Mr. Chair,

Thank you for giving us the floor.

As this is the first time for us to take the floor, allow us to express our gratitude for your excellent leadership and continuous efforts and dedication in guiding our discussions on cybersecurity.

The Philippines reaffirms its commitment to the United Nations Framework of Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace and to the implementation of effective cyber CBMs. Our active participation in the ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Security of and in the Use of ICTs, as well as in this process, underscores our dedication to this cause.

We are pleased to report that, under the co-chairmanship of the Philippines and Canada for the ASEAN Regional Forum ISM on ICT Security for two intersessional years, we successfully held the 14^th Open-Ended Study Group on CBM to Reduce the Risk of Conflict --- Stemming from the Use of ICT last week, and we look forward to the convening of the ARF ISM on ICT Security.

Given the daily cyber-attack attempts that the Philippines manages to block, we strongly advocate for information sharing as a best practice in countering and preventing cyber threats. The experience gained through participation in Asia Pacific CERT and FIRST has shown us the critical role of information sharing. Therefore, we welcome and strongly support the establishment of a Global POC Directory. We look forward to the Global POC simulation in March.

International cooperation is vital for advancing discussions on protecting critical infrastructure from malicious cyber activities and enhancing CERT to CERT cooperation among member states.

Mr. Chair, allow me to share our perspective regarding rules, norms, and responsible behavior:

First, we endorse the Voluntary Checklist of Practical Actions for implementing the 11 voluntary, non-binding norms as outlined in Annex A of the 3^rd Annual Progress Report. We see this checklist as a potential deliverable of this Group. These norms, originally agreed upon by the GGE in 2015 and later endorsed by consensus through UNGA resolution 70/237, affirm their universal applicability; and

Second, we align with Malaysia's perspective that this checklist should be considered a living document, adaptable to evolving circumstances. We also believe that the discussion on additional norms can continue concurrently within the new permanent mechanism, recognizing that these discussions are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

Before we conclude, Mr. Chair, we would also like to extend our appreciation to the organizers of the Women in Cyber Fellowship for enabling women to meaningfully participate in this critical issue. This initiative not only helps capacitate states to engage effectively but provides a platform that promotes gender inclusivity. With this, we echo the statements of our colleagues from South Africa and Albania, among others that the Women in Cyber Fellowship is a CBM in itself that must be sustained.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.