2023 Opening Ceremony & High–Level Panels – Opening Plenary

2023 Opening Ceremony & High-Level Panels - Opening Plenary

The SICW Opening Ceremony took place on Tuesday, 17 October 2023, and was officiated by Mr. Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, Singapore.

The SICW High-Level Panels – Opening Plenary was also held on Tuesday, 17 October.

Programme:

1) High-Level Panels - Opening Plenary: Death of Multilateralism? – Future of International Cyber Discussions

In an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape where convergence and consensus are becoming more challenging to attain, is there room for multilateralism in the future of international cyber discussions? This session explored the role of and the need for multilateralism in the future of international cyber discussions, especially considering the geopolitical circumstances.

2) High-Level Panels - Opening Plenary: Navigating Tech Bifurcation: The Age of Walls and Bridges

There is an increasing perception that the digital and cyber domain is becoming increasingly splintered into ideological camps, leading to efforts to limit technological cooperation to only trusted partners. However, this goes against the idea of an interconnected and interoperable world. Is technological leadership a zero-sum game and can we devise a way forward that benefits all? This session explored the diverse perspectives towards the navigation of a fraying digital era.

3) High-Level Panels - Opening Plenary: Ally or Adversary? Defining the Relationship and Roles of Big Tech and Government in the Cyberspace

Big Tech has significantly changed the way we live. Whether to gain access to information on any subject, connect and transact remotely, or even, more recently, outsource our work to Artificial Intelligence, billions of people around the today heavily rely on Big Tech’s products and services. While Big Tech offers great opportunities in terms of innovation and technology developments, these come with potentially greater threats – the spread of misinformation, invasion of data and privacy, and Artificial Intelligence are being used to spread malware and exploit vulnerabilities. Against this backdrop, what can we do to ensure that the technologies and resources that Big Tech hold are harnessed for good? What should be the Government’s role in ensuring this? What part does Big Tech itself play? This session explored the relationship and roles of Big Tech and Government in Cyberspace.