SEOUL, KOREA - In spite of the rising importance of cyberspace issues, there was no general place to discuss a broad range of issues, from international security and cybercrime to economic and social benefits of the Internet. The UK government founded the conference on cyberspace, the London Agenda, in 2011 in order to establish a minimum common ground across countries on the issues, providing a platform for the global village to discuss diverse aspects of cyberspace.
The windows connected by the six lines mean that the global community will meet, communicate, and cooperate to discuss the six agendas of SeoulCyber2013. The colors red and blue of the two windows also symbolize the Republic of Korea.
Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013 will be a turning Point.
The Seoul Conference will take place on October 17-18, 2013, where approximately 800 delegates from more than 80 countries are expected to gather. Seoul is the third host of the conference on cyberspace following London and Budapest.
Representatives from governments, international and regional organizations, NGOs, academia, and the private sector will discuss cyberspace issues, drawing on their professional knowledge and practical experience.
Under the main theme, ‘Global Prosperity through an Open and Secure Cyberspace - Opportunities, Threats and Cooperation', the Conference will focus on six areas: Economic Growth and Development, Social and Cultural Benefits, Cybersecurity, International Security, Cybercrime, and Capacity Building. Furthermore, youths of all nationalities will have an opportunity to learn, express, and share their creative ideas on these cyberspace-related issues at the Youth Forum (September 2, 2013).
SeoulCyber2013 will be a turning point for the London Agenda. It will involve a wider range of countries, including many developing countries, compared to the previous conferences. It will address a broader range of topics regarding cyberspace and provide the political momentum to facilitate discussions in other fora, including UN, ITU, OECD, OSCE, with the aim of finding a minimum common understanding on key issues.
How will SeoulCyber 2013 be different?
1. Greater Diversification of participating countries to offer an equal opportunity for developing countries to take part in the discussions.
2. Enhancing Awareness of cyber issues to build capacity of developing countries.
3. Strengthening Public-Private Partnership by offering the private sector the opportunity to participate in the conference and pre-workshops.
4. Stock-taking existing discussions.
5. Providing Political Momentum through participation at the ministerial level, aiming for minimum common understanding in the form of Chair’s summary.
SeoulCyber2013 will focus on six agendas: Economic Growth and Development, Social and Cultural Benefits, Cybersecurity, International Security, Cybercrime, and Capacity Building. Pre-workshops are being held in order to encourage further in-depth discussions on each of these agendas.
Youth Forum of SeoulCyber2013 will be held on September 2, 2013 at the Main Auditorium of Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies. As part of the side events of the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013 (October 17-18, 2013), the Youth Forum strives to set a stage for youths to engage in interactive discussions and share creative ideas on cyberspace-related issues and policy-making.
Global Essay Competition for Youth Forum of the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013 is co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI), and Center for International Studies of Yonsei University. The objectives of the competition are twofold: first, to encourage ambitious and talented students all over the world to share ideas on cyberspace issues; and secondly, to raise awareness and enhance their ability to cope with a variety of cyber threats. Applicants are invited to submit an essay on any of the following three subjects -- 1. Economic growth and social/cultural benefits, 2. Cybersecurity, and 3. Capacity building.
Examples of specific topics for each subject are as follows. Please note that these are only examples and participants may choose any topic that is within the range of the aforementioned three subjects.