New Issue Domains in the UN Ambit: Negotiating Meanings for Security in the Cyberspace

Abstract

The international institutional architecture for cybersecurity activities is currently dominated by a multiplicity of initiatives aimed at increasing cooperation at the international level, as well as by a redefinition of the roles played by existent actors and so far no new entity has been empowered to handle security in the cyberspace. The present study explores the meanings given to security in the cyberspace from a politico-military perspective in the largest and most powerful international organization, the United Nations (UN). It investigates the resolutions issued by two of the most active UN bodies in this field: the General Assembly (GA), starting in 1998 and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), starting in 2007, asking how the wording of the relevant paragraphs concerning cybersecurity shapes the entitlement to participation in the governance of this new issue domain. In this regard, the definition of issues to be covered and of the actors that are, could or should get involved becomes crucial for understanding the broader roles assigned in the regulation of a new domain. The main findings reveal that, in spite of the numerous resolutions proposing steps further for the protection of cyberspace discussed in the General Assembly, a specific definition of cybersecurity has not been provided until 2008. The shift from a state-centric perspective to a multistakeholder approach is yet to be fully completed, and different instances of contestation can be currently observed.