Dozens of signatories added to Paris cyber agreement

Nearly 100 nations and groups have added their names to an international agreement on actions in cyberspace in the weeks since the document was unveiled.

The “Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace,” unveiled by French President Emmanuel Macron during the Paris Peace Forum on Nov. 13, has now earned more than 450 signatories.

{mosads}Ghana announced Sunday that it would be the latest country to sign on to the agreement. Rwanda and Kenya are also expected to join in the coming days, according to a Microsoft spokeswoman.

Microsoft played a leading role in the creation of the cyber agreement, and other prominent tech companies based in the United States like Facebook and Google are among the signatories.

The U.S. has declined to add its name to the list, making it one of a handful of Western countries to distance itself from the document. Australia was initially not among the participating nations, but has since signed the agreement.

The signing parties, which include global nonprofits and tech companies, agreed on principles meant to limit offensive and defensive cyber weapons.

Signatories also committed to acting to prevent foreign election interference and to protect civilians from cyberattacks.

The Trump administration earlier this year said that it was committed to carrying out offensive cyber operations as it continues to combat foreign attempts to influence U.S. elections.