It is in the context of regional cooperation, that the Secretariat of the GFCE, the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) which is the GFCE Regional Americas Hub and the Latin American and Caribbean Cyber Competence Center (LAC4EU), EU CyberNet Project organized the GFCE 2nd Regional Meeting in the Americas.

For this second regional meeting, the GFCE  hub for the Americas and the Caribbean region had the opportunity to gather 32 participants from 15 Member states. This meeting was held with the intention of discussing the role of the GFCE in Latin America and the Caribbean and how best to coordinate capacity-building efforts in the region and coordinate regional efforts more effectively. Additionally, the meeting served as an opportunity to introduce the progress of the GFCE LAC Hub, to discuss with participants the priorities for the future, and to introduce the GFCE and possibilities for involvement to key regional actors.

Additionally, the meeting set a starting point to continue the discussion around the different inputs on what could be the main angle of this region’s agenda for cyber capacity building. The region’s needs, workforce development and gender were among the issues standing out in the open discussion.

An additional outcome of the meeting was the opportunity to connect various dots in existing gaps in CCB, providing updates on various projects and providing a platform for exchange not only among the countries but also among stakeholders as the meeting had a good mix of government representatives as well as the tech community in particular. As an example, some projects presented were the CSIRT best practices project by the OAS.

Some of the main results included the opportunity to present the various CCB projects and implementers in the region and also to share global good practices that exist and that are being implemented in the region. This activity facilitated information sharing and provided an environment to promote greater coordination, collaboration, and networking opportunities among all cybersecurity stakeholders that were present during the event. Specifically, as it relates to the Caribbean region, we were able to open the dialogue on their various challenges and needs related to their cybersecurity issues.

The next step will be to draft the regional agenda and start a process around approving that, ideally with a buy-in from stakeholders across the region. This should feed into the global agenda on capacity building.

The GFCE Regional Hub for the Americas and the Caribbean held their 2023 Regional Meeting as a satellite event to RightsCon on the 5th June, 2023. The Hub provides practical guidance, expertise, and support to cyber communities, including regional organizations, private sector entities, institutions, and governments. It also facilitates access to the GFCE’s global network for countries seeking support.  

The objective of this year’s Regional Meeting in the Americas was to discuss the role of the GFCE in Latin America and the Caribbean and how to best coordinate capacity building efforts in the region. It provided an opportunity for participants from the region to connect and engage in conversations about existing gaps in cyber capacity building, share good practices, and prioritize their needs for the future. Specific attention was given to gender aspects and cyber workforce development in the region. 

The meeting report is also available in Spanish.

On the margins of the 17th annual IGF, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) and the African Union Development Agency New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) hosted the GFCE Africa Regional Meeting 2022.  

The main objective of the meeting was to provide the Africa Cybersecurity Experts (ACE) community and Members of the CCB Coordination Committee with a platform to share knowledge and expertise on CCB initiatives on the continent. The secondary objective was to guide participants to brainstorm medium to long-term goals for CCB in Africa. To accomplish this, the GFCE Secretariat facilitated a small group discussion that allowed meeting participants to discuss needs, solutions and what they expected to be included in the Africa Agenda on Cyber Capacity Building (AA-CCB).

From 12 to 13 April 2016 a regional meeting on Cyber Security in West Africa was held in Dakar, initiated by the Government of Senegal and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in Partnership with the UNODC. The event was attended by approximately 200 national, regional and international experts and focused on the main theme “Awareness and experience feedback on Cyber security”. The meeting took place as part of the GFCE initiative ‘Progressing cybersecurity in Senegal and West Africa’.

Cyber Awareness among West African Decision Makers

The regional meeting, placed under the patronage of his Excellency the Prime Minister of Senegal Mr. Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne was opened by Doctor Yaya Abdoul Kane, Minister of Post and Telecommunications who expressed the pride of Senegal to host this important meeting as well as the readiness of his country to provide all the necessary for a safe, secure, and free Internet.

Professor Abdallah Cissé, legislative drafters and specialized in cyberlaw, opened the meeting by an inaugural lecture on the opportunities and threats in Cyberspace. He sensitized authorities and meeting participants present on the importance of cyber awareness raising especially among West African decision makers. He argued that African countries are highly vulnerable to cyber threats and therefore the need for them to get involved in cyber security initiatives to ensure and promote confidence in cyberspace. Mr.  Cissé recalled the urgent need for ratification of regional legal instruments within an operational and strategic approach such as the Convention of Malabo and Budapest, as well as implementing a set of measures that could  promote the ownership of opportunities in cyberspace but also to support initiatives in the fight against cyber criminals.On the theme dedicated to national cybersecurity strategies, the presentation on cyber security reference situations in Senegal and Burkina Faso, showed the urgent need for (West) African countries to consider cyber security as a priority in national development policy. Several activities and specific actions have been conducted and organization’s inception has started but coordination, leadership and capacities building on cyber security capabilities are still insufficient.

Other panels on topics such as the development of CERTs, legislative frameworks, education and cyber awareness were debated among experts and the general audience. West African society was presented with many participants from public and private sectors, civil society, NGOs, academics and the security and justice sector.

Recommendations

Based on the recommendations during the expert meeting the ‘Dakar Declaration on Cybersecurity’ will be drafted in the coming months.

The main recommendations included:

1. The need to assist African countries in their efforts to implement national cyber security strategies;
2. The sustainability of this regional meeting in a rotating way within ECOWAS countries initially and the whole of Africa later, for improved awareness on the opportunities and threats in cyberspace
3. The need for harmonization of legal frameworks through the channel of Community texts of ECOWAS, but also based on the implementation of the cooperation through regional legal instruments such as the Conventions of Malabo and Budapest.
4. The creation or maturation of centers of Computer Security Incident  Response Team (CSIRTs) efficient in Africa, and the relevance of the definitions of roles and missions clearly documented  in procedure manuals with a view to strengthen the ability of crises management and to build a culture of trust on the CSIRTs calling for more cooperation, collaboration, coordination and complementarity.
5. The need with regard to education and expertise, to have their own area of specialization specific to the security requirements of the digital; hence the states are called  to reflect the promotion and integration of new sectors in education while ensuring the harmonization of cyber security training.
6. Finally, the development of the culture and digital trust or using the Internet in a secured way  through awareness and strengthening cybersecurity capabilities,  especially towards the investigators and security men , protecting children online, specialization of teachers, sharing best practices on  cyber security and public-private Partnership.

The GFCE Annual Meeting 2023, held in Accra, Ghana, under the theme “From Local Context to Global Action: Coordinating Paths to Cyber Resilience,” marked a significant milestone in the global cybersecurity dialogue. This event gathered cybersecurity experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders from around the world to address the evolving challenges and opportunities within the field. Key themes from the meeting included the dynamic nature of cybersecurity challenges and the need for persistent efforts and innovative approaches to address them. The GFCE’s commitment was strongly reaffirmed, with a focus on leading global initiatives and contributing to a secure and resilient digital future.

The GFCE Annual Meeting 2022 in the Hague brought the GFCE Community together in person for the first time in almost three years to reflect on the GFCE’s developments and activities, explore the GFCE’s coordination role in identified areas (e.g. gender inclusivity, UN processes, regional efforts), and exchange ideas or updates on key topics. In line with previous GFCE Annual Meetings, an open, informal, and interactive setting was established throughout all three days. This year’s theme was: “Coordination for the future”.

The GFCE Annual V-Meeting 2021 reflected on the GFCE’s achievements in 2021 and looked forward to the challenges and ambitions for 2022, with a special emphasis on bridging the gap between cyber capacity building demand and supply. Hence, the GFCE Annual V-Meeting 2021 theme was: “Strengthening the GFCE’s Demand-Driven Approach.” 

The GFCE Annual V-Meeting 2020 shared the GFCE’s achievements thus far and presented the GFCE Work Plan and ambitions for 2021. The theme for the Annual Meeting was built on the GFCE Strategic Building Blocks.

More than 400 representatives from governments, NGOs, international organizations, academic and tech communities and civil society joined us a two-day virtual journey on Cyber Capacity Building.  

On the GFCE virtual platform, participants joined different sessions, including thematic & interactive discussions, consultation sessions, the high-level conference discussion and experienced a unique convergence of networking and meeting GFCE Members & Partners from all over the world. 

• Report on the “Way Forward GFCE Working Groups” Session
• Report on the “Risk Management Approaches and Practices” Session
• Report on the “Cyber Security Awareness Campaigns” Session
• Report on the GFCE Regional Consultation Session Europe & Africa
• Report on the “CCB Clearing House Mechanism and Lessons Learnt” Session
• Report on the “GFCE Regional Consultation Session Asia & Pacific”
• Report on the “CSIRT Maturity” Open Webinar Session
• Report on the “Lessons learnt on CCB Implementation” Session
• Report on the “Friends of The Gambia” Session
• Report on the “COVID-19 Tracking Technology” Session
• Presentation of the new GFCE Advisory Board 2020-2022!
• Report on “Friends of Senegal: CIIP Workshop Preparations” Session
• Report on the “GFCE Regional Consultation Session Americas”
• Report on the “CCB Efforts on Cybercrime” Session
• Report on the “Women in Cyber Capacity Building” Session
• Report on the “Cyber Capacity Building Research Agenda” Consultation Session
• Report on the “Capacity Building and UN Processes” Session
• Report on the “Next steps Cybil – the CCB knowledge portal” Session
• Report on the “Cyber Capacity Assessments” Session
• GFCE Consultation Session: GFCE Big Questions
• Report on the “Emerging Technologies” Session
• Report on the “Impact of Covid-19 on Cybersecurity” Session
• GFCE V-Meeting: Meet & Greet with the GFCE Foundation Board

The 2019 GFCE Annual Meeting was hosted by the African Union Commission from 8 – 10 October at the AUC premises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Other international cyber-related events were held in parallel in the same week: the Commonwealth roundtable meeting, the public hearing of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace and the UN GGE regional consultations.

The meeting focused on working together with the GFCE community to bring the GFCE forward and to strengthen the global efforts of cyber capacity building.

Key outcomes: 

• Delivering 11 Global workshops (organized by the Working Groups and the Advisory Board);
• Launch of Cybil, the renewed CCB knowledge portal (e.g. projects, tools, publications);
• Update on the GFCE Foundation and the GFCE Fund with the World Bank;
• Discussion on the GFCE developments and the way forward;
• New GFCE Advisory Board co-chair, Ms. Folake Olagunju Oyelola (ECOWAS);
• GFCE Women in Cyberspace Initiative;
• Organizations such as Chatham, UNODA and GCSC organizing their meetings on the sidelines of the GFCE Annual Meeting;
• Announcing the GFCE’s 5th anniversary: meeting in The Hague in week of April 13th 2020