OSCE confidence-building measures to reduce the risks of conflict stemming from the use of ICT (2016)

Policy Reports

The OSCE Ministerial Council adopted a set of Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) aimed at reducing conflict stemming from the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) No. 1202 on 10 March 2016. The participating States:

  1. will, on a voluntary basis, share information and facilitate inter-State exchanges in different formats, including workshops, seminars, and roundtables, including on the regional and/or subregional level;
  2. will, on a voluntary basis, conduct activities for officials and experts to support the facilitation of authorized and protected communication channels to prevent and reduce the risks of misperception, escalation, and conflict; and to clarify technical, legal and diplomatic mechanisms to address ICT-related requests;
  3. will, on a voluntary basis and consistent with national legislation, promote public-private partnerships and develop mechanisms to exchange best practices of responses to common security challenges stemming from the use of ICTs;
  4. will encourage, facilitate and/or participate in regional and subregional collaboration between legally-authorized authorities responsible for securing critical infrastructures to discuss opportunities and address challenges to national as well as trans-border ICT networks, upon which such critical infrastructure relies;
  5. will, on a voluntary basis, encourage responsible reporting of vulnerabilities affecting the security of and in the use of ICTs and share associated information on available remedies to such vulnerabilities, including with relevant segments of the ICT business and industry, with the goal of increasing co-operation and transparency within the OSCE region.