Cybersecurity Must be Matter of Global Concern, Says Secretary-General

 

in Video Message to Model UN

 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message for the Model UN Security Council Conference on Cybersecurity, in Baku, 21 October:

It is a pleasure to greet this Model UN Conference.  I commend your initiative to bring student representatives to Baku from all current members of the Security Council.  I congratulate the organizers:  the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Azerbaijan and UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] Azerbaijan.  I also welcome your focus on cybersecurity.

Information and communications technologies are part of daily life.  They are helping to revolutionize health and education, transform the way we live and work and move us closer to our development goals.  But cyberattacks have the potential to destabilize on a global scale.  Cybersecurity must therefore be a matter of global concern.

The United Nations is promoting dialogue and cooperation among Member States to ensure an open, secure, peaceful and accessible ICT [information and communications technology] environment.  I trust that this Model UN exercise will lead to a greater awareness of the real need to develop international standards to deal with cybercrimes.  I also hope you will leave Baku with a greater appreciation for the role of the United Nations in our interconnected world.

Thank you for your engagement.  I wish you great success.

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For information media • not an official record