Yes, I said cyber. Digital security and rights in international development cooperation

Katrin Bornemann, Nathaniel A. Raymond, Mona Al achkar, Rahel
Dette, Isabel Skierka In the "cyber discourse" cross-border voices
are often not heard. This notion is often closely linked to
national security and keeps states currently on their toes. We need
to and want to look beyond national borders as resilience of
connected systems needs to be guaranteed also on a global level.
However, collaboration in the field of security has its pitfalls.
Under which circumstances can one country strengthen the cyber
capacities of another country? How do human rights based approaches
to cyber security strategies look like? It is difficult to make
security as a task for international cooperation tangible, but it
is necessary. Should experts, the government, NGOs or watchdogs be
responsible for cyber capacity building? How can technical and
practical know-how about internet risks reach also the most remote
regions? Who guarantees that the digital transformation does not
reinforce inequalities or that deficits in cyber capacities do not
hamper development? In regard to these questions one has to keep
always in mind that new cyber security strategies should be
developed according to the needs of the population and that
freedoms and rights are guaranteed.