Message from the Chairman of the HLEG

On 17 May 2007, the ITU Secretary-General launched the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) as ITU’s leading initiative to promote cybersecurity. To inform ITU’s work on this top priority, the Secretary-General benefited from the advice of the High-Level Experts Group (HLEG), an expert panel of over one hundred leading specialists, policy-makers and practitioners in the field. The Secretary-General sought the guidance of this Group of experts on key trends shaping confidence and security in the use of ICTs, as well as ways in which Member States and Members can respond to emerging challenges to cybersecurity. I was deeply honoured when the Secretary-General personally invited me to chair the work of this important Group. The HLEG held three official Meetings and two ad-hoc Meetings from October 5, 2007, until June 26, 2008. The Report of the Chairman of HLEG was delivered to the Secre-tary- General in August 2008. The HLEG Members acted in their personal capacity and at their own expense. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Work Area leaders, and the contributing authors, and all HLEG Members for their active participation and superlative contributions, which have helped make the collaborative efforts of the HLEG a success and have made this Global Strategic Report possible. The work of the HLEG has resulted in proposed recommendations and global strategies and for addressing the wide range of challenges relating to global cybersecurity, including cybercrime, on legal measures, technical and procedural measures, organizational structures, capacity building, and international cooperation. Most of the HLEG Members were in broad agreement on many recommendations, but it did not always prove possible to achieve full consensus on all aspects of the HLEG ´s work. But he HLEG Members were in full agreement that vital action is needed to promote cybersecurity and that ITU has an important role to play. I would like to thank ITU Secretary-General for giving me the opportunity to be the chairman of this illustrious Group and to contribute to the work of the important ITU initiative. I am proud to have been a part of this, and I am pleased to have been able to contribute to its important work and significant achievements. Finally, I wish extend my thanks to the Corporate Strategy Division, Alex Ntoko and his Staff, for their outstanding assis-tance that made it possible finishing the reports and recommendations as scheduled.