Cyber experts, stakeholders converge on Accra - For global confab

Ghana will, on Wednesday and Thursday, play host to the maiden Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B) scheduled to take place at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra. 

The event will be attended by over 800 delegates and other stakeholders in the cyber space from 100 countries across the world.

The global conference, on the theme: “Cyber Resilience for Development”, is being held collaboratively with the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, Cyber Security Authority, Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), the Cyber Peace Institute, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.

It, among other things, aims at gathering leaders, decision-makers and experts across borders and sectors working towards effective, sustainable and inclusive stewardship of international cooperation for cyber capacity building in the era of rampant cyber threats.

Accra Call

Briefing the press on the conference at the Ministry of Information yesterday, the Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, said an important legacy of the conference would be the launch of the Accra Call.

“The Accra Call for Cyber Resilient Development is the outcome document of the GC3B and aims to stimulate global action to elevate cyber resilience across international and national development agendas; promote cyber capacity building that supports broader development goals; effectively serving the needs and priorities of developing countries; and draw from the existing shared commitments and ongoing relevant efforts in international for a and processes,” he said.

The actions set out in the document, he said, would strengthen the role of cyber resilience as an enabler for sustainable development; advance demand-driven, effective and sustainable cyber capacity building; foster stronger partnerships and better coordination; and unlock financial and implantation modalities. 

Document

Dr Antwi-Boasiako said the document which countries and global institutions were being called to endorse would serve as an important reference point for global cyber security development.

“After the conference, Ghana is expected to play an active role to facilitate and support global action on implementation,” he said.

He said the conference would present an opportunity for countries to meet global leaders in cybersecurity, build their capacity in cybersecurity and showcase the continent’s cyber security exhibitions and expertise globally.

Moreover, the Cyber Security Authority Director General noted that it would also pave the way to assist in the creation of a platform that sought to offer networking opportunities, giving the cyber leaders wealth of resources to collaborate with, learn from and interact with.

“For Ghana, the conference will further bolster our commitment and availability to pushing the agenda for a safer and secure digital nation, foster key partnerships, and catalyse clear commitments on cyber capacity building,” he emphasised.

Critical realm

The President of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) Foundation, Christopher Painter, said Ghana was poised to lead discussions and collaborations in the critical realm of cyber security, contributing to global efforts for a more secure digital future.

He described the conference as unique, saying that it was an event that was not only dedicated to capacity building but also bringing different communities together.