United Nations (TDI): Pakistan on Tuesday emphasized the need for developing a legal framework to address the implications of the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware for international peace and security.
“The unrestricted availability, proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware and related technologies by both state and non-state actors has emerged as a major concern,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s Deputy permanent representative to the UN, told an Arria-Formua meeting of the UN Security Council convened by the United States.
This format of UNSC meeting is named after a former Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN, Diego Arriva. It is a consultation process which offers members of the Council the opportunity to hear persons in an informal setting.
Expressing alarm over the unregulated military applications of cyberspace, covert information operations, exploitation of software and hardware vulnerabilities, Pakistan’s envoy said Islamabad stands for a global dialogue on this “urgent threat” to international peace and security.
“The militarization of cyberspace, the development of offensive cyber capabilities by states, and the unchecked military applications of new and advanced technologies, are all contributing to these concerns,” he told the 15-member Council.
“In the absence of an international regulatory framework to ensure the responsible uses of cyberspace, these developments pose serious risk to international stability,” he said.
“We have witnessed firsthand the risks posed by such technology when hostile actors were found using spyware tools to target our nationals, public figures and state entities,” he said.
Jadoon added, “Such malicious actions are clearly in breach of norms of responsible state behavior, and more importantly, a violation of the UN Charter’s principles, including the non-use of force, state sovereignty and non-interference in the domestic affairs of states.”
While existing international law applies to cyberspace, certain gaps remain due to its distinctive nature, he said.
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“To address this, Pakistan has consistently backed the development of a legal framework.”
Pakistan Proposes Framework
Jadoon proposed a legally-binding instrument, to be discussed and adopted through an inclusive UN process.
The proposed framework aims to:
— Prohibit ICT (Information and Communications Technology) activities that damage important infrastructure, introduce harmful vulnerabilities, or compromise supply-chain security;
— Set up regulatory mechanisms to prevent the misuse of surveillance technologies, including spyware;
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— strengthen global cooperation to ensure equitable access to technology for peaceful objectives and enhance capacity-building efforts;
— Develop mechanisms for solving problems like attribution challenges and secure cross-border data exchange, and
— Support confidence-building measures (CBMs) in cybersecurity to reduce misunderstandings and boost regional and global stability.
