On 22 July 2026, the European Union called for prioritising the operationalisation of eight confidence-building measures (CBMs) agreed under the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on ICT security, during the first substantive session of the new UN Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security. In a statement delivered on behalf of the EU and its member states, the EU stressed that the Global Mechanism should focus on raising awareness, providing practical tools, and encouraging active state participation to translate CBMs into national legislation and policies.
The EU's intervention, made at the session running from 20 to 24 July 2026 in New York, emphasised that building trust in cyberspace is a long-term commitment requiring sustained engagement. The eight CBMs, agreed under the OEWG, are seen as crucial for preventing misunderstandings, reducing risks of escalation, and increasing predictability of state behaviour. The EU also highlighted the value of the Points of Contact (POC) Directory, one of the eight CBMs, as a voluntary tool for states to establish direct communication during cyber incidents, and expressed initial support for integrating it into the Global Security and Cooperation Centre (GSCCP) to avoid duplication with existing networks.
To advance the CBMs, the EU proposed using plenary sessions and dedicated thematic groups for sharing national ICT strategies, policies, and best practices, as well as promoting information exchange on protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening ICT security capacity. The EU also welcomed simulation exercises to help identify practical measures for CBM implementation. The statement was endorsed by candidate countries including Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Norway.
The Global Mechanism, established to continue the work of the OEWG, aims to foster responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The EU's push for operationalising CBMs reflects its broader strategy to complement regional efforts by organisations such as the OSCE, OAS, ARF, and ECOWAS, and to integrate CBMs into national and regional practices alongside international law and norms.