Special Section: Governing Cyberspace: Building Confidence, Capacity and Consensus

Abstract

Cyberspace is an integral part of modern societies and has transformed global social and economic relations in the 21st century. From an arcane and technical domain on the margins of international policy debates, cyberspace has entered the realm of high politics and is an important feature of contemporary debates on global governance. The contributions presented in this special section seek to foster a better understanding of how to govern cyberspace – a domain that is complex, ubiquitous and an increasingly indispensable part of life in the 21st century. Despite the fact that cyberspace is primarily owned and operated by the private sector, the authors agree that states continue to exert a powerful influence over how cyberspace is used and governed. The contributions reveal that although cyberspace is a relatively new area of global governance, existing legal and political frameworks and traditional means and methods of conducting interstate relations remain relevant. A comprehensive, international treaty to govern cyberspace is unlikely to emerge in the near future. Therefore, a wide-ranging set of tailored efforts is required to ensure that cyberspace remains free, open and secure. Confidence and trust must be built between states and other relevant stakeholders through practical cooperation on specific issues, sharing information and best practices and exercising restraint in cyber activities. Bilateral cooperation and like-minded coalitions are essential for developing and disseminating norms or principles of responsible behaviour in cyberspace, which may set the stage for legally binding commitments in the future. Ultimately, the international architecture for governing cyberspace is likely to resemble the medium itself – an intricate web of actors, institutions and instruments securing a resource that is far greater than the sum of its parts.