"We need to demystify cybersecurity"

Mr Fasel, this year's GC3B in Geneva brings together the wider international digital community and, more specifically, key stakeholders from the cybersecurity sector with wide-ranging expertise, including in development assistance. How important and necessary is it to discuss digitalisation and digital awareness nowadays?

Digital transformation is progressing rapidly across the globe, delivering huge benefits in many areas of life. It can, for example, accelerate economic development, promote innovation, increase access to education and health services, and provide more opportunities for political participation. Digital transformation is a key component of development cooperation work and helps achieve development objectives such as the SDGs under the 20230 Agenda. However, digitalisation also brings new risks that potentially jeopardise the successes achieved. 

So Switzerland's international cooperation work seeks to reduce these risks

Yes! Advances in digitalisation also broaden the scope for cyberattacks, for example. As a result, sustainable digital development also involves minimising risks and building the resilience of users and systems.  We need to demystify cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is as important to today's digital world as wearing a car seatbelt is to driving safety. It is no longer the preserve of technical experts. It is therefore crucial to sustainable digital development.  The aim of the GC3B is to bring together the worlds of cybersecurity and development cooperation.

Geneva is a major hub with a highly proactive and diverse digital community, so it's a logical choice to host a conference like this.

You're right. Geneva is home to various stakeholders involved in building resilience to cyberthreats at technical, operational and diplomatic level. These include the DiploFoundation, Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and CyberPeace Institute, as well as organisations like the ITU, UNDP, UNIDIR and WEF Centre for Cybersecurity. The GC3B in Geneva provides an excellent opportunity to create and exploit synergies.

All countries need to build cyber resilience, but they cannot achieve this alone. International cooperation is required. GC3B promotes this inclusive approach, as it brings governments, international organisations, civil society and the private sector together.

The topics covered by the GC3B are aligned with the strategic priorities set in Switzerland's Foreign Policy Strategy, Digital Foreign Policy Strategy, Arms Control and Disarmament Strategy, International Cooperation Strategy, and National Cyberstrategy. 

Holding this conference should also consolidate Geneva's position as a global centre. In what way?

International Geneva is recognised around the world as a centre for global governance issues, including digital governance. Some 600 participants from over 160 countries are expected at the conference. The GC3B also gives Swiss- and Geneva-based organisations the opportunity to present important work to a global audience, showcasing Geneva's expertise and strengthening International Geneva as a digital hub.

The inaugural Geneva Cyber Week will also run in parallel to the conference. What were the reasons for setting this up?

The aim of Geneva Cyber Week is to pool Geneva's international cooperation, multilateral diplomacy and cybersecurity expertise and, in the process, emphasise its pivotal role in the global cybersecurity ecosystem. Geneva Cyber Week is an opportunity for the global cybersecurity community to meet and to establish and strengthen ties to Geneva-based organisations and the digital community with its wealth of expertise and experience. The 'cyber week' idea is not exactly new – a number of cyber weeks are held around the world every year. However, GC3B breaks new ground in that it is the world's only cyber week to be held in a multilateral diplomacy and cooperation centre like International Geneva.