1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), held the “3^rd Inter-Regional Conference on Cyber/ICT Security” on June 22-23 in a virtual format.  

2. In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jongmoon pointed out that the current cybersecurity environment has been affected by malicious cyber activities related to COVID-19, and stressed that international cooperation between multi-stakeholders is imperative in addressing the situation.  

° In this regard, he introduced the various policies of Korea designed to promote international cybersecurity, including its plan to lead global cooperation by launching a new international forum, which will be held this November to discuss emerging security challenges such as cyberattacks, infectious diseases, and the abuse of new technologies.  

3. The Conference brought together about 200 officials and experts from governments, international organizations, academia and businesses in Asia and Europe, who shared their views and examples of best practice in cybersecurity and explored ways to step up relevant interregional cooperation.     

° In session 1 on the topic of “global trends in cyber/ICT security,” the participants exchanged views on the consensus reports adopted by the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Advancing responsible State behavior in cyberspace in the context of international security and Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security, and discussed their implications for enhancing global cyber stability. 

° In session 2 on “enhancing practical co-operation between regional organizations on cyber/ICT security,” the representatives of regional organizations, such as the OSCE, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and the Organization of American States (OAS), shared their achievements and challenges in promoting regional cyber stability and discussed measures for cybersecurity cooperation between regional organizations. 

° Session 3 covered “stronger together – how a multi-stakeholder approach enhances international cybersecurity,” during which the participants highlighted the necessity of public-private partnerships in promoting international cybersecurity. Also, the participants agreed that the policy-making process in cybersecurity should be more reflective of gender equality in session 4 on “women in cyber policy.” 

4. Korea, in cooperation with the OSCE, has annually held the “Inter-Regional Conference” on transnational security issues including cyberattacks, terrorism, violent extremism and emerging technologies since 2017, and the Conferences have been considered a useful platform for sharing multilateral security cooperation experiences and building trust between Asia and Europe.