Kazakhstan has put forward an initiative to establish a Cybersecurity Council within the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). The proposal was presented at the informal OTS summit in Turkestan. The concept for the new body has already been developed by the Kazakhstani side and submitted to the organisation’s partners for consideration, according to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
OTS Cybersecurity Council: What Kazakhstan Is Proposing
According to the ministry, the OTS Cybersecurity Council proposed by Kazakhstan is intended to serve as a permanent coordination mechanism among the relevant agencies of the organisation’s member states. The key functions of the new body include: the prompt exchange of information on current threats and zero-day vulnerabilities, as well as the harmonisation of regulatory standards in the area of personal data protection for citizens of the participating countries.
In addition, the Council is intended to consolidate the efforts of national cybersecurity centres and establish joint specialist training on a shared platform. In this way, according to the initiative’s architects, cooperation among OTS member states in the digital sphere is to transition from ad hoc bilateral agreements to a systemic multilateral architecture.
The Memorandum with Turkey as a Starting Point
Alongside the advancement of the multilateral initiative, Kazakhstan signed a memorandum on cyber cooperation with Turkey. According to the ministry, the document enshrines both countries’ commitment to the prompt exchange of data on information security incidents, the joint protection of critical infrastructure, the conduct of joint cyber exercises, and the training of specialists in this field.
As the ministry’s statement indicates, Kazakhstan intends to scale this bilateral experience across the entire OTS space through the establishment of a unified coordinating body. The positions of other member states of the organisation are not reflected in the published materials.
Kazakhstan’s Position
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev, commenting on the initiative, stated: “It is impossible to build a strong digital economy without a reliable security foundation. In an era of rapid artificial intelligence development, cyber threats know no borders, and fragmented protection no longer works.”
According to the minister, the proposed Council represents “a transition from piecemeal interaction to a unified technological shield.” Madiyev also stressed the need for joint development of human capital: “We propose to pool the efforts of our national centres, share unique data in real time, and cultivate specialists together.”
Cybersecurity in the Context of the OTS Digital Agenda
The ministry’s statement notes that cybersecurity issues are regarded as an integral part of the organisation’s broader digital agenda. In particular, reference is made to the Turkic Metaverse project, which, according to the ministry, was piloted for the first time at the level of the region’s leading technology parks. In this context, the protection of the IT perimeter is positioned as a prerequisite for the development of innovative platforms within the OTS.
The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development describes the proposed initiative as the creation of a “secure digital ecosystem” that, in Madiyev’s words, will enable Turkic states to “guarantee the stability of critical infrastructure and the security of their citizens’ data.”
What Comes Next
At present, the concept for the OTS Cybersecurity Council has been submitted to partners for consideration. No timeline for its discussion or possible approval is indicated in the published materials. Further details regarding the composition, mandate, and financing mechanism of the proposed body are not provided in the ministry’s statement.
Источник: Министерство искусственного интеллекта и цифрового развития Республики Казахстан
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