Leaders TalkX: Towards a safer connected world: collaborative strategies to strengthen digital trust and cyber resilience

Summary

This Leaders’ Talk focused on cybersecurity and collaborative strategies to strengthen digital trust and cyber resilience in our connected world. The discussion, moderated by Lucien Castex, brought together government officials and cybersecurity experts from multiple countries to share best practices and concrete solutions for enhancing online safety.

Malaysia’s Minister Fahmi Fadzil highlighted ASEAN’s collaborative approach to developing guidelines for safe and responsible social media use, emphasizing that “Big Tech is not bigger than our laws” and that sovereign nations must enforce their regulations. Greece’s representative discussed the implementation of the NIS2 Directive, noting Greece’s maximum score of 20 points in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index and their comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy that supports SMEs through tailored compliance guidance.

India’s Anil Kumar Lahoti explained their cross-sectoral cooperation model, describing how the National Cyber Security Coordination Center (NCCC) works with various sectors to share threat intelligence and coordinate responses. Lithuania’s Jurate Soviene presented two successful initiatives: the “No One Is Left Behind” digital skills project for seniors and a collaborative anti-scam effort involving telecom operators, police, and financial institutions.

Thailand’s representative outlined their regulatory sandbox approach and public-private partnerships in healthcare and digital identity, while Spain’s virtual participant described their holistic cybersecurity model and international cooperation programs, including cybersecurity training camps that have reached over 20,000 students. The Internet Society’s Sally Wentworth emphasized that no single actor can secure the internet alone, highlighting the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration involving education, standards development, and civil society support.

The session concluded with Trust Valley’s Lennig Pedron discussing public-private partnerships and their work supporting over 250 innovative companies in digital trust and cybersecurity. The discussion demonstrated that effective cybersecurity requires coordinated efforts across sectors, borders, and stakeholder groups to build a safer digital future for all.

Keypoints

**Major Discussion Points:**

– **Digital Sovereignty and Regulatory Frameworks**: Multiple speakers emphasized the importance of national laws governing big tech companies, with Malaysia’s Minister Fadzil stating “Big Tech is not bigger than our laws” and discussing ASEAN’s collaborative approach to social media guidelines. Greece detailed their implementation of the NIS2 Directive as part of EU-wide cybersecurity coordination.

– **Cross-Sector Collaboration and Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation**: India presented concrete examples of inter-sectoral coordination through their National Cyber Security Coordination Center (NCCC), while speakers consistently emphasized that no single actor can secure the internet alone – requiring cooperation between government, private sector, academia, and civil society.

– **Inclusive Digital Development and Protecting Vulnerable Groups**: Lithuania shared their “No One Is Left Behind” project targeting seniors, while Thailand discussed regulatory sandboxes and public-private partnerships. The focus was on ensuring cybersecurity measures don’t exclude vulnerable populations from digital participation.

– **Practical Implementation Strategies and Concrete Use Cases**: Speakers provided specific examples of successful initiatives, from Spain’s international cooperation programs training over 20,000 students, to Trust Valley’s support of 250+ innovative companies, to Thailand’s MobileID platform for secure digital identity.

– **International Cooperation and Capacity Building**: The discussion highlighted various international partnerships, from Spain’s work with the Organization of American States to ASEAN’s collective approach, emphasizing that cybersecurity threats require coordinated global responses.

**Overall Purpose:**

The discussion aimed to explore collaborative strategies for strengthening digital trust and cyber resilience globally, sharing best practices and concrete solutions among international stakeholders as part of the WSIS+20 review process.

**Overall Tone:**

The tone was consistently professional, collaborative, and solution-oriented throughout. Speakers maintained an optimistic yet realistic approach, acknowledging challenges while emphasizing successful examples and the importance of working together. The moderator’s closing remarks reinforced this constructive tone by encouraging bold ideas and concrete action, referencing Jules Verne’s quote about imagination and implementation.

Speakers

– **Introduction**: Role/Title: Not specified, Area of expertise: Event coordination/moderation

– **Lucien Castex**: Role/Title: Moderator for the Leaders’ Talks session, Area of expertise: Session moderation and cybersecurity discussions

– **Fahmi Fadzil**: Role/Title: Minister (Malaysia), Area of expertise: Social media regulation and ASEAN digital policy

– **Dimitris Papastergiou**: Role/Title: Minister (Greece), Area of expertise: Cybersecurity implementation and NIS2 Directive

– **Anil Kumar Lahoti**: Role/Title: Not specified (India representative), Area of expertise: Cyber resilience and cross-sector cooperation

– **Jurate Soviene**: Role/Title: Not specified (Lithuania representative), Area of expertise: Digital trust, cyber resilience, and digital inclusion

– **Trairat Viriyasirikul**: Role/Title: Representative of telecommunications regulatory body (Thailand), Area of expertise: ICT development and public-private sector collaboration

– **Sally Wentworth**: Role/Title: Representative of Internet Society, Area of expertise: Internet safety, security, and global Internet governance

– **Lennig Pedron**: Role/Title: Representative of Trust Valley, Area of expertise: Digital trust, cybersecurity, and public-private partnerships

– **Matias Gonzalez**: Role/Title: H.E. Mr. (Spain representative), Area of expertise: Cybersecurity policy and international cooperation

Additional speakers:

None identified beyond the provided speakers names list.

# Comprehensive Report: Leaders’ Talk on Cybersecurity and Digital Trust

## Executive Summary

This Leaders’ Talk session, part of the WSIS+20 high-level event held at Palexpo in Geneva, was moderated by Lucien Castex and brought together government officials and cybersecurity experts from multiple countries to explore collaborative strategies for strengthening digital trust and cyber resilience. The discussion, conducted with interpretation in six languages, featured representatives from Malaysia, Greece, India, Lithuania, Thailand, Spain, the Internet Society, and Trust Valley, each sharing national approaches and best practices for enhancing online safety through multi-stakeholder cooperation.

The session maintained a collaborative tone throughout, with speakers presenting their respective countries’ and organizations’ approaches to cybersecurity challenges while emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and cross-sector collaboration.

## Key Themes and Major Discussion Points

### Digital Sovereignty and National Regulatory Frameworks

Malaysia’s Minister Fahmi Fadzil opened the substantive discussion by emphasizing national sovereignty in technology governance: “Big Tech is not bigger than our laws. Nations, sovereign nations, have laws and these laws need to be adhered. There are regulations that have been put in place for safety, for security, and Big Tech must listen to our laws.”

Minister Fadzil explained ASEAN’s collaborative approach to developing guidelines for safe and responsible social media use, noting that smaller countries like Malaysia (with 35 million people) compared to Indonesia (with over 300 million) can gain stronger negotiating power through regional cooperation. He highlighted the upcoming Kuala Lumpur declaration on social media guidelines, set to take effect at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October. He also referenced President Macron’s speech about algorithms choosing our future, emphasizing the need for human agency in digital governance.

Greece’s representative, Dimitris Papastergiou, described Greece’s comprehensive approach to cybersecurity, noting their achievement of the maximum score of 20 points in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index. Greece’s strategy encompasses the implementation of the NIS2 Directive as part of EU-wide cybersecurity coordination, with particular attention to supporting small and medium enterprises through tailored compliance guidance.

“For us, cyber security is no longer just a technical matter. It is a strategic pillar of national resilience and digital sovereignty,” Papastergiou explained, connecting cybersecurity to broader democratic institutions, public safety, and social cohesion.

Spain’s virtual participant, Matias Gonzalez, described their holistic cybersecurity model that achieved Tier 1 status in the Global Cybersecurity Index through comprehensive legal, technical, organisational, and cooperation measures. He noted that Spain’s constitutional protection of communications dates back to 1978, providing a strong legal foundation for cybersecurity efforts. Spain’s approach includes extensive international cooperation programmes, such as the OAS Cybersecurity Summer Good Camp, which has reached over 20,000 students across nine editions.

Thailand’s representative, Trairat Viriyasirikul, presented their regulatory sandbox framework, which allows private sector testing of advanced technologies with regulatory support. This approach emphasises co-creation, shared responsibility, and public value through partnerships, particularly in healthcare and digital identity sectors. He specifically mentioned Thailand’s MobileID platform as a national digital identity solution.

### Cross-Sector Collaboration and Institutional Mechanisms

India’s representative, Anil Kumar Lahoti, provided detailed insights into their institutional mechanisms for managing cybersecurity across sectors. He explained how India’s National Cyber Security Coordination Center (NCCC) serves as the nodal agency for real-time situational awareness and coordination of cybersecurity incidents across all sectors and states. The NCCC works in conjunction with the Telecom Security Operations Center (TSOC), which focuses specifically on telecom infrastructure security.

“Cross-sectoral cooperation is essential for cyber resilience due to interconnected critical infrastructures and cascading effects of cyber attacks,” Lahoti emphasised, describing how cyber incidents in one sector can rapidly affect others due to the interconnected nature of modern digital infrastructure.

Lithuania’s representative, Jurate Soviene, provided practical insights into collaboration challenges: “But let’s be honest, saying let’s collaborate is easy, doing it is much harder. And someone has to take the first step and someone has to lead. And I believe this is exactly where regulators should step in.”

Soviene advocated for regulators to be “brave, creative and less bureaucratic” in driving meaningful collaboration, challenging traditional approaches to regulatory oversight.

### Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation and Global Perspectives

Sally Wentworth from the Internet Society provided a comprehensive systems-thinking perspective: “There’s no one actor in the ecosystem that can secure the internet for everyone. It’s not going to happen that way. We need technologists and experts. We need research. We need government commitment and strategies. We need industry investment. We need the voice of civil society.”

This multi-stakeholder framework was reinforced by Trust Valley’s Lennig Pedron, who described their organization as founded by the Geneva and Vaud states, bringing together over 400 global partners to support more than 250 innovative companies in digital trust and cybersecurity. Pedron emphasised the importance of neutral platforms that can effectively balance the interests of governments, private sector, and academia.

### Digital Inclusion and Protecting Vulnerable Populations

Lithuania presented their “No One Is Left Behind” project through a video presentation featuring AI-generated historical figures, demonstrating a national movement involving over 160 partners focused on helping seniors gain digital skills and confidence.

“We have created a national movement where we have more than 160 partners who are helping seniors to get digital skills, to get confidence, to get trust in digital solutions,” Soviene explained, demonstrating how cybersecurity initiatives can be designed to promote rather than hinder digital inclusion.

Lithuania also shared their collaborative approach to tackling scams, which involves telecom operators, police, prosecutors, cybersecurity agencies, and the national bank working together to protect citizens from digital fraud.

Sally Wentworth from the Internet Society reinforced this theme, explaining their focus on education for vulnerable populations and ensuring communities can come online safely. She highlighted the Internet Society’s co-fund initiative with the Global Cyber Alliance to support traditionally underfunded civil society groups that are integral to online safety and security.

### International Cooperation and Capacity Building

The discussion highlighted numerous examples of international partnerships and capacity-building initiatives. Spain’s work with the Organization of American States demonstrated how countries can extend their cybersecurity expertise globally, including a Women’s Cyber programme and cooperation with the Arab Academy.

ASEAN’s collective approach to social media guidelines, as described by Malaysia’s Minister Fadzil, exemplified how regional cooperation can strengthen individual countries’ negotiating positions with global technology companies.

Greece’s participation in EU-wide cybersecurity coordination through the NIS2 Directive showed how supranational frameworks can provide structure and standards whilst allowing for national implementation flexibility.

The Internet Society’s global perspective emphasised the importance of technical standards development through open processes and the robust adoption of security protocols like encryption and routing security.

## Areas of Consensus and Shared Approaches

The discussion revealed strong consensus on several fundamental principles. All speakers agreed that multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential for cybersecurity and digital trust, with no single actor capable of securing the internet alone.

There was broad agreement on the importance of cross-sector coordination due to the interconnected nature of modern digital infrastructure. Speakers consistently emphasised that cyber attacks can have cascading effects across multiple domains, requiring coordinated responses.

International cooperation emerged as another area of strong consensus, with speakers recognising that cybersecurity threats require coordinated global responses through various regional cooperation initiatives, bilateral partnerships, and multilateral frameworks.

Public-private partnerships were consistently emphasised as crucial for fostering innovation whilst maintaining security and regulatory compliance.

## Practical Implementation Examples

Throughout the discussion, speakers provided specific examples of successful initiatives. Spain’s international cooperation programmes, including their cybersecurity training camps and the upcoming 10th edition of their Summer Good Camp, demonstrated sustained commitment to capacity building.

Trust Valley’s work with over 250 innovative companies through concrete programmes showed how intermediary organisations can provide sustained support for cybersecurity innovation through neutral platforms for public-private partnerships.

Greece’s implementation of the NIS2 Directive with tailored compliance guidance for SMEs provided a model for balancing comprehensive national cybersecurity standards with practical support for different types of organisations.

India’s systematic approach through the NCCC and TSOC demonstrated how countries can create formal institutional structures for ongoing collaboration rather than ad-hoc responses to cyber incidents.

## Key Takeaways and Ongoing Initiatives

The discussion highlighted several concrete ongoing initiatives. ASEAN’s Kuala Lumpur declaration on social media guidelines is set to take effect at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October. Greece continues implementing the NIS2 Directive with SME-focused compliance guidance. Spain is preparing their 10th Cybersecurity Summer Good Camp edition, demonstrating the sustainability of international capacity-building programmes.

Trust Valley continues supporting over 250 innovative companies through their network of 400+ global partners. Lithuania’s “No One Is Left Behind” national movement with over 160 partners demonstrates large-scale digital inclusion initiatives. The Internet Society’s co-fund initiative with the Global Cyber Alliance represents an innovative approach to supporting civil society cybersecurity groups.

## Conclusion

This Leaders’ Talk demonstrated the potential for collaborative solutions to cybersecurity challenges through practical examples and ongoing initiatives. The session’s strength lay in its combination of strategic thinking with concrete implementation models that other countries and organisations could adapt.

The discussion showed that effective cybersecurity requires coordinated efforts across sectors, borders, and stakeholder groups. The examples shared and commitments made suggest that collaborative approaches can produce meaningful progress towards enhanced digital trust and cyber resilience.

Moderator Lucien Castex concluded the session by referencing Jules Verne and “80 days around the world,” encouraging participants to maintain ambitious thinking whilst focusing on practical implementation. The session’s emphasis on multi-stakeholder collaboration, digital inclusion, and practical implementation provides a valuable foundation for ongoing efforts to address cybersecurity challenges in an increasingly connected world.

Introduction: Let’s move on to our next Leaders’ Talks about Cybersecurity and Towards a Safer Connected World, Collaborative Strategies to Strengthen Digital Trust and Cyber Resilience. We’ve been hearing about cyber resilience right from day one. We’d like to invite Lucien to please take the floor. He’s going to be the moderator for this Leaders’ Talks. Lucien, we invite you and the panelists to the stage, please. Over to you, Lucien.

Lucien Castex: Hi, everybody. Hi, everyone. Hi, everyone. Hi, everyone. Hello everyone. Bienvenue dans cette session. Excellence, chers collègues du monde entier. Welcome to this session, excellencies, dear colleagues from the rest of the world. My name is Lucien Castex. If you wonder, this session should have interpretation in the six languages. So if you need it, you can use the interpretation as well. I’m delighted to be hosting this session. With the review of the WSIS this year, let us try to draw here today from the Geneva spirit in Palexpo to collaborate towards a safe, open and innovative connected world. It is a perfect time indeed to be working together, all stakeholders in the diversity, to find ways and means. to find effective strategies and collaborative solutions to reinforce cyber resilience and trust in the information society from cables and wires to networks to Internet protocols and digital services. This is the aim of the session. From sharing of best practices, concrete use cases, this is essential. But first of all, having bold ideas as well. Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality. So first, in that discussion, I would like to turn to Malaysia. And I would like to ask Excellency Minister Fadzil, Malaysia is currently taking a leading role in the development of a guideline on the safe and responsible use of social media platforms for ASEAN. Could you possibly share what specific outcomes Malaysia hopes to achieve through this guideline and how you envision it contributing to the broader goal of building a more resilient and digitally responsible ASEAN community?

Fahmi Fadzil: Thank you. Assalamualaikum, good morning, bonjour. I was following very closely the speech given by President Emmanuel Macron in the Palace of Westminster yesterday, I think it was. And he was talking about if we do not choose, then our future will be chosen by those who choose the algorithms. There are many countries that are discussing the role and impact of social media, not only on our immediate societies, but also our futures. Unfortunately, many of our countries are, we’re not all the size of India, for example, where the girth and width and breadth of the population is something that all social media platforms will pay attention to. Some countries like Estonia, Singapore are not big in size. Malaysia is only 35 million people. Indonesia is more than 300 million. Within the context of ASEAN, particularly in Malaysia’s role as chairman of ASEAN this year, we have decided that we are stronger together, we will work better together, collaborating together. We have signed a declaration, a Kuala Lumpur declaration, which will take effect, God willing, during the 47th ASEAN Summit in October, where some of these principles for ASEAN countries to face the same direction and adopt perhaps similar ideas, strategies, given that ASEAN is polyglot. We are many different types of countries and we do not have a European Parliament per se. These guidelines will help to serve perhaps as a beacon in the dark for ASEAN nations in order to travel safely to where we need to go, respecting our respective sovereignty, but also the principle of ASEAN centrality. In that way, we hope that we will have a bigger voice, a stronger voice, a lot of big tech. Perhaps it is very interesting to say this here in this context. Big Tech is not bigger than our laws. Nations, sovereign nations, have laws and these laws need to be adhered. There are regulations that have been put in place for safety, for security, and Big Tech must listen to our laws. So these are my comments. Thank you.

Lucien Castex: Thank you very much, Excellency. Indeed, digital sovereignty is one of the key topics when we discuss digital technologies. In this session, we will travel around the world, literally a lot of miles going around, and so I would like to turn to Greece. Excellency Minister Demetrios Poulos, what do you consider the main challenge in implementing the NIS2 Directive in Greece, and how are you addressing it in Greece?

Dimitris Papastergiou: Thank you. Thank you for having me here, Your Excellency, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. For us, cyber security is no longer just a technical matter. It is a strategic pillar of national resilience and digital sovereignty. Cyber attacks impact not only the EU’s economy, but also democratic institutions and public safety and social cohesion. In Greece, as you already asked, we have made decisive strides to strengthen our cyber security posture across strategic, legislative, and operational fronts. According to the ITU Global Cyber Security Index, Greece scores the maximum of 20 points in pillars like legal measures, technical measures, and cooperation measures. This is a fact since our National Cyber Security Strategy 2020-2025 laid the groundwork for securing a cyber-resilient digital environment. National Risk Assessment Plan, and the National Response Plan for Large-scale Cyber Incidents. The National SHOC ensures real-time situation awareness, while the National SCIR early delivers rapid-response capabilities for critical sectors. Transposing NIS to International Law marks a significant milestone, broadening regulatory coverage, imposing stricter obligations, and enhancing oversight. A key challenge, however, lies in supporting a diverse range of newly-covered entities, particularly SMEs, which are vital to our economy. To assist them, the National Cyber Security Authority provides tailored compliance guidance, self-assessment tools, and gap analysis resources. We are also boosting our supervisory capacity and deepening public-private collaboration through regular webinars, engagement, and open communication channels. These actions are part of our horizontal, whole-of-government approach to cybersecurity governance. In parallel, EU-funded initiatives are helping strengthen cybersecurity in public administration, health and SMEs, and we aim to close this cybersecurity skills gap and build a national training ecosystem in synergy, of course, with EU efforts. Finally, our overarching goal goes beyond compliance. More specifically, we strive to foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness, shared responsibility and digital trust across our society. Greece remains firmly committed to the EU-wide coordination on threat detection, crisis response and trusted digital supply chains. Thank you.

Lucien Castex: Thank you very much, Excellency. Indeed, the EU cybersecurity strategy and framework in the making, and a number of EU countries are in the phase of implementing this too. In their respective countries, it is really important to think about collaborative cybersecurity across the continent and throughout the world to fight against threat emerging. I would like to move across the world to India. And to ask Mr. Laoti, cyber resilience can only be achieved through cross-sector cooperation and coordination. How true is it from India’s perspective?

Anil Kumar Lahoti: Thank you very much and good morning to all of you. The three R’s of cyber resilience include resist, recover and rebuild. Achieving cyber resilience is significantly dependent on cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination. Critical infrastructures like energy grids, Financial networks, transportation systems, etc. are all highly interconnected. Which means a cyber attack in one sector can quickly have cascading effects on others. Moreover, cross-sectoral collaboration allows for better threat intelligence sharing, enabling organizations to anticipate and respond to emerging threats more effectively. Sharing knowledge, tools and personnel can also be significantly used to enhance the cyber resilience. Cross-sectoral collaboration also facilitates the development and adoption of common standards and best practices for cyber security, making it easier for organizations to implement robust security measures. India has national cyber security policy to maintain operations and recover quickly after an incident. India has developed various institutional mechanisms for coordinated management of cyber security. The National Cyber Security Coordination Center or NCCC is a multi-organizational center which gets inputs from multiple sectors through sensors deployed therein. The results of analytics are shared with relevant sectors for proactive mitigation. The Telecom Security Operations Center or TSOC monitors the traffic in the telecom network and provides the information on breaches and threats to the affected entities in different sectors and also feeds into the NCCC for analysis and dissemination. The sectoral cyber security incident response teams or CCERT of say power sector gets feed from NCCC and TSOC for mitigation actions. It also feeds the threat intelligence to NCCC. So it is getting the feed as well as sharing its own intelligence. For example, if a smart grid communication network provided by a telecom service provider for power sector gets impacted by a cyber attack at a power distribution location, the communication network being monitored by TSOC captures the alarm and the incident is reported to NCCC, where the experts from various sectors analyze and feed into various CCERTs of the affected sectors for immediate action and future prevention. So these are the cross-sectoral measures which India is taking, but I think excellencies have already spoken. Beyond cross-sectoral, I think it is also important to have a multilateral collaboration also to ensure cyber resilience. I think that is another very important dimension which needs to be looked into. Thank you.

Lucien Castex: Thank you very much, Chairman. It is very interesting to have concrete use cases and concrete collaboration examples such as you highlighted. We will move back to Europe and to Lithuania and I would like to turn to Madame Soviene. From your perspective, what are the main factors of success in strengthening digital trust and cyber resilience, especially for vulnerable groups of society?

Jurate Soviene: Thank you. And I would like to answer by sharing two examples. And for the first one, may I ask you to play a very short video? No sound. Strange. Okay, thank you. So, you just saw a short video invitation to join a digital wave, one of our key events of our national digital skills project, No One Is Left Behind. And why this video is important? With the help of AI, we brought to life a more than 100 years old picture, a photo of the Lithuanian state restoration founders, the first president and parliament members. And it is not just a simple symbol, it was a call to raise the digital wave together and across generations, both online and on site, on the same day, in all 60 Lithuanian municipalities. Because even with a strong digital infrastructure in Lithuania, many older people, they still feel left out. And that’s why we started our project, No One Is Left Behind, to help seniors gain the skills and confidence they need to feel safer online. And in just one year, it has become a national movement with more than 160 partners, volunteers, public and private sector institutions, libraries and municipalities and local media. And another great example of collaboration is how we tackle scams. Instead of fighting alone, we team up with telecom operators, the police, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Cybersecurity Agency and the National Bank. And we meet regularly. Together, we identify patterns of scams, block fake calls and messages early and raise public awareness. But let’s be honest, saying let’s collaborate is easy, doing it is much harder. And someone has to take the first step and someone has to lead. And I believe this is exactly where regulators should step in. And in today’s fast-changing world, we can’t just stick to the old means of formal competence, all the limits of formal competence. And if we want to make a real change, we must dare to do things differently, must be brave, be creative and less bureaucratic. And because that’s how we build digital trust and that’s how we make sure that no one is left behind. Thank you.

Lucien Castex: Thank you very much. Indeed, someone has to take the first step. It’s a perfect place here in Geneva doing this with this plus 20 high-level event. I would like to move again across the world, this time to Thailand, and ask Mr. Trairat Viriyasirikul, as a telecommunications regulatory body in Thailand, what strategies or frameworks have proven most effective in fostering successful collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive inclusive and sustainable ICT development?

Trairat Viriyasirikul: In Thailand, collaborative innovation frameworks are essential to inclusive and sustainable ICT development. One of our most effective tools has been the Regulatory Sandbox, which allows private sectors to test advanced technology like 5G, AI, IoT in the real-world setting with regulatory support and flexibility. This creates a low-risk environment for innovation that gives us insight to refine our policies. We work closely with partners like industrial zones, state universities, and private firms to ensure these triumphant real societal needs. Another key area has been our investment in public-private pilot projects, particularly in healthcare. For example, we have funded smart hospitals and emergency systems using 5G and AI. We have developed projects with public hospitals, research bodies, and telecom providers. These efforts demonstrate how targeted collaboration can directly improve public services. We have also launched MobileID, a national digital identity platform that enables secure access to services across both the public and private sectors. From government officers to banks and e-commerce, it enhances trust, inclusion, and helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. In the area of AI governance, we partner with AI Governance Center under Electronic Transaction Development Agency to raise awareness and provide guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence technologies among personnel in the telecommunications sector. This collaboration includes joint efforts to study, develop, and establish a framework for the use of AI technology in telecommunications that align with Thailand’s context. International policy detects directions and relevant regulations. Clearly, a draft of the Act of Parliament and a draft of the Royal Decree in the regarding issues are in the process of public hearing. This ensures emerging technologies are not only effective, but also fair, transparent, and secure. Ultimately, our strategy is built on three pillars – co-creation, shared responsibility, and public value. We believe inclusive development happens when all stakeholders are part of both problem-solving and innovation process. Thank you.

Lucien Castex: Thank you very much, indeed. Today, in Geneva, we are trying to navigate the rough seas of the Internet of Digital Governance. To try to inform this discussion among stakeholders, so far quite interesting, digging into concrete use cases, examples, country policies, and I would like to turn to the Internet Society now and ask you, Ms. Sally Wentworth, how do we work together to ensure that people everywhere have an Internet experience that is safe, secure, and protects them online?

Sally Wentworth: Thank you very much, and it’s a pleasure to be here today. The Internet Society is a global organization dedicated to the vision that the Internet is for everyone. We are closely aligned with our partner, the Internet Engineering Task Force, and other colleagues across the Internet ecosystem that have worked tirelessly to ensure that the Internet reaches everybody, but also that the Internet is secure and trustworthy and that users can, in fact, ensure that their experience is safe and secure. As we developed our five-year strategy 2030 for the Internet Society, one of the areas that we committed to focusing on was this very question of ensuring that people everywhere have an Internet experience that’s safe, secure, and protects them online. We think that that is carried forward in a number of different ways for us. The first pillar is around education. We do a lot of work around the world to ensure that people can come online in an affordable, reliable way, but as we bring communities online, we need to ensure that these vulnerable populations have the tools to come online safely. And so, through training initiatives and partnerships with expert organizations on that topic, we are trying to ensure that the end user has the skills to operate online safely. The second important area for us, given our relationship with the Internet Engineering Task Force, is to ensure that the work on security in standards continues to move forward and that there’s robust adoption of strong and security-related protocols, such as encryption, things related to routing security, and other components that ensure that the traffic flows safely and securely, that we can rely, that the websites that we visit are, in fact, what we expect to see. And all of that depends upon protocols and standards. And those protocols and standards are developed within the Internet Engineering Task Force in an open way. Everyone can participate. There’s a lot of participation from industry, of course, but also academia, civil society, and governments. So, it’s really important that there’s robust participation in the standards development process, but also that the policy environments exist for those standards to roll out. And then finally, there’s a whole body of civil society groups that are integral to our online safety and security that are traditionally underfunded but which we depend upon. And recently we launched a co-fund initiative with our partners in the Global Cyber Alliance with support from the U.K. and Canadian governments to build a fund to support cyber security initiatives that protect civil society or that are driven by civil society groups around the world. We depend upon those technologies and many of us don’t even realize it and it’s really important for our collective security that this work is sustainable and well-resourced. So there’s a lot of different things that we need to do and I think the last thing that I would leave you with is there’s no one actor in the ecosystem that can secure the internet for everyone. It’s not going to happen that way. We need technologists and experts. We need research. We need government commitment and strategies. We need industry investment. We need the voice of civil society to ensure that what we do on security allows us to keep speaking freely and access information. So it’s really important that this is a collaborative effort and that’s the approach that we use to ensure that people can communicate safely and securely online.

Lucien Castex: Thank you very much indeed and thank you for highlighting the importance of the multi-stakeholder model and of collaborative solutions to be found with civil society, the technical community, academia, the private sector and governments, each playing its part in making the online world safer. I would like to keep digging towards solutions and turn to Madame Pedron of Trust Valley. What is your view on the importance and relevance of public-private partnerships like Trust Valley? for enhancing trust and security in the digital society.

Lennig Pedron: Thank you, Professor Castex. Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, it’s really an honour for me to be here today with you. At Trust Valley, we strongly believe that multi-stakeholder cooperation is essential, is really crucial to securing our digital future. The question of PPP, so public-private partnership, is at the heart of what we are doing in the Trust Valley. We were created, funded by the state of Geneva and the state of Vaud five years ago by the Department of Economy. We are a centre of excellence in digital trust and cyber security, because for us cyber security is basic and this is the base of the pyramid, but we are working on whole emerging technologies. And our mission is really to ensure a safe, secure and more responsible digital economy. We bring together more than 400 partners at a global level right now. So we were founded at the original level, but we work globally. As you know, we are at the heart of Europe, in the centre of Europe, and we are a very small country. So we always work with a lot of partners at a worldwide level. And over the past five years, we supported more than 250 innovative companies. So it’s a start-up, scale-up, sometimes it’s SMB-SMEs, because sometimes we forgot that SMB-SMEs have a very good part in what they are doing. And this is also one example that I want to give to you. We created some programs. What we really want to do is to have all our partners, governments, also private sector and academia on board. And it’s really difficult to find a way on the best interest of this kind of actor. So what we are doing is we created a neutral platform and with this neutral platform we created some program, very concrete action. One is for SMB-SMEs and what we have done with this program is really to secure, to raise the quality on what we are doing with all about cyber security. This is really a pledge about cyber attack and all the people right now have the same program. All the governments have the same problem. So we really work on this challenge. And the second example that I want to share with you is what we created this year with the World Bank and the SECO, the Department of Economy at the National level of Switzerland. We created an innovation challenge for governmental technology, so for GovTech. And this is really that right now, we work a lot on B2G, so business-to-government to push all what we are doing here. So for us, joint pilot project, flexible financing mechanism and simplify a legal administrative procedure to support real partnership, this is really what we are doing together. Thank you.

Lucien Castex: Thank you very much for concrete use cases and examples. So now, in the few minutes that we have, we will move online and I would like to give the floor to Spain, Excellency H.E. Mr. Matías González. What key measures has Spain implemented to become a Tier 1 country in the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index?

Matias Gonzalez: Thank you, Lucien, and good morning Excellencies in the panel and the rest of participants in the event. It’s a pleasure to be here and a pity not having been able to join you in person in Geneva. In Spain, we are very proud of our work in Spain regarding cyber security. We’ve been working hard on this topic since the beginning, since the origin of the Information Society. Our own constitution, which is dated in 1978, establishes the protection of communications as one of the first rights of Spanish citizens. This is why we consider security as a holistic question that includes technology, government, companies and citizens. Cyber security should be tackled from a holistic point of view, taking into account both internal actors as well as external ones. This index, of which you were referring to in your question, measures different areas regarding cyber security. Spain gets a very impressive score thanks to our legal, technical, organizational and cooperation measures. I would like to focus now on our international aspects. The cooperation to say that Spain is committed to spread its security model to other countries. We are convinced that cooperation is key for a safer future for all. In this regard, one of the most important projects that we are now doing is with the Organization of American States. This cooperation began in 2016. is promoting joint initiatives for the generation and strengthening of capacities through different actions. Maybe the most important action is the Cybersecurity Summer Good Camp. And besides the creation of a network of experts, the Summer Good Camp has been in action for nine editions now. The 10th is about to start and more than 20,000 students have been attending this international program. We also have other programs like Women’s Cyber focusing on attracting women to the cybersecurity world. Another important highlight aspect of our international cooperation is the signature of an MOU with the cooperation of the University of Salamanca and the Arabian Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. Our university, which is funded by the Arab League in Egypt and with 29 countries of the coalition. Let me conclude by reiterating the commitment of Spain with the ITU in Action Line C5 on cybersecurity and the World Summit on the WSIS, the Spanish Vice Presidency on the Advisory Group on Telecommunication and our active participation in the cyber drills is a clear example of our commitment to cooperate in the development of capacities in order to improve resilience of the digital world. Thank you very much for your question and for the opportunity to participate in this panel.

Lucien Castex: Muchas gracias para esos ejemplos concretos de colaboración. Thank you very much for these clear concrete examples of cooperation. There is an inspiring discussion in the 30 minutes or so that we had today. Imagine what we could do with one hour a day or a week of concrete use cases that we could find, inspire from, to dig in concrete solutions with just one thing in mind. Have bold ideas because anything one man can imagine other men can make real. That was from Jules Verne, Aurent Award, in 80 days. Thank you very much.

Agreement points

Multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential for cybersecurity and digital trust

Speakers

– Sally Wentworth
– Lennig Pedron
– Lucien Castex
– Jurate Soviene

Arguments

No single actor can secure the internet – requires collaboration between technologists, government, industry and civil society

Multi-stakeholder cooperation is crucial for securing digital future, requiring neutral platforms and concrete programs

Multi-stakeholder model requires each sector – civil society, technical community, academia, private sector and governments – to play their part

Regulators must take the first step and lead collaboration efforts, being brave, creative and less bureaucratic

Summary

All speakers agree that securing the digital future requires collaborative efforts across multiple stakeholders including government, private sector, civil society, technical community, and academia, with no single actor capable of addressing cybersecurity challenges alone.

Topics

Cybersecurity | Legal and regulatory | Development

Cross-sector coordination is vital for cyber resilience due to interconnected systems

Speakers

– Anil Kumar Lahoti
– Dimitris Papastergiou
– Jurate Soviene

Arguments

Cross-sectoral cooperation is essential for cyber resilience due to interconnected critical infrastructures and cascading effects of cyber attacks

Greece has implemented comprehensive cybersecurity strategy with maximum ITU Global Cyber Security Index scores and NIS2 Directive transposition

Collaborative approach to tackle scams involves telecom operators, police, prosecutors, cybersecurity agencies and national bank

Summary

Speakers emphasize that modern digital infrastructure interconnectedness requires coordinated responses across different sectors, as cyber attacks can have cascading effects that span multiple domains.

Topics

Cybersecurity | Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory

International cooperation strengthens cybersecurity capabilities

Speakers

– Fahmi Fadzil
– Matias Gonzalez
– Dimitris Papastergiou

Arguments

ASEAN countries are stronger together in facing big tech, and sovereign nations’ laws must be adhered to by technology companies

Spain promotes cybersecurity cooperation through programs like OAS Cybersecurity Summer Good Camp with 20,000+ students across 9 editions

Greece has implemented comprehensive cybersecurity strategy with maximum ITU Global Cyber Security Index scores and NIS2 Directive transposition

Summary

Countries recognize that international cooperation and regional frameworks enhance their ability to address cybersecurity challenges and negotiate with global technology companies more effectively.

Topics

Cybersecurity | Legal and regulatory | Development

Public-private partnerships are crucial for digital innovation and security

Speakers

– Trairat Viriyasirikul
– Lennig Pedron
– Dimitris Papastergiou

Arguments

Thailand uses regulatory sandbox framework to allow private sector testing of advanced technologies with regulatory support

Public-private partnerships are essential for enhancing trust and security in digital society through joint pilot projects

Greece has implemented comprehensive cybersecurity strategy with maximum ITU Global Cyber Security Index scores and NIS2 Directive transposition

Summary

Speakers agree that effective public-private partnerships, including regulatory sandboxes and joint pilot projects, are essential for fostering innovation while maintaining security and regulatory compliance.

Topics

Economic | Legal and regulatory | Cybersecurity

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasize the critical importance of digital inclusion and protecting vulnerable populations, particularly focusing on education and skills development to ensure safe online participation for groups like seniors and underserved communities.

Speakers

– Jurate Soviene
– Sally Wentworth

Arguments

Lithuania’s “No One Is Left Behind” project helps seniors gain digital skills and confidence through national movement with 160+ partners

Internet Society focuses on education for vulnerable populations and ensuring communities can come online safely

Topics

Development | Human rights | Sociocultural

Both speakers emphasize the importance of strong legal frameworks and sovereign authority in regulating technology companies and maintaining cybersecurity, with emphasis on comprehensive approaches that include legal measures.

Speakers

– Fahmi Fadzil
– Matias Gonzalez

Arguments

ASEAN countries are stronger together in facing big tech, and sovereign nations’ laws must be adhered to by technology companies

Spain has achieved Tier 1 status in Global Cybersecurity Index through holistic approach including legal, technical, organizational and cooperation measures

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Cybersecurity | Human rights

Both speakers advocate for collaborative innovation platforms that bring together diverse stakeholders to create public value, emphasizing the importance of neutral platforms and shared responsibility in driving digital development.

Speakers

– Trairat Viriyasirikul
– Lennig Pedron

Arguments

Thailand’s strategy is built on co-creation, shared responsibility, and public value through partnerships in healthcare and digital identity

Trust Valley brings together 400+ global partners and supports innovative companies through neutral platform approach

Topics

Economic | Development | Infrastructure

Unexpected consensus

Regulatory leadership in driving collaboration

Speakers

– Jurate Soviene
– Trairat Viriyasirikul
– Lennig Pedron

Arguments

Regulators must take the first step and lead collaboration efforts, being brave, creative and less bureaucratic

Thailand uses regulatory sandbox framework to allow private sector testing of advanced technologies with regulatory support

Multi-stakeholder cooperation is crucial for securing digital future, requiring neutral platforms and concrete programs

Explanation

There is unexpected consensus that regulators should be proactive innovators rather than just rule enforcers, with speakers advocating for creative, less bureaucratic approaches and regulatory sandboxes that enable innovation while maintaining oversight.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Economic | Development

Small and medium enterprises as crucial cybersecurity stakeholders

Speakers

– Dimitris Papastergiou
– Lennig Pedron

Arguments

Greece has implemented comprehensive cybersecurity strategy with maximum ITU Global Cyber Security Index scores and NIS2 Directive transposition

Trust Valley brings together 400+ global partners and supports innovative companies through neutral platform approach

Explanation

Both speakers unexpectedly emphasize the critical role of SMEs in cybersecurity ecosystems, recognizing them not just as vulnerable entities needing protection but as vital contributors to digital security and innovation.

Topics

Economic | Cybersecurity | Development

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrated strong consensus on the fundamental need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, cross-sector coordination, international cooperation, and public-private partnerships in addressing cybersecurity challenges. There was also agreement on the importance of digital inclusion and protecting vulnerable populations.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with significant implications for cybersecurity governance. The agreement suggests a mature understanding that cybersecurity cannot be addressed through isolated efforts but requires coordinated, collaborative approaches across all sectors and stakeholders. This consensus provides a strong foundation for developing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies that are both effective and inclusive.

Different viewpoints

Approach to regulating big tech companies

Speakers

– Fahmi Fadzil
– Sally Wentworth

Arguments

ASEAN countries are stronger together in facing big tech, and sovereign nations’ laws must be adhered to by technology companies

No single actor can secure the internet – requires collaboration between technologists, government, industry and civil society

Summary

Malaysia advocates for a more assertive regulatory approach where sovereign nations enforce their laws on big tech companies through collective ASEAN action, while Internet Society emphasizes collaborative partnership approaches with industry participation in standards development and governance.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Cybersecurity | Economic

Unexpected differences

Role of government versus technical community in internet governance

Speakers

– Fahmi Fadzil
– Sally Wentworth

Arguments

ASEAN countries are stronger together in facing big tech, and sovereign nations’ laws must be adhered to by technology companies

Internet security depends on robust adoption of security protocols like encryption and routing security developed through open standards process

Explanation

This disagreement is unexpected because both speakers are addressing internet safety and security, but Malaysia emphasizes government sovereignty and legal enforcement while Internet Society emphasizes technical standards and open processes. The tension between regulatory control and technical openness represents a fundamental divide in internet governance approaches.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure | Cybersecurity

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion shows relatively low levels of direct disagreement, with most speakers focusing on their national or organizational approaches rather than challenging others’ methods. The main tension exists between regulatory/sovereignty-focused approaches versus collaborative/technical community approaches to internet governance.

Disagreement level

Low to moderate disagreement level. The implications suggest that while there is broad consensus on the need for cybersecurity and digital trust, there are fundamental differences in governance philosophy that could impact international cooperation on digital policy, particularly regarding the balance between national sovereignty and global technical coordination.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasize the critical importance of digital inclusion and protecting vulnerable populations, particularly focusing on education and skills development to ensure safe online participation for groups like seniors and underserved communities.

Speakers

– Jurate Soviene
– Sally Wentworth

Arguments

Lithuania’s “No One Is Left Behind” project helps seniors gain digital skills and confidence through national movement with 160+ partners

Internet Society focuses on education for vulnerable populations and ensuring communities can come online safely

Topics

Development | Human rights | Sociocultural

Both speakers emphasize the importance of strong legal frameworks and sovereign authority in regulating technology companies and maintaining cybersecurity, with emphasis on comprehensive approaches that include legal measures.

Speakers

– Fahmi Fadzil
– Matias Gonzalez

Arguments

ASEAN countries are stronger together in facing big tech, and sovereign nations’ laws must be adhered to by technology companies

Spain has achieved Tier 1 status in Global Cybersecurity Index through holistic approach including legal, technical, organizational and cooperation measures

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Cybersecurity | Human rights

Both speakers advocate for collaborative innovation platforms that bring together diverse stakeholders to create public value, emphasizing the importance of neutral platforms and shared responsibility in driving digital development.

Speakers

– Trairat Viriyasirikul
– Lennig Pedron

Arguments

Thailand’s strategy is built on co-creation, shared responsibility, and public value through partnerships in healthcare and digital identity

Trust Valley brings together 400+ global partners and supports innovative companies through neutral platform approach

Topics

Economic | Development | Infrastructure

Key takeaways

Cybersecurity requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, private sector, civil society, academia, and technical communities working together

Digital sovereignty is crucial – sovereign nations’ laws must be adhered to by big tech companies, and countries are stronger when collaborating regionally

Cross-sectoral cooperation is essential due to interconnected critical infrastructures where cyber attacks can have cascading effects across multiple sectors

Regulatory frameworks like NIS2 Directive, national cybersecurity strategies, and regulatory sandboxes are effective tools for strengthening cyber resilience

Digital inclusion must be prioritized, particularly for vulnerable groups like seniors, through targeted programs and capacity building initiatives

International cooperation and capacity building programs are vital for global cybersecurity, with successful examples like Spain’s OAS collaboration reaching 20,000+ students

Public-private partnerships through neutral platforms can effectively bridge different stakeholder interests and drive innovation in cybersecurity

Technical standards development through open processes and robust adoption of security protocols like encryption are fundamental to internet security

No single actor can secure the internet alone – collective responsibility and shared resources are necessary for effective cybersecurity

Resolutions and action items

ASEAN Kuala Lumpur declaration on social media guidelines to take effect at 47th ASEAN Summit in October

Greece continuing NIS2 Directive implementation with tailored compliance guidance for SMEs

Spain’s 10th Cybersecurity Summer Good Camp edition about to start as part of ongoing OAS cooperation

Trust Valley’s continued support for 250+ innovative companies through concrete programs

Lithuania’s ongoing ‘No One Is Left Behind’ national movement with 160+ partners

Internet Society’s co-fund initiative with Global Cyber Alliance to support civil society cybersecurity groups

Unresolved issues

How to effectively balance digital sovereignty with global internet governance and cross-border data flows

Specific mechanisms for ensuring big tech compliance with diverse national laws across different jurisdictions

Standardization of cybersecurity approaches across different regions while respecting national sovereignty

Sustainable funding models for civil society cybersecurity initiatives beyond current co-fund programs

Bridging the cybersecurity skills gap globally, particularly in developing countries

Concrete implementation details for many of the collaborative frameworks discussed

How to measure effectiveness of cross-sectoral cooperation initiatives

Suggested compromises

Regional cooperation through frameworks like ASEAN to give smaller countries stronger collective voice while respecting individual sovereignty

Regulatory sandbox approaches that allow innovation while maintaining security oversight

Neutral platform models like Trust Valley that balance public and private sector interests

Flexible compliance guidance for SMEs in cybersecurity regulations rather than one-size-fits-all approaches

Multi-stakeholder participation in technical standards development to ensure diverse perspectives are included

Graduated implementation of cybersecurity directives with support mechanisms for different entity types

Big Tech is not bigger than our laws. Nations, sovereign nations, have laws and these laws need to be adhered. There are regulations that have been put in place for safety, for security, and Big Tech must listen to our laws.

Speaker

Fahmi Fadzil (Malaysia)

Reason

This comment directly challenges the perceived dominance of technology companies over national sovereignty and establishes a clear power dynamic framework. It’s particularly insightful because it frames cybersecurity not just as a technical issue but as a matter of national sovereignty and democratic governance.

Impact

This comment established the theme of digital sovereignty that carried throughout the discussion. It shifted the conversation from purely technical cybersecurity measures to broader questions of governance and regulatory authority, influencing subsequent speakers to address how their countries balance innovation with regulatory control.

For us, cyber security is no longer just a technical matter. It is a strategic pillar of national resilience and digital sovereignty.

Speaker

Dimitris Papastergiou (Greece)

Reason

This reframes cybersecurity from a narrow IT concern to a comprehensive national security issue, connecting it to democratic institutions, public safety, and social cohesion. It elevates the discussion beyond technical solutions to strategic national planning.

Impact

This comment deepened the analytical framework of the discussion by connecting cybersecurity to broader societal outcomes. It influenced the flow by encouraging other speakers to discuss whole-of-government approaches and cross-sectoral coordination rather than isolated technical measures.

But let’s be honest, saying let’s collaborate is easy, doing it is much harder. And someone has to take the first step and someone has to lead. And I believe this is exactly where regulators should step in.

Speaker

Jurate Soviene (Lithuania)

Reason

This comment cuts through the typical diplomatic rhetoric about collaboration to address the practical challenges of implementation. It’s refreshingly honest about the gap between intention and execution, and provides a concrete solution by identifying regulators as natural leaders.

Impact

This comment served as a turning point that moved the discussion from theoretical frameworks to practical implementation challenges. It prompted more concrete examples and actionable strategies from subsequent speakers, shifting the tone from aspirational to pragmatic.

There’s no one actor in the ecosystem that can secure the internet for everyone. It’s not going to happen that way. We need technologists and experts. We need research. We need government commitment and strategies. We need industry investment. We need the voice of civil society.

Speaker

Sally Wentworth (Internet Society)

Reason

This comment provides a comprehensive systems-thinking perspective that acknowledges the complexity and interdependence required for internet security. It challenges any single-actor solutions and emphasizes the necessity of multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Impact

This comment reinforced and systematized the collaborative themes that had been emerging throughout the discussion. It provided a theoretical framework that validated the various national approaches described by previous speakers and emphasized the importance of the multi-stakeholder model being demonstrated in the session itself.

Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality… Have bold ideas because anything one man can imagine other men can make real.

Speaker

Lucien Castex (Moderator)

Reason

This philosophical framing elevates the discussion beyond current constraints to focus on transformative possibilities. By invoking Jules Verne, it connects technological innovation to human imagination and suggests that current limitations are temporary.

Impact

This comment, delivered at both the opening and closing, created a thematic framework that encouraged speakers to think beyond incremental improvements to transformative solutions. It set an aspirational tone that influenced speakers to share more innovative examples and ambitious collaborative initiatives.

Overall assessment

These key comments fundamentally shaped the discussion by elevating it from a technical cybersecurity conversation to a comprehensive examination of digital governance, sovereignty, and collaborative innovation. The Malaysian minister’s assertion about Big Tech and national sovereignty established the power dynamics framework, while Greece’s strategic perspective broadened the scope to national resilience. Lithuania’s honest assessment of implementation challenges created a turning point toward practical solutions, and the Internet Society’s systems perspective provided theoretical grounding for multi-stakeholder approaches. The moderator’s philosophical framing encouraged bold thinking throughout. Together, these comments created a progression from sovereignty concerns through strategic frameworks to implementation realities and collaborative solutions, resulting in a rich, multi-dimensional discussion that connected technical cybersecurity measures to broader questions of democratic governance, international cooperation, and societal resilience.

How can smaller countries like Estonia, Singapore, and Malaysia (35 million people) effectively negotiate with Big Tech platforms when they lack the population size leverage of countries like India or Indonesia?

Speaker

Fahmi Fadzil

Explanation

This highlights the challenge of digital sovereignty for smaller nations and the need for collaborative approaches like ASEAN’s collective strategy to have stronger negotiating power with technology giants.

How can the cybersecurity skills gap be effectively closed and what specific training ecosystems need to be developed?

Speaker

Dimitris Papastergiou

Explanation

Greece identified this as a key challenge in implementing cybersecurity measures, particularly for supporting SMEs, and mentioned working on building a national training ecosystem in synergy with EU efforts.

What are the most effective mechanisms for multilateral collaboration in cybersecurity beyond cross-sectoral cooperation?

Speaker

Anil Kumar Lahoti

Explanation

While India has strong cross-sectoral mechanisms, the speaker emphasized that multilateral collaboration is another very important dimension that needs to be looked into for ensuring cyber resilience.

How can regulators overcome formal competence limits and bureaucratic constraints to drive meaningful cybersecurity collaboration?

Speaker

Jurate Soviene

Explanation

Lithuania’s representative emphasized that while collaboration is easy to talk about, it’s much harder to implement, and regulators need to be brave, creative, and less bureaucratic to make real change.

How can sustainable funding be ensured for civil society cybersecurity initiatives that protect vulnerable populations?

Speaker

Sally Wentworth

Explanation

The Internet Society highlighted that civil society groups integral to online safety and security are traditionally underfunded, yet we depend upon their work for collective security.

What are the best practices for creating neutral platforms that can effectively balance the interests of governments, private sector, and academia in cybersecurity initiatives?

Speaker

Lennig Pedron

Explanation

Trust Valley’s experience shows it’s difficult to find approaches that serve the best interests of different types of actors, requiring neutral platforms and concrete programs to bridge these gaps.