Cyber Law & Governance

UN Open Ended Working Group on the security of and in the use of information and Communication technologies (2021-2025)

The CIL has been an accredited observer to the UN OEWG process since Dec 2023.  The OEWG was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 75/240 adopted on 31 December 2020 with the mandate, among others, to further develop the rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour of States and the ways for their  implementation;  and to continue to study how international law applies to the use of information and communications technologies by States. Danielle Yeow, CIL’s cyber law and governance programme represents the CIL at the meetings of the OEWG (6th-10th Session and intersessional session in May 2024) and has delivered statements on behalf of the CIL.

The links to CIL’s statements are available via:-

CIL’s Danielle Yeow was invited by the Chair of the OEWG  to brief delegations on the topic of international law during the dedicated thematic session on 15 May 2024. The other invited experts were  Mariana Salazar Albornoz (Prof of International Law, Universidad Iberoamericana); Skortsova Ekaterina (Expert of Military Academy of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Russian Federation) and Łukasz Kułaga, Associate Professor, Department of International and European Law, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw; Counsellor, Legal Treaty Department of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The briefing was structured around the Chair's guiding questions and was followed by an interactive dialogue with delegations and experts.

Cyber law and policy dialogues and roundtable discussions

Capacity-Building

CIL researchers are actively engaged in capacity building on international law applicable to cyber operations , having conducted lectures and training to government officials and legal advisors convened under the:- 

  • UNODA Sponsorship programme, “Introduction to International Law – Approaches to Applicability in Cyberspace”, UNHQ, New York, 4 Dec 2024
  • UN-SGP Cyber Fellowship, The Risks of Cyber Conflict and the Challenges of Applying International Law, Singapore, 5 Aug 2024
  • UN-Singapore Cyber Fellowship Programme, panel discussion on “International Law” , 25 April 2024
  • Convened Regional Workshop and Dialogue on “International Law in Cyberspace – Asian Perspectives and Current Trends” (in collaboration with Chatham House), Singapore, 18-19 Apr 2023
  • UN-Singapore Cyber Fellowship programme (1-6 Aug 2022). The Fellowship, organised by the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, is the flagship programme under the UN-Singapore Cyber Programme. This inter-disciplinary programme, organised by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore, was attended by participants comprising of high level national cyber officials from UN member states.

Speaking Engagements

Publications

  • Advisory Board Member (Danielle Yeow), Handbook on Developing a National Position on International Law and Cyber Activities, May 2025.  https://lnkd.in/d38iR7Qi
  • Danielle Yeow, EJIL talk blog! Developing National Positions in Cyber – Legal and Policy Consideration, 30 May 2025. Available at   EJIL: Talk! Link