US, EU set for second annual cyber norms meeting

The United States and European Union on Monday will hold their second annual cyber dialogue.

In a series of meetings in Washington, D.C., the two sides will work to establish norms of behavior in cyberspace, discuss how to best promote the right to digital privacy and more generally explore ways to bolster global cybersecurity.

{mosads}“International cyberspace developments are central to our broader foreign and security policy, and are key elements of our strategic partnership,” said the State Department in a release.

Participants will also have an eye on preparing for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting to revisit the 10-year-old World Summit on the Information Society, a conference that set the basis for global Internet governance norms and aimed to address the digital divide between countries.

The U.S. and EU first established a joint cyber dialogue in 2014 during a U.S.-EU Summit.

Monday’s meeting comes amid ongoing efforts from the Obama administration to advance international agreements on cyberspace behavior.

At the G-20 Summit last month in Turkey, leaders from the 20 largest economies in the world signed on to a broad agreement affirming that international law, such as the UN Charter, applies to cyberspace.

“That means that cyberspace is not some lawless ‘Wild West” where anything goes, but rather a place where state conduct is governed by the same rules that apply in other domains,” said State Department Coordinator for Cyber Issues Christopher Painter, who will co-chair Monday’s meetings, in a Thursday blog post.

The agreement also included a pledge not to conduct or support the cyber theft of trade secrets, an important deal given a similar bilateral agreement struck in September between the U.S. and China.

“Although there is much work to do to determine how international law applies to state behavior in this environment, this agreement is a critical step to achieving greater stability in cyberspace,” Painter added.

Officials from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Commerce and Treasury will participate in Monday’s talks as well.

“If all states have an incentive to enjoy the benefits of cyberspace and little incentive to disrupt it, cyberspace can continue to be an engine for economic and social growth around the globe,” Painter said.