Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and on his behalf, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz attended the launch of the fourth edition of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF).
Held over two days on October 2-3, the GCF featured a distinguished group of decision-makers and Chief Executives from relevant international organizations, a selection of high-level speakers representing various government and academic sectors, and representatives of leading global companies from more than 120 countries.
Organized by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) under the theme “Advancing Collective Action in Cyberspace,” the GCF aims to enhance international cooperation in addressing pressing issues in cyberspace.
The GCF hosted the first-ever Child Protection in Cyberspace (CPC) Global Summit, organized by the NCA and the GCF Foundation, in collaboration with the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and various stakeholders from the private sector, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions worldwide.
The CPC Global Summit aligns with the goals of the global initiative by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to safeguard children in cyberspace by raising global awareness among decision-makers about the growing threats children face in the digital realm.
This year’s GCF continues to build on the foundations and objectives set by previous editions, bringing together several high-level international officials.
The GCF featured a series of panel discussions focusing on the following themes:
- Overcoming cyber disparities by building trust to enhance prospects for international cyber cooperation
- Cyber behavior and the social fabric in cyberspace to promote inclusion
- Making cyberspace a catalyst for development and bridging the social gap among communities, organizations, and countries
- Thriving cyber economy, which aims to discuss the contribution of the cyber economy to development by advancing markets in this vital and promising sector
- New cyber horizons, which will explore mechanisms for leveraging emerging technologies to drive progress and innovation
Key speakers at the event included: Dr. Mark Esper, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); H.E. José Manuel Barroso, former President of the EU Commission and former Prime Minister of Portugal; Ambassador Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India; and Sir Jeremy Fleming, Former Director of GCHQ, UK, among other high-level policymakers and experts.
The GCF operates in line with the strategic objectives of the GCF Foundation, aiming to enhance cybersecurity at the international level, achieve economic and social development, and align and support related international efforts.
From the start of its journey in 2020, GCF has evolved from a meeting point for the global cybersecurity community to a permanent platform for making a positive, lasting impact on Cyberspace. GCF 2022 reimagined the future of Cyberspace by ‘Rethinking the Global Cyber Order,’ and GCF 2023 mapped the way forward by ‘Charting Shared Priorities in Cyberspace’.
The Summit aims to achieve four key objectives: Consolidating global efforts and advancing collective action; enhancing the global response to pressing challenges; mitigating emerging threats facing children in Cyberspace; and ensuring that CPC resonates with the agenda of global decision makers. These objectives support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, 16 and 17, under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
