[Title] Statement by Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Manabu Horii At the Global Conference on Cyber Space 2017 in New Delhi November 24, 2017

Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction - Free, Fair, and Secure Cyberspace by Multi-stakeholders

It is truly my honor to have participated in this 5th edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Space 2017 (GCCS 2017) here in New Delhi, India. It is only fitting that India - the world's largest democratic country and a leading IT state - would host such a successful conference.

As in the past Conferences, a wide range of participants from the government sector, as well as the private sector, academia, and civil society, have gathered under the philosophy of a multi-stakeholder approach, to engage in discussions toward ensuring a free, fair, and secure cyberspace.

I would like to extend my deep thanks to the Government of India's leadership, most notably Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and the Electronics and IT Minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, for hosting this Conference under the theme of "Cyber4All."

Japan's "Society 5.0" is in line with "Cyber4All"

As we all know, the spread of the Internet and smart phones, as well as the development of big data and the Internet, have been producing unprecedented, diverse, and new services, thereby creating new jobs.

Since 2012, when the GCCS embarked on its great development, Japan has been carrying out various reforms under what is known as "Abenomics." We are bringing about reforms that had previously been considered "impossible" to do. Japan is now working toward a "Society 5.0," in which we try to resolve various social challenges by "delivering only the necessary amount of goods and services, at exactly the required timing, to only the people who need them." We do it by incorporating into every aspect of social life and industry, the innovations of the fourth industrial revolution, such as IoT, big data, artificial intelligence, robotics, and the sharing economy. Here, a free, fair, and secure cyberspace as well as public-private cooperation is essential, in order to "integrate" various knowledge, information, technologies, and human resources that are currently dormant. I am confident that our "Society 5.0" is in line with the main theme of this Conference, "Cyber4All."

Importance of Cyber Security

However, the expansion of cyberspace has produced new challenges. As you remember, the recent WannaCry malware shut down computer systems at hospitals, threatening the lives of many ordinary people. Also, the disruption through cyberspace of the very foundation of democracy, including the political party system and election process, is still fresh in our memories. Of course, Japan is not immune to such cyberattacks. In May 2015, the Japan Pension Service, which manages the precious national pension funds, suffered cyberattacks, causing the leak of personal information for about 1.25 million people.

Cyberspace is an incubator for new innovation; and these incidents clearly show the importance of securing that domain.

Japan's "Cyber Diplomacy" to Enhance Cybersecurity

Now, let me briefly explain the three pillars of Japan's cyber diplomacy, to ensure security in the vast cyberspace.

(Promotion of the Rule of Law in Cyberspace)

The first pillar is "the promotion of the rule of law in cyberspace."

All conflicts must be prevented, not by force or coercion, but by "law," thereby leading to their peaceful resolution. Existing international law should be applicable to cyberspace, and Japan will take the initiative in implementing international rules and norms and make contributions to the establishment of the rule of law in cyberspace, because we believe that will help bring peace and stability to the international community.

We will also remain committed to the discussion on Internet governance, and it is particularly important here to take a multi-stakeholder approach to allow all voices to be heard since cyberspace has been developed by, and is now mostly managed by, the private sector.

(Development of Confidence-Building Measures)

The second pillar is "the development of Confidence Building

Measures (CBMs)." Cyber activities are invisible and easily transcend national borders. In order to prevent cyber contingencies from developing, it is necessary for governments to understand and share each other's laws and regulations, systems, policies, strategies and mind-sets, so that we can deepen our mutual trust.

Therefore, Japan has been engaging in bilateral and multilateral cyber dialogues with fourteen countries and regions. The most recent case of such efforts is the establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on ICTs Security. Through these measures, Japan will promote confidence building, international partnerships, capacity building, and the implementation and universalization of international law and norms.

(Cooperation on Capacity Building)

The third pillar is "cooperation on capacity building." It is difficult

for any one country to deal with attacks in cyberspace alone, because that domain is connected to everywhere in the world. We cannot rule out the possibility of being attacked through countries where awareness of cybersecurity, and/or capability for it, is not adequate. In order to fill up security holes around the globe, each country needs to have sufficient capability to respond to various cyberattacks.

In September 2015, the "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" were adopted at the United Nations, and the Government of Japan created its "SDGs Promotion Headquarters" headed by Prime Minister Abe. That particular government body has set one of its goals as leading the efforts toward "a future, where economic, social and environmental improvements are attained in an integrated, sustainable and resilient manner, with no one being left behind." Japan will further utilize information and communication technologies to achieve that goal.

Closing

As is the case for the Indo-Pacific region, cyberspace needs to be a

free, fair, and secure domain in order to continue to produce innovation and prosperity for the future. Japan's cyber diplomacy that I talked about today is our effort toward that goal.

Let me conclude my remarks on a personal note. As I participated in the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer in 1994, I am truly delighted that Japan will host the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020. In hosting these major events, we are determined to be very well prepared including for cybersecurity. As a Japanese citizen, and a former Olympian, I sincerely hope that as many of you as possible will be able to visit Japan with peace of mind, enjoy the country that is on the move toward Society 5.0, and feel the genuine excitement of watching world class athletes perform.

Thank you very much.

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