TALLINN - A cyber-security resolution from the Estonian delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's plenary politics and security committee on July 3.
In the tense atmosphere of the proceedings, representatives from Lithuania, the Netherlands, the U.K., Belgium, the U.S. and Italy took the floor to mark the importance of the initiative. The only vote against it came from Greece .
"It's worth mentioning that [the resolution] was supported by representatives from more than twenty countries, which is an extraordinary number," said Paul-Eerik Rummo, the leader of the Estonian delegation, who explained the goals of the project during the session.
Rummo added that the passage of the resolution displays the global community's deepening understanding of the ineluctability of global cooperation. It also shows OSCE's readiness to keep up with security in a rapidly changing world, he said.
U.K. representative Andrew Mackinlay compared threats from malicious hackers with nuclear disaster.
The resolution will be added to the assembly's final documents.
The resolution comes after a massive cyber-attack that left Web pages belonging to the Lithuanian government and numerous Lithuanian companies and political parties covered with pro-Soviet rants and symbols. The Russian representative withdrew proposals that would have narrowed the scope of the resolution.
The resolution calls for quick collaboration with the European Council on cyber-crimes and terrorism. It also urges cooperation between governments, international organizations, the private sector and citizens to unify the moral, legal and political handling of cyber-space abuse. Another goal is to unify legal standards between countries and to apply national action plans to develop security technologies and raise general awareness.
Estonia has a cyber-security strategy in place for 2008 through 2013. Its goals are to develop and implement a system of security methods, raise competence on cyber-security techniques, supplement the legal system on cyber-security, develop international collaboration and raise awareness.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly also accepted a resolution on Georgia's security that calls on the Russian Federation to avoid actions that endanger Georgia's sovereignty by breaking OSCE and international norms.
The assembly also passed a resolution on the Holodomor, a catastrophic famine that killed millions of people in Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933. The resolution, condemned the famine and acknowledged the direct involvement of the Soviet regime despite Russian delegation attempted to block it.
The OSCE is the world's largest regional security organization, with 56 member countries. Estonia joined the OSCE in 1992.
