SICW Opening Plenary Session: High–Level Panels

SICW Opening Plenary Session: High-Level Panels

21 October 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 9.20am to 11.45am (GMT +8)
Venue: SICW A, Level 3

Panel 1: Not at War, Not at Peace: Making International Cyber Cooperation Work in an Uncertain Future
In a world marked by geopolitical rivalry, military conflict, economic fragmentation, and pressures on the multilateral system and rules-based order, as well as the rapid democratisation of technology, can states collaborate to make international cyber cooperation work and collectively safeguard international peace and security before it is too late? This panel will examine how states are navigating this period of uncertainty and discuss how like-minded states can band together to uphold the multilateral rules-based order in cyberspace and preserve an open, secure, stable, accessible, peaceful and interoperable cyberspace.

Panel 2: Power Struggle in a Technopolar World: Big Tech and State Power
Nation-states have traditionally been the dominant players in global affairs, shaping and directing the conduct of geopolitics, economics, and social development. However, in an era where much of government, business, media, and society depend heavily on the underlying digital infrastructure of Big Tech, what are the implications when companies have the resources and reach to influence political, economic, and social development of nation states? Have global power dynamics undergone a fundamental shift? How can Big Tech and governments work together to act responsibly in the service of the global public good? This panel explores the underlying forces that drive governmental and industry interests, that shape the digital world we live in today. It also examines how we can collectively work together to manage the new realities of the future.

Panel 3: Whose Job Is It? Private Enterprise and Public Good, vs. Sophisticated Threats
Stealthy, patient, and sophisticated – attacks by Advanced Persistent Threats have surged in scale and complexity, targeting not just governments but the private firms that power our economies, supply essential services, and hold vast troves of sensitive data. These are no smash-and-grab jobs, but calculated and long-term campaigns. Is it the state’s job to defend against them, or does it fall on private companies to protect their clients and citizens they profit from? How far should or can the state intervene, and where does the buck stop?

This panel invites government and industry leaders to confront hard questions of accountability, with lessons from around the world. Looking beyond blame, it will explore how countries are experimenting with new models of public-private partnerships – blending state resources with private innovation, to strengthen collective action against evolving threats.

All information is accurate at time of publication and may be subject to changes.