Media Center

Press Release

OAS Supports Peru in the Development of a National Cyber Security Strategy

The Organization of American States (OAS) today opened a conference in Lima, Peru to assess the country’s current cyber security status.

The three-day event brings together stakeholders from different key sectors involved in cyber security in the country to analyze cyber security policies and to support the country in the development of its National Cyber Security Strategy.

The opening ceremony of the activity, coordinated with the National Office of e-Government (ONGEI) of the Office of the Chair of the Council of Ministers and with the Ministry of Defense, was presided over by the Director of ONGEI, William Carcheri Girón; and included the participation of the Ambassador of Canada to Peru, Patricia Fortier; and the Representative of the OAS in Peru, Pablo Zúñiga.

The Director of ONGEI, William Carcheri, stressed that Peru’s efforts are based not only on strengthening e-government and fostering the “Information Society” through the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), but also on ensuring a secure cyberspace for all its citizens.

The Ambassador of Canada to Peru, Patricia Fortier, welcomed Peru’s efforts to develop its own National Cyber Security Strategy and supported its interest in acceding to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. “To support hemispheric efforts on cyber security, Canada has committed $3.6 million in funding to OAS member states to enhance national-level planning and coordination, as well as regional cooperation,” said the Canadian diplomat, who highlighted that her country is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a member state of the OAS this year.

The Representative of the OAS in Peru, Pablo Zúñiga, pointed out that “in addition to establishing a cyber security normative, it is critical to foster a cyber security culture, particularly among youth.” Zúñiga stressed the importance of cyber security awareness initiatives to encourage people to adopt safe online habits, as well as of education policies to help prepare citizens to use technology and to tackle potential cyber threats.

The event also included the participation of renowned international cyber security experts, such as Director of the Spanish National Cyber Security Institute (INCIBE), Miguel Rego; and the representative of the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance from the United Kingdom, Vita Maynard, who shared best practices and lessons learned from the development and implementation of national cyber security strategies in their respective countries.

Following these discussions, the Cyber Security Program of the OAS will prepare recommendations, and will provide technical support in the preparation of a final document that leads to the development of a National Cyber Security Strategy.

Aside from its work in Peru, the OAS has helped Colombia, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and more recently Jamaica to draft and adopt their national cyber strategies. The OAS is also working with Dominica, Suriname, and Costa Rica for the development of a national cyber security framework.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-125/15