Geneva, Switzerland - The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) hosted a session titled ‘Cybersecurity at the Center of Digital Transformation in Africa’ at the 2023 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held on the 13th of March 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland. The hybrid session brought together over 60 participants, including policymakers, experts, and cybersecurity specialists.
As Vice-chair of the UNGIS and Chair of the WSIS Regional Commission Group for (2022- 2023), ECA hosted the session with the main objectives of addressing Member states and relevant stakeholders on recent developments within Africa’s Cybersecurity landscape while promoting the importance of cybersecurity laws that are compatible with best practices and prioritize the protection of human rights.
During the session, Jean-Paul Adams, the Director of Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Division (TCND) at ECA, emphasized the importance of ECA's Guideline for a Model Cybersecurity Law, highlighting the need for the document to evolve based on the best practices and feedback from stakeholders. Mr. Adams added, ‘To achieve the full implementation of Africa's growth drivers, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Digital Single Market (DSM), and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), it is crucial to address cybersecurity in an inclusive and informed approach’.
According to Mr. Adams, the Model Cybersecurity Law can guide Member States in developing Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Legal and Regulatory Frameworks in their countries. He further stated that cybersecurity is one of the pillars of successful digital transformation. Therefore, it is essential to reinforce Africa's capacity to keep citizens safe and secure as they invest in digital transformation projects.
Prof. Nnennaa Ifeanyi-Ajufo, Vice Chair of the African Union Cyber Security Experts Group, walked through the main components of the Guideline Model law on Cybersecurity. She stressed the importance of prioritizing the protection of human rights and ensuring compatibility with industry best practices when drafting cybersecurity laws.
It is to be recalled that on the 23rd of March 2022, African Heads of State and Government adopted the Lomé Declaration on Cybersecurity and the Fight Against Cybercrime in Africa to ensure cybersecurity takes top priority at the highest level of governance. The Guidelines highlighted essential areas that policymakers and legal experts could explore in suggesting member states implement the Lomé Declaration through national legislative processes.
The session also discussed the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (APNIG) launched in 2022 aimed at strengthening the role of African Parliamentarians in building the capacity of legislators for cybersecurity. The Chair of the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (APNIG), Hon. MP Neema Lugangira, stressed the need for national laws to ‘speak with each other’ further noting, ‘…with the support of ECA, we were able to launch APNIG (2022) to strengthen the role of African Parliamentarians in building the capacity of legislators for cybersecurity.’
According to a study presented at the session, a 10% increase in cybersecurity maturity yields between 0.66% and 5.4% increase in per capita GDP in Africa (CD4IR, 2022). However, only 20% of African states currently have the basic legal frameworks in place for countering cybercrime. Dr. Jimson Olufuye, a Principal Consultant at Kontemporary Konsulting Ltd., recommended that African countries cooperate and ratify the African Convention on Cybersecurity and Data Protection, also known as The Malabo Convention. The convention's basis is the seamless sharing of information and cooperation to enable the effective prosecution of cross-border cybercrimes, which is particularly important as digitalization is expected to continue expanding across Africa in line with the shared objectives of the AU Digital Transformation Agenda (20-2030).
The panel of cybersecurity experts also shared development and opportunities for Cybersecurity in the continent and responded to questions and comments from the audience, including member states. Giacomo Assenza, a Cybersecurity Specialist at the World Bank, highlighted the need to view cybersecurity through ‘an economic and development lens to address risks to economic growth and the digital economy’. Dr. Martin Koyabe, the Senior Manager AU-GFCE Project at the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), also emphasized the importance of ‘sustaining and enhancing Cyber Capacity Building through South-to-South regional collaboration and partnerships’.
The session ended with participants raising questions related to the cross-border nature of cybercrimes and how best to manage these threats. The panel responded by highlighting that cross-border jurisdiction issues are best served under a Treaty, hence the call for the ratification of the Malabo Convention on Cybersecurity. Dr. Olufuye, recommended that African countries cooperate and ratify the African Convention on Cybersecurity and Data Protection, also known as The Malabo Convention. He adds the role of collaborative information sharing saying, ‘the convention's basis is the seamless sharing of information and cooperation to enable effective prosecution of cross-border cybercrimes’. Currently, 14 countries have signed, however, 15 countries are required for it to come into force.
As a closing remark, Mactar Seck - Chief of the Technology and Innovation Section at ECA stressed, ‘…technical, legal, and political approaches to cybersecurity and the key role organizations such as ECA have in formulating policies and facilitating multilateral processes that strengthen Africa's resilience in cybersecurity’.
Jean-Paul Adams further recommended that ‘ECA’s Guideline for a Model Cybersecurity Law should continue to stimulate more debate around the culture of cybersecurity in Africa. It must evolve based on best practices and feedback from stakeholders, especially young people, who are more connected and dependent on the internet to shape the future of jobs and growth that we hope to see in the continent.’
For more information about the Guideline visit: https://uneca.org/sites/default/files/Guideline_Model_Cybersecurity_Law-UNECA.pdf
To access the research ‘Cybersecurity for Development in the 4th Industrial Revolution’ commissioned by ECA, visit: https://cd4ir.africa
About UNECA
ECA is currently the Vice-chair of the UNGIS and Chair of the WSIS Regional Commission Group for (2022- 2023). Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN's five regional commissions, ECA's mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa's development. Made up of 54 member States, and playing a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape, ECA is well positioned to make unique contributions to address the Continent’s development challenges. For more information about ECA visit www.uneca.org.
About WSIS
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a United Nations (UN) summit that was initiated to create an evolving multi-stakeholder platform aimed at addressing the issues raised by information and communication technologies (ICTs) through a structured and inclusive approach at the national, regional and international levels. Endorsed by the UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 (21 December 2001), the goal of WSIS is to achieve a common vision, desire and commitment to build a people-centric, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information.
Media contact:
Mactar Seck,
Chief of Technology and Innovation Section, ECA
Email: seck8@un.org
Abiy Goshu,
Project Communications
Technology and Innovation Section, ECA
Email: abiy.goshu@un.org