Cybersecurity and spam: WCIT and the future

Various proposals for treaty provisions to increase international cooperation to improve cybersecurity and to combat spam were opposed by various countries (in particular the United States) during the ITU's 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) in Dubai. For this and other reasons, a large block of developed countries did not sign the treaty approved in Dubai. This situation creates uncertainty regarding cooperation with respect to security issues and can lead to a continuation of unilateral, and extraterritorial, assertions of national powers, including surveillance and cyberw arfare. Yet there are continued calls for cooperation, in particular at the bilateral level. This paper provides background information and analysis, suggesting possible ways forward.