As part of the European Cyber Diplomacy Initiative, the Leiden Institute of Global Security organized a series of research seminars known as the EU Cyber Direct Research Seminars. The primary objective of these seminars was to leverage existing research conducted across Europe and apply it to key political issues discussed in the international context. The discussions were guided by a briefing document shared with participants prior to the seminar, which helped shape the dialogue and focus on the selected topic.
The fourth EU Cyber Direct Research Seminar was dedicated to the issue of responsibility in cyberspace. A significant portion of the ongoing UN processes has focused on ensuring that states adhere to frameworks of responsible state behavior, which were established by successive UN Groups of Governmental Experts and the Open-Ended Working Group on Cybersecurity. The primary focus of the seminar was to examine the 11 norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace that have been agreed upon and to discuss how these norms can be effectively enforced under international law.
The seminar provided a platform for researchers to explore how states can comply with these norms and the role of international law in enforcing them. Much of the academic and policy work in the past decade has concentrated on doctrines, such as deterrence, and practices, like the implementation of norms and enforcement through international organizations, that are intended to prevent bad actors from acting with impunity in cyberspace. The discussions aimed to address the challenge of ensuring state accountability in cyberspace and eliminating impunity for malicious actors.