The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) conducted its final meeting of 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on October 11-12. The meeting took place alongside the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) Annual Meeting, hosted by the African Union Commission.

On October 11, the GCSC hosted CyberStability Hearings on “Norm Implementation & Capacity Building: Two Sides of the Same Coin?” The Hearings provided advanced insight into the final GCSC report that will be published in November 2019, featuring a comprehensive Cyberstability Framework. In addition, possible synergies between the GCSC and the GFCE, and the GCSC and the UN First Committee processes were explored. Commissioners were able to engage with representatives from government, private sector and civil society, as well as members of the African Union, GFCE and United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security. In addition to the members and Chair of the GGE, the Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group also participated in the process.

During their time in Ethiopia, Commissioners participated in several sessions of the GFCE program and had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Additionally, the Commission took part in the GGE regional consultations with the African Union Commission and Member States.

The Commission met in closed session on October 11-12 to complete its final report and the way forward. The report will propose a cyberstability framework to advance responsible state and non-state behavior and continued involvement from all stakeholders invested in international peace and security in cyberspace. It will be released at the 2019 Paris Peace Forum November 12-13.

The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, the EastWest Institute, the Chairs and Commissioners would like to thank the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise and the African Union Commission for hosting the GCSC in Addis Ababa, as well as the GCSC partners, the governments of the Netherlands, Singapore and France, Microsoft, ISOC, Afilias and the other funders for their continued support.

For more information about the Commission please visit www.cyberstability.org or follow the GCSC on Twitter (@theGCSC).