#DFS2026: The Future of UN Cybersecurity Governance

As part of the German Forum for Security Policy (“Deutsches Forum Sicherheitspolitik”) convened by the German Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) in the week of May 4, interface is hosting an online discussion on the future of cybersecurity governance at the United Nations. 

March 2026 marked a milestone in international cybersecurity governance: all 193 member states of the United Nations convened in New York to launch the permanent Global Mechanism on Developments in the Field of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the Context of International Security and Advancing Responsible State Behavior in the Use of ICTs (Global Mechanism). After more than 25 years of discussions on a temporary basis, the international community now has a standing body to turn years of agreed language into concrete action. 

The Global Mechanism, chaired for the first two years by El Salvador, is a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on international security and disarmament. It brings together states to address key questions on cybersecurity and international peace and security, including how cyber threats (can) affect global stability, what legal and normative rules should guide state behavior in cyberspace, and how trust and confidence can be strengthened to reduce the risk of conflict. 

This event takes the launch of this new forum as an opportunity to reflect on past decades of UN cybersecurity discussions, assess the significance of this new body, and explore key issues currently under consideration. In this moderated online discussion, speakers representing the Chairperson’s team and the German Federal Foreign Office will share their perspectives on the opportunities presented by the new mechanism and look ahead to upcoming milestones, including expectations for the Mechanism’s next meeting in July. The discussion will conclude with a Q&A session with the audience. 

The entire event takes place under the Chatham House rule, meaning that information shared may be used, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of speakers may be disclosed. Thus, the event will also not be recorded.