GPD launches new global programme to foster inclusive cyber policy-making processes

Global Partners Digital (GPD) today announces a new programme focused on making cyber policy-making processes around the world more inclusive.

The two-year programme has two core aims:

• To build the capacity of civil society actors in the global South to effectively engage in cyber policy debates at the national, regional, and international level.
• To pilot frameworks for national multistakeholder involvement in policy and decision-making processes on cybersecurity.

To achieve these aims, the programme will work closely with partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America on a range of activities to build capacity and advocacy skills, open new spaces for cyber policy debates, and foster stronger collaboration in developing rights-respecting cyber policies.

The programme was conceived as a response to a widely acknowledged trend in current cyber policy debates — namely, the underrepresentation of civil society perspectives. In common with other actors, GPD is concerned that with the increasing securitisation of these debates, key democratic principles — including inclusive participation, oversight and accountability — are being undermined. The programme hopes to contest this trend by empowering a diverse range of progressive voices in civil society to shape cyber policies which both protect and advance human rights.

GPD has a strong record of facilitating civil society engagement in internet-related policy debates around the world, with a particular focus on the global South. The programme, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, follows previous collaborations between GPD and the Dutch government in 2015 — including projects to facilitate civil society participation in the WSIS+10 Review process and at the Global Conference on Cyberspace (GCCS), where a tailored training program on cybersecurity for civil society was delivered.

Open call for cyber experts

To ensure the programme draws on the widest possible range of knowledge, GPD is issuing an invitation to experts on cyber policy issues to join its Advisory Board. The Board will be tasked with developing a curriculum for the training component of the programme and mentoring its participants. To find out more, read our open call here and Terms of Reference here.

Interested in the progress of this programme? For general updates and announcements, follow us on Twitter. For specific questions about the programme, please contact Project Manager Daniela Schnidrig at daniela(at)gp-digital(dot)org.