UN OEWG 4 December 2024

## CREST Address to the UN OEWG

CREST International delivers a stakeholder statement to the UN Open-Ended Working Group on cyber norms in December 2024. Representing an 18-year-old not-for-profit accreditation body, CREST urges states to recognize private-sector roles in securing critical infrastructure supply chains and harmonizing international certification frameworks.

## Norms and Critical Infrastructure

Responding to the chair's request for views on responsible state behavior, CREST highlights regulatory guidance for critical infrastructure protection referenced in the OEWG's third annual progress report. Minimum security standards and trusted pools of qualified cybersecurity service providers give operators confidence in vendor quality across borders.

## Thematic Working Groups

CREST proposes joining future permanent-mechanism stakeholder groups focused on certification harmonization and supply-chain integrity, offering to coordinate engagement with governments and industry peers interested in collaborative, experience-based policy proposals.

## CREST Camp Capacity Building

The statement promotes CREST's Cyber Accelerated Maturity Program (CREST Camp), where service providers self-assess against international standards and receive donor-funded mentoring. A UK-government-funded cohort includes 32 firms from 11 countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with a second cohort launching under alternative sponsorship.