work together on solving issues which are sensitive to their national security. Thank you.

Tereza Horejsova: If a country anywhere is dependent just on one donor, be it private sector actor or one government, it’s a vulnerable position to be in. And that’s why, again, you know, back to the point I made at the beginning of this session, investing resources in cyber capacity building is our global responsibility. It is not a smart approach, you know, if donors kind of count on others to step in because that can cause messy situations and kind of safer for everybody is if more actors are involved in providing resources and if they communicate with each other to provide the resources based on how the recipient countries define their needs because they know what they need. They don’t need to be taught what they need. Thank you.

Audience: I was not allowed to speak previously. Thank you for the chance and for the floor. So very exciting to hear the success story of the Namibia, the Honorable Minister Adepictus, the very initiative they are really doing on cyber diplomacy arena. They successfully really implemented different strategies even to combat, you know, and then safeguard the national, I’ll say 2.7 million attacks were really successfully contained because they really implemented the cyber diplomacy strategy for the national level. We know that cyber diplomacy is not about cyber security issues, it’s all about international cyber governance, cyber security collaboration, and it’s also digital rights and freedom, and it’s also an issue of economic and technological negotiation. Our Honorable Minister, I think your experience will be really a lesson for the rest of the African countries. So we have a shortage of human resource and human capital, a skilled human capital in this emerging field. How did you manage to bring this skilled manpower so that you incorporated all this essential cyber diplomacy components on board so that your national sovereignty is protected? So that would be really a good lesson for the rest of the African countries. Thank you, Mactar.

Mactar Seck: Thank you.

Audiece: Okay, good afternoon, everyone. My name is Sorin Assefa. I think my question is directed to Katherine. Having an experience as a government representative to be in this negotiation table, and as you know that I think only South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, or Egypt, they are quite active in this diplomatic or UN norm-setting process. What do you think we should have as an innovative solution, converting our ambassadors or existing diplomat to cyber diplomacy, and most importantly, bridging the gap from New York to Geneva and all the way to the home of the African Union? What kind of capacity building strategy we should drive to ensure that with our limited resource, we are catching up with the rest of the world? Thank you.

Mactar Seck: Thank you, Sorin.

Audience: My name is Isad from Chad. I am Pan-African U.S. ambassador for Internet Governance at Pan-African U.S. I’ve been training at Pan-African U.S. for Internet Governance Fellowship, which has been initiated by my esteemed founder. So my question is mainly focused on capacity building, as my founder mentioned it. So what role can international partnership play in strengthening African cybersecurity infrastructure? And how should African nations approach such partnership diplomatically? Thank you.

Tereza Horejsova: Thank you very much. I’ll also try to be brief, because I know we will soon have to end. What the GFCE can offer, it depends also on how many members and partners from the continent we have. So there are, of course, many African countries that are already members of the GFCE, and there are many African organizations that are partners to the GFCE, not many. If we also get more on board, we can try to bring more voices of the African priorities in cyber capacity building to the global audience and encourage international cooperation that you have mentioned in your question. I would suggest that talk to Martin, who has joined us, because he can tell you really so much from the Africa hub point of view, how we can kind of leverage the needs of the continent further. So I hope it’s helpful for these things. And I have to mention, partnership and membership in the GFCE, it’s for free, yes. It’s not like a paid partnership.

Mactar Seck: But we do encourage to have more on board to kind of help us push the mission. OK, Katherine, please.

Katherine Getao: So how can we leverage on the existing meetings? Firstly, I think there are people who are making efforts. GFCE, who have just told us what they do, have done a lot of training, especially at the regional level. DiploFoundation, also supported by GIZ, have also been training the regional bodies and also the AU to make sure that diplomats, because in many cases for African countries, you can’t afford to send a fresh person. So it is usually the in-country diplomat who is already in the UN mission of that country who participates in that process. And if they are not well versed in cyber issues, of course, they will be handicapped. Many of them are also quite overloaded with work in many committees at the UN. So continued capacity building and support of the diplomats who are already at the missions could be an important strategy. And this doesn’t always have to be done face to face, which is expensive. It can also be done through online trainings and courses, which they can follow. We’ve also been trying to influence the foreign service academies, which they have in various countries, and get them to take up these kinds of capacity building activities, whether they’re drawing on the resources which have already been done by GFCE or DiploFoundation, or whether they are supported to develop bespoke courses which are relevant. So the foreign service academies are already there in country, so it will be a matter of building their capacity to also support their diplomats who are coming into the service in the area of cyber diplomacy. The third thing I’ll mention is there usually has to be a lot of collaboration between the technical agencies, such as the CERTs and the cyber security agencies, some of the ICT agencies in country, both in the public sector and private, and also the diplomats who are going to represent the country in these processes. So supporting in-country exercises and in-country trainings that bring all these agencies together so that you familiarize them, you build trust between them, means that you will have higher quality representatives participating in these global processes, because they can also consult. If they know their colleagues at home in the technical sphere or in the diplomatic sphere, depending on who is representing the country, they are quickly able to get the kind of backstop support that they need as they participate in global processes. So those are just a few of the suggestions that I can make that would help us quickly get up to speed. and to participate more effectively and even more aggressively in international processes. Thank you very much.

Susan Ndalama: As parliamentarians, we want to be capacitated with information on how best we can handle these issues. You have rightly said this is a new thing that has just come up and as parliamentarians, we have to be aligned to what our role should be especially when we are coming up with legislation. So we need more capacity building sessions to make sure that we are in line, we are aligned to this and as well as we should be able to have the skills on how we can be part of this cyber diplomacy. Thank you.

Mactar Seck: Thank you. I’ll give the floor now to the Honorable Minister to answer the question and your final remark before we conclude.

Emma Theofelus: Thank you so much Mactar and thank you to the question by Dr. Dereje Yohannes. Thank you. You asked how Namibia has in the meantime been able to defend off some of the cyber attacks especially the ones we experienced last year and of course the one we are now able to handle that just came up with our largest telecommunication company. Well the first one was to ensure we have the right legislation in place. I indicated that we have the cyber security strategy which outlines everybody’s role from public sector actors to private sector actors to civil society and where that money will be coming from and at this point in time it’s mostly coming from treasury. but we’re hoping that we find other alternative ways to get the necessary funding to put the systems in place to support our efforts. Secondly, we have at our National University of Science and Technology, we have a department for Informatics and Computing and there is a four-year degree course on cyber security that has definitely increased the capacity in-country of cyber security graduates and cyber security experts in the country to be able to, one, be able to be deployed in the various institutions, whether in the public sector or private sector, but to have this in-country capacity. But I must also add that we are not yet satisfied because the cyber security space is constantly changing. We need more and more experts, even with the ones we are graduating, we need more. But we also need those that are able to handle the ever-changing landscape, which means we need more that will be working and others that will be continuously studying to ensure that they are constantly capacitated to handle these incidences. So we have mitigated the best we could now, but there is definitely more to be done and it’s a continuous process. Like I said, it’s, you know, investment intensive. It requires one actively prioritizing that we’re going to put X amount of million Namibian dollars to ensure that the necessary skill set in the country exists and to ensure that we’re able to mitigate any cyber incidences. And finally, I’d like to thank UNECA and all partners for convening this very important discussion. But I want to emphasize truly that when it comes to multilateralism and the Global North and Global South conversation about the financing of cyber security interventions, we must look at the various contributing factors as to why developing countries are unable to prioritise cyber security, where they are unable to put the necessary financing in place, where they are unable to put courses in their national universities with experts, and this comes down to the ability of those countries to service some of their international financing loans, which attract higher interest more than any other countries on the planet, and the ability for these countries to prioritise because many times they are repaying loans as opposed to investing in areas that matter to protect their critical infrastructure.

Mactar Seck: Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Honourable Minister, and we are at the end of this session. Now, for takeaway, we agreed during the discussion that cyber diplomacy, the key objective is to enhance global security at the national level, regional and the world level. It is one key objective of this cyber diplomacy. Also, to promote safeguard in the cyber space, it is something very important we discuss, as well as to safeguard human rights, because we have the direct link between cybersecurity and human rights. And for that, following the several discussions, we can have some key recommendations. First, for that, we need to put in place the right strategy, like what Namibia is doing now. Also, we have to foster international collaboration to increase participation in Africa in the global discussion on the cyber diplomacy. Second recommendation, capacity building is a key, and we need to build the capacity of all actors, starting by the policy making, the parliamentarian, law judicial corps, all people involved in this digital space should be, their capacity should be built. Another point, it is we have to build trust, because when we talk about international collaboration without trust, it will not work. We need to build trust at the national level first, at the sub-regional and the continental level. And also, we need to improve the collaboration between private and partnership forces, private and public sector, we need to collaborate together to put in place the right infrastructure, because we need also to develop the norm and the standard, which is very important in terms of cybersecurity. It is some key takeaways from this meeting. This session, I would like to thank all the panelists for their very good insights. I learned a lot from them today. And thank you once again for the members of the panel, and the round of applause of them. Thank you also, participants, for your active participation.

Agreement Points

Importance of cyber diplomacy

Mactar Seck

Emma Theofelus

Tereza Horejsova

Katherine Getao

Beyza Unal

Cyber diplomacy addresses intersection of cybersecurity and international relations

Involves ability of states and stakeholders to discuss cybersecurity challenges

Focuses on how governments handle new diplomatic topics related to cyberspace

Provides framework for collaboration between states, private sector, and civil society

Entails diplomatic tools to address cyberspace issues like treaties and norms

All speakers agreed on the importance of cyber diplomacy as a means to address cybersecurity challenges through international cooperation and dialogue.

Need for capacity building

Emma Theofelus

Tereza Horejsova

Susan Ndalama

Need for funding and prioritization of cybersecurity amid competing interests

Need for capacity building and training of cyber professionals

Invest in capacity building for all relevant actors

Multiple speakers emphasized the importance of capacity building and training in cybersecurity to enhance cyber diplomacy efforts.

Multi-stakeholder engagement

Emma Theofelus

Katherine Getao

Susan Ndalama

Importance of multi-stakeholder engagement including private sector

Provides framework for collaboration between states, private sector, and civil society

Parliamentarians play crucial role in policies and legislation

Several speakers highlighted the importance of involving various stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, and parliamentarians, in cyber diplomacy efforts.

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the need for strategic approaches and international collaboration to enhance Africa’s participation in global cyber diplomacy discussions.

Mactar Seck

Emma Theofelus

Put in place right strategy, like what Namibia is doing now. Also, we have to foster international collaboration to increase participation in Africa in the global discussion on the cyber diplomacy.

Improve public-private partnerships

Both speakers stressed the importance of building trust and strengthening cooperation at various levels to enhance cyber diplomacy efforts.

Katherine Getao

Beyza Unal

Build trust at national, regional and continental levels

Importance of strengthening regional cooperation and local capabilities

Unexpected Consensus

Role of youth in cyber initiatives

Katherine Getao

Need to involve youth population in cyber initiatives

While not explicitly mentioned by other speakers, Katherine Getao’s emphasis on involving the young population in cyber initiatives was an unexpected point that could have significant implications for the future of cyber diplomacy in Africa.

Overall Assessment

Summary

The speakers generally agreed on the importance of cyber diplomacy, the need for capacity building, multi-stakeholder engagement, and international collaboration. There was also consensus on the challenges faced by African countries in participating in global cyber diplomacy discussions and the need for strategic approaches to address these challenges.

Consensus level

High level of consensus among speakers, with agreement on key issues and challenges. This consensus suggests a shared understanding of the importance of cyber diplomacy for Africa and the need for concerted efforts to enhance African participation in global cyber diplomacy discussions. The implications of this consensus include potential for coordinated action among African countries to strengthen their cyber diplomacy capabilities and increase their influence in international cybersecurity negotiations.

Different Viewpoints

Approach to reducing dependency on foreign technology

Beyza Unal

Katherine Getao

Importance of strengthening regional cooperation and local capabilities

Opportunity for Africa to exploit emerging technologies and innovation

While both speakers emphasize the importance of local capabilities, Beyza Unal focuses on regional cooperation, while Katherine Getao emphasizes exploiting emerging technologies and innovation.

Unexpected Differences

Overall Assessment

summary

The main areas of disagreement were subtle and primarily focused on different emphases rather than outright contradictions. Speakers generally agreed on the importance of cyber diplomacy, capacity building, and regional cooperation, but had slightly different approaches or focus areas.

difference_level

The level of disagreement among the speakers was low. This suggests a general consensus on the importance of cyber diplomacy for Africa and the need for increased participation and capacity building. The slight differences in emphasis may actually be complementary, potentially leading to a more comprehensive approach to cyber diplomacy in Africa.

Partial Agreements

Both speakers agree on the need for investment in cybersecurity, but Emma Theofelus emphasizes the challenge of securing funding amid competing national priorities, while Tereza Horejsova focuses on the specific need for capacity building and training.

Emma Theofelus

Tereza Horejsova

Need for funding and prioritization of cybersecurity amid competing interests

Need for capacity building and training of cyber professionals

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the need for strategic approaches and international collaboration to enhance Africa’s participation in global cyber diplomacy discussions.

Mactar Seck

Emma Theofelus

Put in place right strategy, like what Namibia is doing now. Also, we have to foster international collaboration to increase participation in Africa in the global discussion on the cyber diplomacy.

Improve public-private partnerships

Both speakers stressed the importance of building trust and strengthening cooperation at various levels to enhance cyber diplomacy efforts.

Katherine Getao

Beyza Unal

Build trust at national, regional and continental levels

Importance of strengthening regional cooperation and local capabilities

Key Takeaways

Cyber diplomacy is crucial for enhancing global cybersecurity at national, regional and international levels

Africa faces challenges in cyber diplomacy including low participation in international negotiations and lack of resources

Capacity building is essential for improving Africa’s cyber diplomacy capabilities

Multi-stakeholder collaboration and trust-building are key for effective cyber diplomacy

Africa has opportunities to assert itself in shaping cyber policies and technologies

Resolutions and Action Items

Put in place comprehensive national cybersecurity strategies

Increase African participation in global cyber diplomacy discussions

Invest in capacity building for policymakers, parliamentarians, and technical experts

Develop public-private partnerships to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure

Create and implement cyber-related legislation and regulatory frameworks

Unresolved Issues

How to secure adequate funding for cybersecurity initiatives in African countries with competing priorities

How to reduce dependency on foreign technology providers while building local capabilities

How to effectively bridge the gap between technical experts and diplomats in cyber negotiations

How to increase the number of skilled cyber professionals in African countries

Suggested Compromises

Balancing national security concerns with international collaboration on cybersecurity

Leveraging existing diplomatic missions for cyber diplomacy while building specialized cyber expertise

Utilizing both in-person and online training to build capacity cost-effectively

Combining local technology development with strategic international partnerships

Why cyber security is a key challenge in the continent? Because when we look at the negative impact in term of economic, cyber crime cost to 10% of the Africa GDP.

speaker

Mactar Seck

reason

This comment sets the stage for the entire discussion by highlighting the massive economic impact of cybercrime in Africa, emphasizing the urgency of addressing cybersecurity issues.

impact

It framed the subsequent discussion around the economic implications of cybersecurity and the need for Africa to take action.

Cyber diplomacy basically is how do governments handle new topics that have emerged on the diplomatic agenda in the recent years and how they kind of defend their interest in cyberspace in this respect.

speaker

Tereza Horejsova

reason

This concise definition of cyber diplomacy helps ground the discussion in concrete terms and highlights the governmental aspect.

impact

It shifted the conversation towards discussing specific governmental actions and international cooperation in cybersecurity.

In Namibia, we have tried very hard to start with the right foundations because cyber security matters are moving so fast and so quickly that sometimes countries, and especially developing countries, cannot catch up very quickly in terms of ensuring the right legislation is in place, ensuring that it has the right experts in country to deal with possible incidences, having the right equipment and software sometimes because of the lack of funding and the competing interests in country.

speaker

Emma Theofelus

reason

This comment provides a real-world example of the challenges faced by African countries in implementing cybersecurity measures, highlighting the complexity of the issue.

impact

It deepened the discussion by introducing practical challenges and the need for comprehensive strategies, leading to more detailed exploration of capacity building and resource allocation.

Even as I’m participating in this meeting now, using teleconferencing, which means there didn’t have to be a huge investment. So the collaboration and the working together that we need to make cyber diplomacy and cybersecurity a reality on our continent does not have to be overly expensive.

speaker

Katherine Getao

reason

This comment introduces an innovative perspective on how technology itself can be leveraged to overcome resource constraints in cyber diplomacy.

impact

It shifted the conversation towards more practical, cost-effective solutions for increasing African participation in global cyber diplomacy discussions.

Since many African countries are highly dependent on foreign technology providers and their cyber security policies. This means that we are being shaped or influenced by SNF actors, including technology companies and foreign governments. What is Africa really doing to liberate himself from this autonomy in shaping its cyber diplomacy strategies and policies?

speaker

Audience member

reason

This question challenges the panel to address the issue of technological dependency and its impact on Africa’s cyber diplomacy autonomy.

impact

It led to a deeper discussion about self-sufficiency, regional cooperation, and the need for Africa to develop its own technological capabilities and policies.

Overall Assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by progressively deepening the analysis of cyber diplomacy in Africa. They moved the conversation from defining the problem and its economic impact to exploring practical challenges, innovative solutions, and the need for African autonomy in cybersecurity. The discussion evolved from theoretical concepts to real-world applications, emphasizing the importance of capacity building, resource allocation, and regional cooperation. The comments also highlighted the tension between the need for international collaboration and the desire for African countries to develop their own capabilities and policies in the cyber realm.

How can African countries decrease dependency on foreign technology providers and shape their own cyber diplomacy strategies?

speaker

Audience member (Dr. Yohannes)

explanation

This is important to ensure African countries have autonomy in shaping their cyber policies and are not overly influenced by external actors.

How can countries balance national security concerns with the need for international collaboration on cybersecurity?

speaker

Audience member (Francis from Kenya)

explanation

This balance is crucial for effective cyber diplomacy while protecting national interests.

What innovative solutions can be implemented to convert existing diplomats to cyber diplomacy and bridge the gap between different international forums?

speaker

Audience member (Sorin Assefa)

explanation

This is important for increasing African representation and effectiveness in international cyber diplomacy negotiations.

What role can international partnerships play in strengthening African cybersecurity infrastructure?

speaker

Audience member (Isad from Chad)

explanation

International partnerships could be key to addressing resource and expertise gaps in African cybersecurity.

How can African countries approach international partnerships diplomatically in the context of cybersecurity?

speaker

Audience member (Isad from Chad)

explanation

This is important for ensuring mutually beneficial and respectful partnerships in cybersecurity.

How can African countries find alternative ways to fund cybersecurity efforts beyond relying on national treasuries?

speaker

Emma Theofelus

explanation

This is crucial for sustaining and expanding cybersecurity initiatives in resource-constrained environments.

How can the impact of international financing loans and debt repayment on African countries’ ability to invest in cybersecurity be addressed?

speaker

Emma Theofelus

explanation

This is important for understanding and addressing systemic barriers to cybersecurity investment in African countries.