These statements came from Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA on Wednesday, speaking via videoconferencing at an AU Peace and Security Council meeting on cyberspace security.
On this occasion, the Moroccan diplomat stressed that the technologies that have fostered considerable economic development and increased the free flow of information have also led to new challenges for African communities.
With each new connected device, digital discovery, or automated process, new vulnerabilities and concerns emerge, creating new opportunities for large-scale cybercrime activities, Arrouchi noted.
In this regard, the Moroccan diplomat said that in cyberspace, several levels of regulation must be taken into account, namely the national level, including the security of information systems specific to each state, as well as the regional, continental and international levels.
Therefore, he emphasized the need for each state to strengthen vigilance by putting in place efficient, active and proactive measures to thwart and prevent the misuse of these technologies at the national level, on the one hand, and the strengthening of the legal arsenal that governs cyberspace at the regional level, on the other hand, in order to provide countries with the basis for strengthening their resilience against cyber threats.
Arrouchi also stressed that due to the cross-border and international nature of these threats, the development of effective international standards and rules to regulate and manage cyberspace has become a priority for each state.
He further stated that the international order based on rules rooted in respect for international law should frame the behavior of states in cyberspace and supported the AU’s calls for member states to develop and share their national views on how international law applies in cyberspace.
