A/RES/73/266 GA

United Nations A/RES/73/266 General Assembly Distr.: General 2 January 2019 18-22650 (E) 040119 *1822650* Seventy-third session Agenda item 96 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2018 [on the report of the First Committee (A/73/505)] 73/266. Advancing responsible State behaviour in cyberspace in the context of international security The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 53/70 of 4 December 1998, 54/49 of 1 December 1999, 55/28 of 20 November 2000, 56/19 of 29 November 2001, 57/53 of 22 November 2002, 58/32 of 8 December 2003, 59/61 of 3 December 2004, 60/45 of 8 December 2005, 61/54 of 6 December 2006, 62/17 of 5 December 2007, 63/37 of 2 December 2008, 64/25 of 2 December 2009, 65/41 of 8 December 2010, 66/24 of 2 December 2011, 67/27 of 3 December 2012, 68/243 of 27 December 2013, 69/28 of 2 December 2014, 70/237 of 23 December 2015 and 71/28 of 5 December 2016, as well as its decision 72/512 of 4 December 2017, Noting that considerable progress has been achieved in developing and applying the latest information technologies and means of telecommunication, Affirming that it sees in this progress the broadest positive opportunities for the further development of civilization, the expansion of opportunities for cooperation for the common good of all States, the enhancement of the creative potential of humankind and additional improvements in the circulation of information in the global community, Noting that the dissemination and use of information technologies and means affect the interests of the entire international community and that optimum effectiveness is enhanced by broad international cooperation, Confirming that information and communications technologies are dual-use technologies and can be used for both legitimate and malicious purposes, Stressing that it is in the interest of all States to promote the use of information and communications technologies for peaceful purposes and to prevent conflict arising from the use of information and communications technologies, A/RES/73/266 Advancing responsible State behaviour in cyberspace in the context of international security 18-22650 2/3 Expressing concern that these technologies and means can potentially be used for purposes that are inconsistent with the objectives of maintaining international stability and security and may adversely affect the integrity of the infrastructure of States, to the detriment of their security in both civil and military fields, Underscoring the need for enhanced coordination and cooperation among States in combating the criminal misuse of information technologies, Underlining the importance of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the use of information and communications technologies, Welcoming the effective work of the Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security and the 2010, 1 2013 2 and 2015 3 reports transmitted by the Secretary-General, Stressing the importance of the assessments and recommendations contained in the reports of the Group of Governmental Experts, Confirming the conclusions of the Group of Governmental Experts, in its 2013 and 2015 reports, that international law, and in particular the Charter of the United Nations, is applicable and essential to maintaining peace and stability and promoting an open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful information and communications technology environment, that voluntary and non-binding norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviour of States in the use of information and communications technologies can reduce risks to international peace, security and stability, and that, given the unique attributes of such technologies, additional norms can be developed over time, Confirming also the conclusions of the Group of Governmental Experts that voluntary confidence-building measures can promote trust and assurance among States and help to reduce the risk of conflict by increasing predictability and reducing misperception and thereby make an important contribution to addressing the concerns of States over the use of information and communications technologies by States and could be a significant step towards greater international security, Confirming further the conclusions of the Group of Governmental Experts that providing assistance to build capacity in the area of information and communications technology security is also essential for international security, by improving the capacity of States for cooperation and collective action and promoting the use of such technologies for peaceful purposes, Stressing that, while States have a primary responsibility for maintaining a secure and peaceful information and communications technology environment, effective international cooperation would benefit from identifying mechanisms for the participation, as appropriate, of the private sector, academia and civil society organizations, 1. Calls upon Member States: (a) To be guided in their use of information and communications technologies by the 2010,1 20132 and 20153 reports of the Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security; __________________ 1 A/65/201. 2 A/68/98. 3 A/70/174. Advancing responsible State behaviour in cyberspace in the context of international security A/RES/73/266 3/3 18-22650 (b) To support the implementation of cooperative measures, as identified in the reports of the Group of Governmental Experts, to address the threats emerging in this field and ensure an open, interoperable, reliable and secure information and communications technology environment consistent with the need to preserve the free flow of information; 2. Invites all Member States, taking into account the assessments and recommendations contained in the reports of the Group of Governmental Experts, to continue to inform the Secretary-General of their views and assessments on the following questions: (a) Efforts taken at the national level to strengthen information security and promote international cooperation in this field; (b) The content of the concepts mentioned in the reports of the Group of Governmental Experts; 3. Requests the Secretary-General, with the assistance of a group of governmental experts, to be established in 2019 on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, proceeding from the assessments and recommendations contained in the above-mentioned reports, to continue to study, with a view to promoting common understandings and effective implementation, possible cooperative measures to address existing and potential threats in the sphere of information security, including norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviour of States, confidence-building measures and capacity-building, as well as how international law applies to the use of information and communications technologies by States, and to submit a report on the results of the study, including an annex containing national contributions of participating governmental experts on the subject of how international law applies to the use of information and communications technologies by States, to the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session; 4. Requests the Office for Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat, through existing resources and voluntary contributions, on behalf of the members of the group of governmental experts, to collaborate with relevant regional organizations, such as the African Union, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Regional Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to convene a series of consultations to share views on the issues within the mandate of the group in advance of its sessions; 5. Requests the Chair of the group of governmental experts to organize two two-day informal consultative meetings, open-ended so that all Member States can engage in interactive discussions and share their views, which the Chair shall convey to the group of governmental experts for consideration; 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-fourth session the item entitled “Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security”. 65th plenary meeting 22 December 2018

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