When I look back over the previous decade, how do I see progress having been made on Cyber Peace and Digital Cooperation? I see greater awareness on the threats emanating from cyberspace, if it is left totally unregulated. It is clear that positions have shifted – countries that earlier argued against the need for universal norms and rules of the road, and for the need for a free and innovative ecosystem in cyberspace, today have come to the belated realization that the use of this medium by terrorist groups, motivated disinformation campaigners, and cyber criminals has made some form of state and non-state cooperation inevitable if cyberspace is to continue to be the preferred means of communication.

I also believe that there is a more widespread understanding that viable norms can only be developed by a multistakeholder model within a multilateral process. By this I mean that there has to be first a process of each government going through consultations within all stakeholders which includes not just government departments, but industry, academia, civil society, technical and technology experts, legal advisers, and general users. Then all governments need to consult with each other to coordinate their national positions into a common international position. This could lead to a “lowest common denominator” result, but I do believe certain dangers are becoming so alarmingly common and widespread that there will be a universal recognition that some globally acceptable norms and regulations are indeed required.

I have often spoken on the fact that today the countries with the largest number of users of the internet are China, India and the USA – in that order. Therefore in the 2020s there will have to be some modification of the traditional postures of the USA, Europe and their allies on the question of internet Governance and its leadership. The different sectors which have been identified as the four main baskets of the global internet Governance Ecosystem (cybersecurity, digital economy, human rights and technology may not be prioritized in the same order by all countries. Developing countries – such as China, India and others – have emphasized other issues too, such as inclusion, development, access and affordability, which may not figure as high in the calculations of developed and affluent nations.

It is for this reason that I would argue for all dialogues to continue - whether at the United Nations, within regional groups and alliances, within individual countries. But there also has to be better cooperation between these dialogues, processes, and at some stage a combining of their recommendations and norms for universal acceptance. Holding comforting consultations among the like-minded is easy, having the difficult conversations with those perceived as adversaries is the harder process. But if we wish to avoid fragmentation and splintering the internet and cyberspace, there is no alternative.

And finally, we have to preserve and cherish this amazing medium that has connected us in ways we never dreamt of. Unless we agree on the means to use this technology, and future (and possibly more disruptive) technologies in a responsible manner, we, the Cyber Peace Warriors, would have failed. So, let us soldier on, overcome our geopolitical rivalries, create universal standards and norms and usher in the Cyber Peace and the Digital Cooperation that we need.