Programme of Action to Advance Responsible State Behaviour in the Use of Information and Communications Technologies in the Context of International Security

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 94 Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security, published in 2023.

What other versions does this mandate have?

2 versions · 2022–2023

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2023	A/RES/78/16	Programme of action to advance responsible State behaviour in the use of information and communications technologies in the context of international security	1,798	53%Compare
2022	A/RES/77/37	Programme of action to advance responsible State behaviour in the use of information and communications technologies in the context of international security	1,620	–

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report · 2023

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2023	A/78/76	Programme of action to advance responsible State behaviour in the use of information and communications technologies in the context of international security report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/77/37

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 subjects

Data Protection Information Systems Information Technology International Security Programmes of Action Telecommunications

What’s in this document?

8 operative paragraphs

Welcomes the report on the proposal for a United Nations programme of action to advance responsible State behaviour in the use of information and communications technologies in the context of international security, prepared by the Secretary-General on the basis of the views expressed by States, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 77/37, including the observations and conclusions of the Secretary-General contained in the report;

Also welcomes the regional consultations convened by the Office of Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat with relevant regional organizations to share views on the programme of action;

Encourages States to discuss and provide recommendations on the scope, structure and content of the programme of action, and the modalities for its establishment, through the discussions on regular institutional dialogue at the sixth, seventh and eighth sessions of the open-ended working group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021–2025, as well as dedicated intersessional meetings, including on how the programme of action would:

Support States, including through capacity-building, in the implementation of the framework for responsible State behaviour, which includes international law, norms, rules and principles for responsible State behaviour, and confidence-building measures;

Enable discussions on the further development of the framework, including by deepening common understandings on the norms and on how existing international law applies in the use of information and communications technologies, identifying any gaps in those understandings and, if appropriate, considering the need for additional voluntary, non-binding norms or additional legally binding obligations;

Facilitate inclusive dialogue and cooperation, including with relevant stakeholders where appropriate;

Decides to establish a mechanism under the auspices of the United Nations, upon the conclusion of the 2021–2025 open-ended working group and no later than 2026, that will be permanent, inclusive and action-oriented, with the specific objectives affirmed in General Assembly resolution 77/37 and with the common elements for future regular institutional dialogue agreed by consensus in the 2023 annual progress report of the 2021–2025 open-ended working group, and also decides that the scope, structure, content and modalities of this mechanism shall be based on consensus outcomes of the 2021–2025 open-ended working group, taking into account the report of the Secretary-General prepared pursuant to resolution 77/37, the views submitted by States therein, the regional consultations as well as dialogue with relevant stakeholders;

Also decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session the item entitled “Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security”.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents