In recent years, more and more Member States have come to recognize that international information security is becoming increasingly topical and should be seen as an important issue on the international and national security agenda.
The General Assembly has considered the issue of information security since 1998. In its annual resolution on the subject, adopted without a vote at its 58th session, the Assembly expressed concern that information technologies could potentially be used for purposes that were inconsistent with the objectives of maintaining international stability and security and might adversely affect the security of States. Considering the need to prevent the misuse or exploitation of information resources or technologies for criminal or terrorist purposes, the Assembly called on Member States to promote further at multilateral levels the consideration of existing and potential threats in the field of information security, as well as possible measures to limit the threats emerging in this field, consistent with the need to preserve the free flow of information.
1 It reiterated its request to the Secretary-General to consider existing and potential threats in the sphere of information security and possible cooperative measures to address them; and to conduct a study on the concepts aimed at strengthening the security of global information and telecommunication systems, with the help of a group of governmental experts in 2004; and to submit a report on the outcome to the Assembly at its sixtieth session in 2006. (For details of the Group's work, see chapter VII on Studies, information and education on page
click here.)
Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 57/53, the Secretary-General submitted a report on the subject
2 transmitting replies from the following Governments: Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Georgia, Russian Federation, Senegal and Ukraine.
