- Final -

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the potential candidate country Georgia, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

1. The EU and its Member States are committed to advance the discussions on the “regular institutional dialogue” (RID) and stand ready to engage with a positive approach in an effort to make constructive progress, which builds on the existing UN consensus grounded in the application of existing international law and norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.
2. The OEWG provides the opportunity to benefit from the multi-layered expertise and experience of states and stakeholders interested in contributing to the discussions. However, it should be acknowledged that efforts to limit the participation of non-state stakeholders may affect these stakeholders’ future contribution to the implementation of the agreements put forward by the OEWG.
3. Private sector, academia, and NGOs are crucial for following through with the agreements and their implementation on the national, regional and international levels.
4. In particular, the 2019-2021 OEWG concluded that any future RID should be “an action-oriented process with specific objectives, building on previous outcomes, and be inclusive, transparent, consensus driven, and results-based”[1]. Multistakeholders have a key role to play in this.
5. In this vein, the EU supports the proposal to establish a Programme of Action to Advance Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace, which will allow us to, in complementarity to the OEWG, advance the practical work on implementing the UN framework. Let me recall once again, that one of the main objectives the PoA is to enhance multi-stakeholder engagement, that would allow for regular consultations with relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, academia and the civil society, to consider and provide their unique perspectives upon relevant issues. Enhancing multistakeholder engagement would also be relevant insofar as non-governmental actors, including the private sector, have a responsibility to contribute to the effective implementation of some aspects of the framework.
6. We also believe the PoA could provide a permanent, inclusive structure to support States in their efforts to implement the framework. To that end, it would encourage voluntary reporting by States on their national implementation efforts, to map the needs and challenges they face. The PoA would foster exchanges of best practices and expertise of the identified challenges.
7. On this basis, the PoA would aim to provide support for tailored capacity-building activities to address the needs and challenges identified by States in their efforts to implement the framework. To that end, it would seek to leverage relevant existing initiatives and build on existing capacity building structures and platforms. It would also seek better coordination, for example via regular briefings, with capacity-building activities carried out in other institutions, each within the scope of the mandate.
8. The PoA should also be flexible enough to allow States to address new threats, and further develop the normative framework on the basis of consensus if appropriate. Many delegations have recalled this week that while support for implementation of the existing framework is urgently needed, new norms may also be developed over time if needed. The PoA could hold regular meetings or review conferences to update the framework as appropriate.
9. In the same vein, we would also like to encourage states to submit their national contributions to the UN Secretary General report, with the proposals regarding the POAs possible structure and content and probable way forward for its preparatory work and establishment.
10. Furthermore, a dedicated session on the POA in 2024, would give all States the opportunity to engage in focused, inclusive discussions on the further elaboration of a PoA, including by voicing their expectations and potential concerns.

[1] Final report of the 2019-2021 OEWG, paragraph 74.