EU Cyber Direct – EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative were present at Geneva Cyber Week 2026. At the margins of the conference, we hosted a side- event on 5 May 2026 titled "Closing the Risk Gap: stakeholders and emerging threats in the UN Global Mechanism".
The discussion focused on the transition from negotiation to implementation following the conclusion of the UN OEWG, taking place against a rapidly evolving threat landscape in which emerging and disruptive technologies are outpacing traditional policy and diplomatic processes.
The session explored how non-governmental stakeholders can be meaningfully integrated into this new phase of the process, given that cyberspace is largely designed, operated, and monitored by them, while governance remains state-led.
Participants broadly welcomed the Dedicated Thematic Group (DTG) structure as an improvement over previous arrangements, while noting that stakeholder engagement is likely to concentrate around the Capacity Building DTG, with the second DTG potentially proving more difficult to access due to its politically sensitive scope.
The discussion also highlighted concerns around the geopolitical climate and the risk of stakeholders being instrumentalised rather than genuinely consulted as consensus becomes harder to achieve.
Panelists noted that stakeholder influence is already shaping outcomes through side events, bilateral discussions, and written reports, even if this influence often remains largely invisible.
