Washington has demanded respect for a framework approved at the United Nations
Security Council examines the growing threat of cyber-attacks
The Security Council has addressed the issue of cybercrime in the past, but in an informal way.
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Yesterday, the United Nations Security Council held its first formal public meeting on cybersecurity, during which Washington demanded respect for a framework established at the United Nations, while Moscow defended the conclusion of a treaty.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield said the "risk is clear" and "cooperation is a must" to combat harmful activities.
"We have a framework, it's time to implement it," she added, without referring to Russia, which the West often accuses of being behind piracy against its institutions.
A European ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that within the First Committee on Disarmament at the United Nations "we agreed already in 2015 to refrain from any malicious cyber activity against critical infrastructures of every UN member state."
During their summit in Geneva, US President Joe Biden set red lines for his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and named 16 "untouchable" sectors, starting with the energy sector and ending with water distribution networks.
For his part, the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, praised yesterday Russia's proactive role in combating cybercrime, and called for the adoption of "new standards" through a "draft agreement to be approved by 2023" and to be legally binding.
The Russian diplomat added that “if the threats associated with global cyber security make us all equal, then they should be discussed not within a narrow circle of technologically advanced countries, but with all countries of the United Nations.”
But the European ambassador himself said that dual-use civil and military cyberspace “is not a regular topic that could fall within the domain of arms control.
A treaty cannot be signed and only verified.
We must have a more innovative approach.”
Westerners believe that Russia, with the support of China, wants the treaty to limit freedom of expression on the Internet and opposition activities as well.
"Estonia is convinced that existing international law, including the entire Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and international human rights law, applies to cyberspace," said Estonian Prime Minister Kaia Kallas, whose country convened the council.
French Foreign Trade Minister Franck Riester proposed a "program of work" to implement the approved standards.
"We do not want a state of digital chaos or isolated silos in cyberspace," he said.
Several Security Council members recognized the serious risks of cybercrime, including attacks using ransomware, a program that encrypts computer systems and demands a ransom to make them available again.
The Council has addressed the topic of cybercrime in the past, but in an informal way.
At the outset of the session, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, stressed that the organization has noticed a “significant increase in the number of harmful incidents in recent years”, from disseminating misinformation to disrupting information networks.
She said that these incidents "contribute to the deterioration of confidence between countries."
She added that in January the number of active Internet users around the world reached 4.6 billion, and by 2022, 28.5 billion devices will be connected to the Internet, a significant increase from the 18 billion counted in 2017.
• The Russian ambassador to the United Nations calls for the adoption of "new standards" through a "draft agreement to be approved by 2023" and is legally binding.
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