The first Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B), commenced in Accra yesterday with the launch of an action framework on cyber resilience development.
Named the ‘Accra Call’, the international action framework expresses governments and organizations’ willingness to voluntarily promote, pursue and coordinate efforts on 16 specific actions to elevate cyber resilience across international and national development agendas.
In addition, the actions in the framework aim at promoting cyber capacity building which supports broader development goals and effectively serves the needs of developing countries.
Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, speaking at the conference said the digital world touches every aspect of our lives enabling individuals to connect, work, learn and travel, and plays an important role in safeguarding life essentials, such as food, water, and healthcare.
He said along with huge opportunities, the digital world also comes with risks that need to be acknowledged to ensure a free, open, and secure digital world.
He, thus, called on countries to develop the resources, knowledge, and skills they need to invest in their digital future.
“Nations should work together and support each other with these capabilities, so that no country is left behind in their digital evolution. After all, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link,” he said.
Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said the major goal of the country is to bridge the digital divide and enable equitable connectivity, which is critical to its economic transition.
“Strategically, Ghana is actively pursuing cybersecurity initiatives not just for our benefit but also for the benefit of the sub-region, using ITU recommendations to ensure a safe and resilient cyberspace for sustainable digital transformation,” she said.
She noted that the Accra call is in order because beyond the numerous opportunities are existential threats that must be noted.
Sharing from Ghana’s experience, she indicated that the government is implementing measures to build a robust and resilient cybersecurity architecture.
She said beyond the call for cooperation, is a strong need to build the capacity of national and private stakeholders to improve their collective cyber resilience and develop strong technical and operational capabilities.
“It is important for governments across the world to develop a vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem and to grow a steady and robust supply of cybersecurity workforce.
That is why conferences like these are important and give us an opportunity to network, learn best practices from one another, and develop tailor-made solutions fit for our national contexts.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
