Joint Statement

11 December 2017

The 3rd Japan-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue was held in Tokyo on Monday, 11 December, 2017. This Dialogue reflects two countries' broad commitment and longstanding cooperation on bilateral, regional and global cyber issues.

The borderless nature of cyberspace presents challenges and opportunities. Digital technologies and the Internet are key drivers of economic growth and innovation. Likewise, as dependence on global ICT networks increases, the potential costs of disruption are large and growing. Japan and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to work together to harness the opportunity, while managing the risks of our increasingly connected world.

Japan and Australia further deepened their understanding on each other's cybersecurity efforts to deal with the rapid evolution in cyber threats. We exchanged views on key issues regarding cyber threat trends, national cybersecurity efforts, cooperation in cybersecurity in a regional and multinational context, and cooperation in cybersecurity in a bilateral context.

Japan and Australia reaffirmed our commitment to a open, free, fair, and secure cyberspace. We reaffirm that existing international law is applicable in cyberspace, and we reaffirm our commitment to promote a strategic framework of international cyber stability consisting of the applicability of existing international law to state behavior in cyberspace, the promotion of agreed voluntary norms of responsible state behavior during peacetime, and the development and the implementation of practical cyber confidence building measures between states, supported by coordinated capacity building programs.

Japan and Australia also reaffirmed their commitment to act in accordance with the cumulative reports of the Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (GGE). Going forward, Japan and Australia will continue their cooperation on the further elaboration of international law and norms, confidence building measures and capacity building measures in international and regional fora such as United Nations and ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Security of and in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ARF-ISM on ICTs Security). Moreover, Japan and Australia will continue to enhance cooperation on responding to malicious cyber activities, including deterring and responding to significant cyber incidents, consistent with relevant domestic and international law

The whole-of-government meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Masato OTAKA, Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA), and Dr. Tobias Feakin, Ambassador for Cyber Affairs, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), with the participation of officials from, on the Japanese side, National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity, National Security Secretariat, Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, National Police Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Public Security Intelligence Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Defense, JPCERT/CC, and Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA), and on the Australian side, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Cyber Security Centre and CERT Australia.

Japan and Australia identified the following priority areas for co-operation over the next year:

• share respective national approaches on securing Internet of Things (IoT) devices,
• enhance information sharing mechanisms,
• coordinate regional capacity building efforts,
• enhance cooperation to deter and respond to significant cyber incidents,
• strengthening cooperation in regional fora, including the ARF ISM on ICTs Security.

Japan and Australia will hold the 4th Japan-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue in Canberra next year.

(end)