Стр. 34 - V

Электронное приложение к журналу «Международная жизнь»
Author : S. Boyko
Chief of Staff, Security Council of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Science (History)
THE HISTORY of the UN groups of governmental ex-
perts on developments in the field of information and
telecommunications in the context of international secu-
rity (GGE's) goes back to November 29, 2001, to one in
a long series of UN General.
Setting up the GGE was a logical outcome of work
within the UN format to launch a new mechanism for
consolidating international efforts to handle rapidly
mounting threats and challenges in the information space.
Russia had taken its first steps to that end back in 1998, when it propounded its first draft resolution
entitled Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of inter-
national security at the 53rd session of the UN General Assembly. This was the first page in the
long history of UN debates on issues of information and telecommunications security.
It was logical, therefore, that the proposal for setting up a second GGE in 2009 was reiterated in
subsequent Russia-initiated resolutions adopted at the 61st and 63rd sessions of the General As-
sembly between 2006 and 2008.
When the second GGE was convened eventually in November 2009, this agreement was a major
stimulus for Russia, China, for their BRIC partners Brazil and India, all in all, four countries that
were among the 15 states represented in the group.
Krutskikh was elected as chair of the second GGE as well. He tried to build a team of like-minded
people who would be able to put their disagreements aside and focus on the main task, preparing a
report to the UN Secretary-General.
There were heated debates over current and potential threats and ways of warding them off at all
four meetings of the GGE. One stumbling block was the terminology to be used in the report. In
a clash between fundamental attitudes, some of the group members insisted on "information secu-
rity" while others wanted a narrower term, "cyber security.'' However, the experts were able to adopt
a constructive attitude and agree on key concepts.
The history of the GGEs may become a history of the evolution of success. And, paradoxical as
it may sound, a history of the future.
UN Groups of Governmental Experts on Developments in the
Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of
International Security