Mr. Chair,

The Philippines ranks among the countries most vulnerable to cyber-attacks, having faced thousands of cyber threats, including Advanced Persistent Threats or APTs that have repeatedly attempted to infiltrate targetting our government agencies, academic institutions, and corporations in recent years. These highlight the increasing sophistication of these threats and their potential to significantly impact our national security and economic stability.

Given this challenging cybersecurity landscape, the Philippines has embraced a proactive stance. Our concentrated efforts over recent years in strengthening cybersecurity, building capacity, and fostering international collaboration have yielded significant results, as evidenced by the Philippines’ advancement to Tier 2 status in the United Nations’ Global Cybersecurity Index.

Thus, international cooperation and capacity-building initiatives remain cornerstone elements of our cybersecurity strategy, advancing crucial discussions on secure 5G networks and Open RAN architectures while emphasizing the critical nature of fortified global undersea cable networks and cloud computing infrastructures. Our commitment extends to ensuring seamless and secure flow of data across borders, advancing global data protection and privacy frameworks, and actively participating in the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum.

To enhance international cyberspace stability, data security and privacy, and cyber and digital capacity building in our region, we continue to strengthen partnerships and dialogue to advance cooperation in cyberspace, including civilian cybersecurity capacity building, cybersecurity workforce development, maritime cybersecurity, and information sharing.

As an active member of the Counter Ransomware Initiative, the Philippines continues to strengthen its national cyber policies and capacities while contributing to global cyber resilience. We remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing cooperation that prioritizes the growth of our ICT ecosystems, laying the groundwork for thriving digital economies, and contributing to international stability in cyberspace.

We take this opportunity to commend the valuable initiatives under the UNIDIR SecTec Programme, specifically the Training in Norms, International Law & Cyberspace. This training has provided the Philippines with comprehensive insights into the OEWG’s progress while reinforcing crucial concepts, including norms of responsible state behavior, fundamental principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and self-defense, and practical approaches to addressing cyberattack scenarios.

Mr. Chair,

On the proposal for the development and operationalization of a dedicated Global ICT Security Cooperation and Capacity-Building Portal, we commend the Secretariat’s effort in providing us with an initial report, particularly the inclusion of a needs-based capacity-building catalogue. This tool will prove invaluable in assisting States to identify capacity-building requirements and access information on available resources to support identified needs. We strongly support the endorsement and establishment of this portal through this Working Group and advocate for its continuation within the future permanent mechanism.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.