In a significant move to bolster global cybersecurity efforts, ICC has officially endorsed the Accra Call for Cyber Resilient Development, announced today. The endorsement comes as part of the ongoing Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building. The conference aims to address the urgent need for enhanced capacity to anticipate and withstand cyberthreats, and maintain trust in the use of digital technologies as central to sustainable development worldwide.
The Accra Call for Cyber Resilient Development: An Action Framework, was unveiled by Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Minister and Presidential Advisor on behalf of the president, during the conference. It outlines a comprehensive plan to elevate cyber resilience across international and national development agendas, promote cyber capacity building in support of broader development goals, and effectively serve the needs and priorities of developing countries.
ICC, as the institutional representative of over 45 million businesses worldwide, recognises the pivotal role cybersecurity plays in sustaining economic growth, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and fostering trust in the global digital ecosystem.
ICC highlights three key themes in the Accra Call and pledges to mobilise the ICC global business network in over 170 countries to:
- support the integration of cyber resilience into national and international sustainable development strategies, emphasising the importance of collaboration across various sectors;
- respond to the increasing demand for cyber capacity building, tailored to the unique contexts and capabilities of developing countries, including fostering resilience in critical sectors, and addressing the cybersecurity skills gap; and
- advocate for whole-of-society and whole-of-ecosystem approaches, encouraging public-private partnerships and inclusive market incentives to enhance cyber resilience in developing economies.
Rene Summer, Chair the ICC Global Digital Economy Commission, expressed ICC’s commitment to the Accra Call and highlighted the essential role of businesses in advancing cybersecurity goals.
“ICC recognises the critical need for a collective and coordinated effort to address the growing threats in cyberspace. Our endorsement of the Accra Call signifies our commitment to mobilise our global business network in support of Action 1 and Action 11 of the Call. We particularly aim to build capacity that strengthens national institutional capabilities to implement global commitments to decrease cyber threats, thus ensuring the protection of individuals, communities and businesses worldwide.”
During the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building, ICC also launched Towards a common implementation framework of the cybersecurity acquis: shared goals for cyber action. The paper underscores the global private sector’s recognition of digital transformation as an intrinsic part of development and emphasises the need for a cohesive international approach to curb cyber threats and enhance global security and stability.
The paper introduces shared goals for cyber action that serve as a mobilising call to action for the international community to increase the security of the digital economy. ICC’s ambition is to support organisations in driving a multistakeholder process to develop and agree on these goals, fostering collaboration between states, private sectors and other stakeholders.
ICC’s endorsement of the Accra Call today signifies a major commitment towards global collaboration on cybersecurity. Progress in implementing the Accra Call’s Action Framework will be reviewed every two years at future iterations of the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building, with the process led by the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, of which ICC is a founding member.
ICC’s pledge to mobilise its global business network aligns with the growing recognition of the interconnectedness of cybersecurity and sustainable development. As the digital landscape evolves, international cooperation becomes paramount in ensuring the security, stability and inclusivity of the global digital economy.
