yes this is true --- There should be working mechanisms because as you pointed out without them it's a hollow commitment. What the Cybercrime convention does: it says that countries have to cooperate within existing mechanisms (bilateral, multilateral) that were established outside this Convention. So the convention provides the commitment but the countries have to use the channels they have. This is probably going to be fixed if the Second additional protocol is adopted.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

MLAT --- Many, including me would be against this. In the core of the very existence of MLAT is protection of fundamental rights. The cybercrime laws can be used to oppress human rights, but this is not the only issue. There are differences in what is criminal and what is not between the jurisdictions and what kind of serious crimes warrant access to certain types of data. The country has to analyse requests to see if they meet their human rights standards. This process has to be speed up and fixed in general, not in an emergency situation. Emergency frameworks always open the room for abuse, this is something that humanity learnt through history.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

ENISA --- ENISA often sees cybersecurity as just a technical issue; some Member States consider cybersecurity as a national security issue in their national security strategies.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

How do you explain crime? --- crime, the intentional commission of an act usually deemed socially harmful or dangerous and specifically defined, prohibited, and punishable under criminal law.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

What is cyber space? --- @Vladimir : Interesting parallel with international waters. However I am not sure it works. What is the cyberspace? Can we say that it is made of all connections between computers or softwares? To access the cyberspace you need a hardware (+software) that is physically somewhere! This "somewhere" is in a country (or above in the case of a plane or under a national flag in the case of a boat). I am afraid we can't escape the national dimension of cyberspace. To fight cyber crime we need efficient international cooperation and willingness to act on the ground against criminals who use digital devices to commit crimes.

Source author: Florence Tinguely Mattli florence.tinguely-mattli@eda.admin.ch

interested --- who can share with me, what was the content of this program?

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

developing countries also --- my little country has still not ratified also the convention.

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

courts and procedures --- Where there is an apparent conflict on the use of the court system and the industry recommendations/practices by other organizations, laws should be enacted to bring clarity.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

bypassing MLAT and Other Initiatives --- Mention was made in an early piece that MLAT can be bureaucratic and not acting sufficiently quick for certain crimes; these other Initiatives which have been developed should not be seen as undermining MLAT but rather complimentary and used where and when necessary as common but different tools/means to solving a common problem.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

capacity building --- Capacity building is absolutely critical in every sphere of the industry from Governments to Judiciary to Technical to the lay person for basic cyber hygiene. There must be a concerted multi-stakeholder effort in knowledge transfer and the rest to get some level of management of these many challenges.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Sovereignty vs global push --- @Carlos. Well said. The Bigger powers seem to believe that they must set the rules at the expense of others; small economies or even SIDS are of the view that these laws/conventions are simply imposed on them without any avenue for deliberatios. Other countries use these differences/divisions to create an impasse for their benefit while claiming they are working in the interest of smaller nations; the cycle continues, documents are written/counter written and implementation is never close to fruition.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

human rights & sovereignty --- ;Despite the many International Conventions on Human Rights and even legislation of a constitutional nature safeguarding those rights, we still have blatant violation of these rights because of the political philosophies or possibly authoritarian tendencies of political leaders; what constitutes freedom of speech and expression in one jurisdiction may be problematic in another and thus the integration/harmonization of privacy laws and national sovereignty issues with respect to cybercrime will always remain a daunting challenge to accomplish.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

heated discussions --- Sometimes it would seem that these "heated discussions" by whichever party is only a façade for geo-political dominance or objection for objection purposes since should any of the major economies object to these agreements/meetings, the entire process will be called into being or may be perceived as lacking objectivity and credibility. These are games being played and hence the lack of unity.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Senegal --- In Senegal, the national direction of police under the Ministry of the Interior and armed forced has had its special cybercrime division from the end of 2000s. It has always been odd for the civil society to witness how efficient they were on the ground yet how the Governments would act like cybercrime was not a priority (en tout cas not on their political agenda and compared to other "emergencies") yet in terms of policy and frameworks, they would always be quick to update and enforce law and codes.

Source author: Ndeye Gnagna Kone gnagna.pro@gmail.com

challenges --- With communications technologies prioritizing end-users' privacy more and more with sometimes extreme encryptions for example, collecting evidence or even the simple fact of tracing a cybercrime is becoming more and more challenging

Source author: Ndeye Gnagna Kone gnagna.pro@gmail.com

Sovereignty vs global push --- All countries benefit from enhanced international cooperation to fight cybercrime. However, not all countries are measured equally... that is always the problem. More often than not "international cooperation" means extra territoriality of the law for the super powers. When a smaller country pursues legitimate issues that affect industry or interest of a greater country, good luck getting that cooperation back. This is the reason why international treaties are looked upon with suspicions by both sides. Cybercrime international legislation is no different.

Source author: Carlos García Delgrado cgarciad@sre.gob.mx

convention obstacles --- It is true that these "global" agreements or conventions usually (1. Do not think of the sovereignty issue (eg GDPR) 2) lacks multi-stakeholders participation for which I agree with Eduardo as there may be need to include certain specific provisions for unique circumstances of certain countries particularly SIDS

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

encourage or mandate? --- Here lies the paradox - we all agree that online crime is fundamentally against the common good and detrimental to socio-economic behavior yet we are using "diplomatic" languages like "encourage" to deal with ESSENTIAL services which are being aggressively attacked by criminals. Why not mandate operators (through codified laws) to cooperate with law enforcement and punishable if no cooperation is forthcoming? Once we have defined what constitutes essential service, issues of privacy goes off the window. Example? Take the issue of what happened 1/6 in America by the rioters? Should information seeking the roots of this alleged insurrection be forcibly provided by all parties or allow "presidential privilege" to stop such a core matter? the same applies in cyberspace.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

working mechanisms - international cooperation --- If there is mutual cooperation shouldn't there be defined processes on how this cooperation must operate or take effect? If these are not included in these "Block of cooperation agreements", then its incomplete - its like saying yes he/she committed the crime (as legally defined) but no process on how to either apprehend/arrest or punish the criminal.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

MLAT drawbacks --- While MLAT can be long and tortuous to get access to legal crossborder issues, can't there be extraordinary/extraneous circumstances which legally permits the bypass of these long bureaucratic procedures? Take the case of the use of emergency approval of certain drugs for use such as that used for COVID-19 - the seriousness and deadly consequences of the virus mandated a shorter route to approval for emergency use!! can't a similar process be established against MLAT should such situation necessitates it?

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

crime and definitions --- Since criminal law is based on the principle of legality but legality implies correct legal definitions, then without proper definitions, many criminals actually escape punishment because of a technicality in law. It begs the question, who determines the definitions? If different entities have different definitions, aren't we perpetuating this issue of law and punishment?

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

another dimension --- @Tatiana. There are many dimensions associated with cybercrime with each one requiring a great level of focus. However, it is said that the best way to eat an elephant is piece by piece. There are many experts in all areas or dimensions that we propose - therefore various study groups can tackle a particular dimension and seek to develop a harmonized convention. However the continued evolving nature of technology and the corresponding aggressiveness of bad actors pose a daunting task as there will never be a silver bullet to solve this issue. It would therefore be prudent that certain prioritized legislation be enacted internationally as we see fit while revisions and updates are provided as nuances develop.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

also another dimension of discussion --- There is another quite contested dimension of discussion - some countries want to scope the cybercrime treaty in a narrow sense and others want to extend the scope to various content crimes, such morality crimes, extremism, etc. that are vague and can be instruments for human rights abuses.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

ICANN --- Actually, the Russian and Chinese argument has a flaw: the Californian law governs the corporation, but the policies related to domain names are developed by the multistakeholder community. Country codes policies are developed by the managers of the country code domain names themselves and they are non-binding for them, as they are largely the subject of national regulation. Californian laws do not govern domain names and unique identifiers, only the operational side of ICANN as an organisation. I agree however, that cyberspace and sovereignty conflict with each other, the national dimension of governance and regulation is still possible - cybercrime (e.g. keeping perpetrators liable under criminal law) is one of the examples.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

good point --- It's a very good point and this is what the Council of Europe is somewhat trying to do, but for many countries it is a purely political argument rather than technical. The fact that the Convention was developed without their participation is a major "no" argument for many, no matter how many benefits joining it might bring.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

international law --- theoretically of course some of the provisions can be applicable like internationally wrongful acts, but there is really a certain threshold that has to be met. It's unlikely that international law will be any of any more use unless the acts are very serious. The states can use norms of responsible state behaviour, but they are not applicable to many cases of crime and rather directed at the states conduct rather than crime. They are also non binding so not much legal valency.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

no --- when the infrastructure and systems are used for commission of crime without the actual knowledge of the owner, the owner won't be held liable or considered as complicit, at least not in the context of law.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

Conflicting drives --- I agree, André! Many people put allegiance first, often on the grounds of arbitrary group membership (such as Boris Johnson's messy hair making him a man of the people!).

The strong bias in education for objectivity and reasoned argument is not necessarily what motivates us all, at all times. Nor is it the case that when we feel driven by allegiance that we have 'lapsed' or 'fallen short' in reason. We have just opted for the more important driver to us at that time.

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Absolutely, 100%, agreed --- Ambassadors and the like do represent their countries, but they are also human. Speaking to them on the human level, somewhat free of "business speak" helps break the ice and may help convey the fact that the meeting, or whatever it is, is not merely transactional but part of an ongoing relationship.

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt

Not ad hominem? --- I would argue that context vindicates this statement. Although it is not strictly true that everything Trump says is a lie, the absolute vast majority of statements he made that had any import were either lies or half-truths. This makes Trump a liar by definition.

One could argue that the argument remains ad hominem regardless, but in a time-constrained debate, it is impossible to shoot each and every pronouncement down and still convey one's own message. In these circumstances, a statement such as this one really is an abridged version of the truth rather than ad hominem – at least in my opinion.

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt

There is also a different aspect: time --- US presidential debates are timed affairs, and having someone constantly nagging and talking over you means that your message is lost not just because it is drowned in your opponent's sea of words, but also because you may slow your speech down to be understood better, therefore conveying less information to the public. With this in mind, sometimes the only solution is to throw your shoe at your opponent, literally or metaphorically.

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt

I find this attitude rather grating --- Personally, I feel that there is a time and a place for everything. I try to reserve criticism, especially if it may come off as sounding harsh, to private channels. Certain cultures take a very different approach, which I must admit sometimes gets under my skin.

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt

Isn't it ironic, or perhaps just telling, ... --- ... that Trump broke with tradition and avoided the Correspondents' Dinner?

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt

Half-way house? --- The way in which I (try to) deal with such situations is to acknowledge the comment in the most polite tone I can muster – which tends to infuriate the person who uttered it – and then simply say that I will not engage in such and such games.

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt

This cuts both ways --- I would argue (without any real evidence) that the most receptive audience for an ad hominem attack is also the sort of audience that would believe in statements uttered by certain people regardless of whether they make sense or not. The same people who applauded Farage for his (disgraceful, in my opinion) speech would believe his statements unquestioningly because he is a bloke just like them.

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt

Spot-on MacOswald... --- ...but I'd just like to add that this goes for all humans, not just experts/people in power....we are all so very fond of our comfort zones!

Source author: Andrej Skrinjaric andrejs@diplomacy.edu

Culture matters --- As in the very interesting example that Mamta gave, I think that questioning authority (how and to what extent) differs from one culture to another.

Northern-western cultures tend to be more outspoken, even when addressing authority; while many Asian cultures have far less flexibility when addressing authority. Culture sensitivity is crucial when we address/question someone in a position of authority..

Source author: Liliana Oliva Bernal loliva@sre.gob.mx

Reduce the level of speech. --- He tells the bare truth without any courtesy. a high courtesy can be misleading, and lack of credibility. What Trump does is he reduce the level of the speech to the normal people language. simple human being who revile and expresses what he dislike and not accept. He looks like one of us, being a normal human without wearing a mask, makes us trust him the most.

Source author: Maryam Almheiri jody_06@hotmail.com

True --- It is also important to recall that ambassadors plenipotentiary and other diplomatic officials and negotiators as per Article 7 of Vienna Convention on Law of the Treaty (1969) have full powers in negotiations so appealing to their personality, for instance, in establishing of rapport can help in reaching agreement. Ambassadors more often are co-managers of bilateral relations and their recommendation to Ministry of Foreign Affairs many times carries a day. so why not maximizing their feeling of good if they are your interlocutors?

Source author: MacOswald Jumali macjumali@yahoo.com

Risk aversion --- I think it has blurred with all of us. We are so much more cautious about sharing jokes today and these have become much more tame. I had misgivings about the 'Lady and the Diplomat' joke in Lecture 1 and wonder whether any of you were offended by it?

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Ane example --- Thanks for this link. Here's an example for participants who may not have had the time to follow it: Your 26 year old wants to stay out all night, you answer: Yes!: “Because I’m concerned about your safety, we need to set a curfew of 10 p.m.” No: “You’re not going to stay out all night.” Yes?: “In a year’s time, we can make it 11 p.m.”

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Ego projection --- Very true, Desirée, and apparently most of us remember what we ourselves have said much better than what others have said to us. I'm searching for a reference that supports this claim...

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Smoking --- Smokers bond beautifully, so much so that I'm tempted to take it up!

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Politics as entertainment --- I love your description of presidential debates as 'street fights' Christian!

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

Principles of courtesy --- The best is to use four principles of courtesy ...

Source author: MacOswald Jumali macjumali@yahoo.com

Different means, same result --- Thank you for this analysis Christian which nicely illustrates while there may be different means of achieving something, the ultimate goal is the same for all humans, regardless of the cultural differences.

This is also something that we should keep in mind when working in international settings - there is always a common ground to be found.

Source author: Andrej Skrinjaric andrejs@diplomacy.edu

Response --- I think one key problem with authority figures or experts is that they live in a comfort zone and any new thinking is considered challenging their authority. This also shows how vulnerable they are when new ways of doing things are suggested. This teaches us to be open minded and witty in responding to questions that exposes our vulnerability to quickly move out of the comfort zone and embrace innovation tactfully.

Source author: MacOswald Jumali macjumali@yahoo.com

Exceptions --- Agreed about the necessity for caution! The Correspondent' dinner was a special event in which risky jokes were not just permitted but expected, so they are the exception not the rule. My guess is that some of the best jokes have been exchanged in private and that we need to read autobiographies in order to discover them.

Source author: Biljana Scott biscott@diplomacy.edu

polite rerouting --- What perfect way to reroute discussion with some humour.

Source author: Hervé Pool erve619@gmail.com

Disagreement --- If done you correctly, you make work around disagreeing with such figures without really questioning their power/status. I have found that by first acknowledging their authority, you too may be exempt from those conventions of politeness and face :)

Source author: Hervé Pool erve619@gmail.com

Anger --- Some cultures favor public displays of anger and see them as a show of force - "how brave" some people say when they see someone burst in anger and rage. And yet for other cultures, it is quite the opposite: publicly displaying anger is seen as a loss of face, as a cowardly act. Here, perhaps more than ever, a period of silence from the party receiving the burst of anger might actually show more courage and bravery than the opposite.

Source author: Christian Peter Clay Mendoza cclay@sre.gob.mx

Ping pong --- I am reminded of how the US and China were able to finally reestablish diplomatic relations, more than twenty years after the Chinese revolution, through a game of ping pong! Of course, behind the scenes it was much more complex than that, but publicly, it was that game of ping pong in 1971 that set the stage for talks and the reestablishment of formal relations.

Source author: Christian Peter Clay Mendoza cclay@sre.gob.mx

Indeed --- Indeed, it would seem unrealistic to try to engage the other party as an individual, concentrating on interests and aspirations, when as a diplomat one represents a whole country and cannot usually speak in first person. However, here lies the great challenge, in my opinion. When a diplomat is able to effectively do both, ie.- speak for their country while also focusing on individual aspirations and traits, then we have a great negotiator.

Source author: Christian Peter Clay Mendoza cclay@sre.gob.mx

Insults --- The former President was so insulting in not only his words, but in his demeanor and body language, that it is no surprise that candidate Biden responded the way he did. I, in fact, thought at the time while watching the debate, that candidate Biden was being too soft and trying really hard to avoid confrontation. However, it seems that the American public loves a good confrontation and the rowdier, the better...which is unfortunate, because the public focuses so much on the fight and on the style of attack, rather than on substance and reason. Deep, thoughtful debates on real issues seem to bore people, and they seem to prefer "street-fight" type encounters much more. The bar seems so low...

Source author: Christian Peter Clay Mendoza cclay@sre.gob.mx

Wary --- I would be wary of simply criticizing the Japanese way based on our Western way of thinking and judging things. Indeed, to us it might seem like Japanese students can never criticize their sensei and therefore never engage in debates, which in the West are considered an essential part of learning. However, there is a whole "face" culture in Japan, where this public critique would be seen as extremely negative and as a personal challenge to the teacher. However, I am certain that they have other methods of engaging, a quiet, more meditative way, in which someone´s view can indirectly be brought to the attention of a superior without causing loss of face. They have ways of signaling disagreement without it having to be a public show down. And debates between peers, people considered of the same level (classmates in the case of students) are quite common, from what I have gathered. So, what seems like a negative in one culture, is actually a positive in another, and the job still gets done, because Japan still has excellent doctors and engineers...

Source author: Christian Peter Clay Mendoza cclay@sre.gob.mx

"Wine and dine before you wheel and deal!" --- I'm sure I've mentioned this in other HTs, but a great way to build rapport is to mix and mingle in social situations where people have their guard down (to an extent) are in a good mood (hopefully) and on the plus side, you each learn something about each other.

Source author: Marie Betts-Johnson mbj@ipicalifornia.com

Yes, it takes two to Tango Desiree --- Even though I watched this debate at the time, it was just as uncomfortable to watch it a second time...that says it all!

Source author: Marie Betts-Johnson mbj@ipicalifornia.com

In the interests of diplomacy --- I doubt diplomats have the luxury of causing offence and avoid it at all costs. However, there are times in everyone's life when one after considerable forethought, has to stand on principle and say what needs to be said. The result will depend not so much on what was said, but how it was said. In other words, being assertive as opposed to aggressive will better serve their purpose.

Source author: Marie Betts-Johnson mbj@ipicalifornia.com

Perfect comeback! --- This was so much more effective than an ad hominem remark.

Source author: Marie Betts-Johnson mbj@ipicalifornia.com

Ignoring the nasty comment --- would be, in my opinion, the first resort followed by changing the subject to something substantial. I don't believe the majority of audiences want to see someone (even a politician they don't agree with) being humiliated using personal insults. I wonder if there are any studies on this?

Source author: Marie Betts-Johnson mbj@ipicalifornia.com

Software controls --- I definitely agree with you Vlad. We are responsible, as parents and adults, for the tools we provide our kids with, and the risks they involve. It's quite common now for parents or people looking after children to let them "entertain themselves' with electronic devises and gadgets without paying much attention to what children do with those. Software controls are a very good way to prevent young ones from accessing content they should not.

Source author: Jorge Ernesto Salcido Zugasti jsalcido@sre.gob.mx

Cybercriminals can take any opportunity --- well looks like we are expose all the time, every day I recived tons of spam emails of any kind and I am pretty sure I'm not the only one. Programming a botnet that everyday send emails looking for a victim therefore the cybercriminals are waiting for the right moment. In other hand we have tools like antivirus or the simple folder call SPAM which help us to deal with it but is it enought?

Source author: Iván Arnulfo Fernández Hernández administracionini01@sre.gob.mx

zoom bombing --- I am wondering wether Zoom or other applications such as Teams were able to collect and share incidences of interferences in meetings. At some point last year and also beginning of this year those became quite frequent in my work environment and were clearly a consequence of COVID and new modes of working and interacting

Source author: Andrin Schwere andrin.schwere@eda.admin.ch

widespread already, the weakest link is 'us' again --- Products running on iOs and Android have kids mode already and have had them for years actually. It is not an absolute guarantee that your children won't be exposed to content they shouldn't see, but it works. I quote you 'we supply children from early age with tech that is designed mostly for use by adults', I think this is where the problem lies. Parents should take responsibility and not blindly supply their kids with tablets and smartphones in the first place. Supervision is key of course. I am mortified by the number of well-educated parents around me that have literally delegated part of their parenting to devices or that use devices whenever their child is bored or throwing a tantrum.

Source author: Sébastien Monnet sebastien-joel.monnet@eda.admin.ch

increase in crime due to increase in usage --- I agree, although data is still being collected, the cycle haven't changed. The more technology is used the greater chances of cybercrime.

Source author: Shabanah Mustapha shabanah.mustapha@igovtt.tt

beyond borders --- The attack surface expands as the internet is used to connect more devices, more use of technology means more vulnerabilities

Source author: Shabanah Mustapha shabanah.mustapha@igovtt.tt

definition of the cybercrime --- Any criminal activities using the information technology as support or tool.

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

Tech development --- Technological development is an ongoing process and is not going to stop. On the contrary, as we witness everyday, it only gets more sophisticated, and so do hacking attacks and cybersecurity threats. That is why we should insist on international binding regulation, so those cyber criminal activities have serious consequences for individuals, organisations and countries that support, permit, perform or encourage them.

Source author: Jorge Ernesto Salcido Zugasti jsalcido@sre.gob.mx

Same expectations --- All the innovations in the normal web are also used by the dark web users. They can do more in some cases

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

More security --- Using MFA could be a true solution for increasing security in this case. IA cannot know in advance the sended code to mail or sms.

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

A dark web "catalogue" --- I was curious to see what items are most commonly purchase in the dark web. I found two interesting texts addressing that topic. They mention items such as weapons and drugs, but also other I have not thought about, such as stolen/cloned credit cards details; lifetime Netflix suscriptions; Facebook hacking services; stolen cars, etc.

It seems like the dark web is a sort of 'terra nullius.' However, legal responsibility must be attributed to the purchaser. This approach would discourage people from resorting to the dark web to acquire ilegal items.

Here are the links to the pieces I read: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/129288-23-outrageous-things-you-can-buy-on-the-dark-web.html

https://www.deepweb-sites.com/things-you-can-buy-on-the-dark-web/

Source author: Juan Feliciano Ascencio Moctezuma jascencio@sre.gob.mx

law and social network usage --- Did some law exist in the world to deny miner to access or create an account on the social network? Like creating google account for child, all miners must be accepted by their parent and the permited contents must be filtered.

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

Additional TOR definition --- I must confess that must of the terms we review in the course are very new to me. Therefore, I look for additional definitions that provide extra details. I found one developed by the firm 'Myra Security' (https://www.myrasecurity.com/en/tor-network/) It addresses interesting points: 1) using TOR can be helpful in countries with authoritarian governments (though this topic is not developed); 2) big media outlets use TOR because it helps to protect users' identity; TOR also has vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. I hope the definition contributes to the understanding of the term.

Source author: Juan Feliciano Ascencio Moctezuma jascencio@sre.gob.mx

IoT were developed with lack of security --- Following the interesting chat we had last week.

How many years of delay did it take us to overcome the poor security in the design of the Internet of "unuseful" Things?

Source author: Alan Kaheri Chavez Castro itsupportirl@sre.gob.mx

and who is the customer? --- @Valerii. and Who is the customer? if the person who is caught actually buying what was classified as illegal (which is subjective based on jurisdictional definitions) was only buying the stuff for another customer in a third (or maybe fourth or fifth) country who himself/herself might simply coordinating the procurement for a "friend in high places"? in aother jurisdiction due to the borderless nature of things; who is the customer?

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

definition --- Intentional commission of a harmful act in the internet space.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

cases --- @Valerii. Good point but here is a possible solution - make "hacking as a service" (HaaS) illegal in law!! the scenario you gave may well fall in the category of what legal and technology experts call "Anti-trust" or "anti-competitive" behavior. If Hacking as a service is not included under anti-trust law, simply add it to it!!

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

responsibility --- The responsibility lies on the customer who buys an illegal thing. In case the receiver gets caught, he or she will face a sentence for committing a crime.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

Emergence of new crime --- I think this should be the measuring rod for cybercrime defintions. It is not enough to commit a crime "using a computer or network": That is not cybercrime, it is just a crime perpetrated using a computer or netwwork. It should be a new kind of crime that was enabled through emerging technologies.

Source author: Carlos García Delgrado cgarciad@sre.gob.mx

a crime is a crime --- I consider definitions of cyber crime still to be lacking since they all differ from "regular" crime in stating that in the case of "cyber" there has to be a computer or network involved. That means that a crime is still defined using the normal nomenclature of a country: cybercrime is when that "crime" is perpetrated using a computer, which in most cases is not accurate. Also, this broad definition would even consider a cybercrime when a person throws a PC into a window to robe a convenience store? My example is an exageration of course...

Source author: Carlos García Delgrado cgarciad@sre.gob.mx

cases --- Truly, in my opinion, most of the cases of cyberattacks are aimed to increase "dirt profits", however, there are other reasons to do so. I think there are cases when a competitor company starts a so-called war with another company by attacking and hacking its system. People spend a lot of money to sponsor hackers to get useful information, data or even destroy a company's web institution. Here is the most interesting thing, digitalization and having entirely all information online made easy access and usage of it, however, it also made it an impossible to fully secure and to preserve it from others.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

number of crimes --- Even though the data wasn't fully collected yet, it is clearly visible that cybercrime activity has raised and is rising still. Thus, people who work from home due to Coronavirus became an easy target for cybercriminals.

Source author: Valerii Paziuk paziukvalerii@gmail.com

@Guillaume --- Actually this is a very good point. Many of the security experts in many top Companies including I many say, the Fortune 500 companies use former hackers turned "security experts" to head their cybersecurity unit. It seems we are in a self-destructing and conflict of interest cycle.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

cybercrime classification --- I like the idea of classifying cybercrimes into those traditional crimes which are now either transferred to the internet or facilitated by it and the "new" electronic crimes due to the internet. However it makes the basket of crimes much larger and hence the difficulties and challenges

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Country definition of cybercrime --- In Dominica, we define cybercrime as any criminal activity that uses electronic means to commit an act (whether its a cell phone, computer, laptop or any non-traditional means.)

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

definition of cybercrime --- I found this definition by Kaspersky very good - a criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network or a networked device. This definition basically incorporates the use of any entity include lines of code as a weapon or the use of ICTs to commit an electronic crime. The operational word is "targets"

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Is the cycle past its peak? --- According to the graph, emerging technologies cycle has past its peak, which I find hard to accept. NFTs, just to mention one, are just starting its journey of being accepted by the "traditional" finance structure. It is not clear the end of such trend.

Source author: Carlos García Delgrado cgarciad@sre.gob.mx

costing of gender violence --- As gender online violence increases particularly against our young women who may have been on a path to transforming the socio-economic landscape but was stopped by online violence, can these loses be monetized or how do we measure the value and contribution that these persons could have contributed to society?

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

cybercrime impact --- @Ndeye. I sympathize on this impact due to trust issues as a result of cybercrime. However, looking at an alternate view, adversity can be the mother of invention and thus, it may just be another avenue to find new innovative ways to secure online services knowing the risks and challenges. The problem is the perpetuators are also innovative as well.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

cost of cybercrime --- In order to determine the cost of cybercrime one would be able to give a definitive definition of cybercrime yet we are being told that such a measurement mechanism is being being researched. Hence it would seem that the figures submitted are really the tip of the iceberg since only a very few major incidents are officially reported. Due to trust issues and other credibility matters many cybersecurity incidents are either not reported or under-reported.

Source author: Bennette Thomas thomasb@dominica.gov.dm

Cybercrime as way of life --- Exactly! The cyberspace is so vast, so the more "modest" hackers can just "log in" and steal couple of thousands of $ (lets say 5.000-10.000)....this amount is so small in so vast cyberspace...I believe many law enforcement/s wont even bother to go after such cyber offenses that seem small, compared with large ransomware attacks (and probably a stockpile of other cases waiting to be investigated) and limited human investigator capacity. Having experience in fighting insurance fraud, I've learned that many criminals "activate" so to say "seasonally" (before summer or winter vacations) just to "earn" couple of thousands for a good quality vacation. I believe many cyber-criminals do the same.

Source author: Vladimir Nikolov vladimir984@yahoo.com

what "nothing new" means --- Of course COVID-19 created a huge opportunity for cybercrimes to grow and created a lot of vulnerabilities, so the crime grew. However, it hasn't change the modus operandi, hasn't created "new" crimes (it facilitated the way of using social engineering). It did increase the reach and magnitude, the scale. There is quite an argument about the need to be more careful on what is "new" because new dimension, new modus operandi can serve as an argument for more mechanisms of control, more invasive procedural frameworks, more power for law enforcement. Especially academics and civil society organisations caution about it as powers that are granted under the narrative of emergency and "new" COVID-related cybercrime can be abused.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

way of life --- Vladimir, this is a very good way to put it. I can also add (that's what have been shared by some of the law enforcement I know) that many of the criminals "earn" just enough to have a nice life but without a risk of running into trouble by stealing too much to make themselves visible. Cybercrime becomes a lifestyle in a way.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

indeed --- This is indeed the problem with both fighting borderless crime in general and in particular, as a prevention and risk mitigation side of it, designing regulation for new technologies that span across borders. The competence when the nods of the network (I am using the "network" metaphorically here) are located in different countries lies in cooperation because the regulation and law enforcement with very few exceptions can't reach across the border of the national state.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

we are still figuring out --- There is a growing call to regulate cryptocurrencies or make them more traceable. However, with the possibility of the development of an additional technical layer that makes even traceable currencies anonymous, it is a hard task. As to regulation, the problem is that it either has to be global or it might fail. In my opinion, as long as there is a possibility to find a loophole for laundering money or cashing out, this loophole will be exploited.

Source author: Tatiana Tropina tatiana.tropina@gmail.com

Digital humans --- ....well, can we expect in the future that digital humans will also have legal capacity by law...so they can also enter into transactions with real humans and open their own legal persons (firms)...or the producers of digital humans will "take care" and act as legal guardians of the digital humans they own...

Source author: Vladimir Nikolov vladimir984@yahoo.com

communication of restricted data about atomic weapons, an example --- @Vladimir It is indeed illegal with exceptions. Take a look, for example, at the US Code Title 42 Section 2274 prohibiting the communication of restricted data about atomic weapons. Restricted data means "...(y) The term "Restricted Data" means all data concerning (1) design, manufacture, or utilization of atomic weapons; (2) the production of special nuclear material; or (3) the use of special nuclear material in the production of energy, but shall not include data declassified or removed from the Restricted Data category pursuant to section 2162 of this title".

Source author: Scott Spence scott.a.spence@gmail.com

Agreements --- Written agreements are desirable. Maybe a simple one page with pointers can be agreed upon by both parties, if possible.

Source author: Katlego W. Phele phelekatlego@gmail.com

Adaptability of humanitarian diplomats --- Very important point! Humanitarian diplomats should have the courage and decisiveness to change the conditions of the agreement or even at times cancel the process when the same has a lot of contradictions. With careful consideration and measuring the consequences, the negotiation can be re-assed and re-discussed in private negotiations and in consultation with all the parties of the original negotiation process.

Source author: Riyadh Sidat riyadh.sidat@un.org

Signature and implementation --- After the finalization of an agreed outcome or signature there needs to be a reinforced commitment from all parties in the process to carry out the implementation phase. Many governments sign agreements to promote their public image nationally and internationally and do not value the principles and interests of the process. For this reason, humanitarian diplomats should continue engaging in negotiations and advocacy using array of tools such as awareness raising to promote the agreement.

Source author: Riyadh Sidat riyadh.sidat@un.org

Acid attacks and bride burning --- Yes Mannie, and 74 years after Partition, there is just about the same number of Muslims in Pakistan as in India! This being said, acid attacks is a huge problem, but so is the so called dowry deaths or better known as brides burning, throughout the Subcontinent but mainly in India !

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Journalists --- Journalists are an important agent of change for any campaign. WAF's women rights movement had had an ally in the print media during Zia-ul- Haq's regime. Activists, recognizing the power of the news medium, have called for media participation in its efforts to bring pressure on the government to control acid violence.

Source author: Emmanuel Henry Pierre manniepierre@hotmail.com

Barriers to Justice. --- Most of the time, victims can't get a case registered by the police . Furthermore, judges are known to harass and threaten female victims in court . Human Rights Watch documented at least one case in which a judge threw out a domestic violence complaint bases on a verse from the Quran which he interpreted as allowing a husband to beat his wife.

Source author: Emmanuel Henry Pierre manniepierre@hotmail.com

Gender-Based Violence. --- Gender- based violence is that which is directed against a woman because of her sex or which affects women disproportionately . Acid- attacks fall under the category of gender-based violence since most of its victims are women and it is often directed against them as punishment for transgressing gender based roles and limitations.

Source author: Emmanuel Henry Pierre manniepierre@hotmail.com

Nationalist Construction --- The role and and status of women are not isolated social phenomenon, and women's struggles do not take place in a vacuum. Both are enhanced or impeded, by social, political and economic development of a people's history. Pakistan's creation was based on the ideology that Muslims were a distinct group in India with a "heritage, culture, and tradition(s) different from those groups from which they wished to separate. This necessitated the creation and support of a homogenous identity and could stand in opposition to colonialism and the Hindu majority in India.Islam was at the center of this male-dominated nationalist construction and has continued to be used by "those in power and those out of it ... for consolidating support or legitimizing force.

Source author: Emmanuel Henry Pierre manniepierre@hotmail.com

Pervasive violence. --- Violence against women can be viewed in a multi causal framework. UNICEF lists " child marriage , gender-based power relations , women's low economic status and traditional practices or social norms as some of its causes. Violence against women in Pakistan reflects all these factors and is '' ignored, condoned , or justified by invoking religion, culture or tradition.

Source author: Emmanuel Henry Pierre manniepierre@hotmail.com

Social Media --- Linked to building trust is the effective use of social media- during COVID with limited access to one on one engagements we used social media as a tool to strategically position the cluster which has in resulted in forging new strategic partnerships

Source author: Didi Monnakgotla didintle.monnakgotla@ifrc.org

Unearmarked funding --- think it is good to diplomatically and openly engage donors on the need to unearmarked funding. MSF had a better perspective on needs on the ground and great that they advocated for affected communities

Source author: Didi Monnakgotla didintle.monnakgotla@ifrc.org

Effective Communication --- I could not agree more- just to add, a humanitarians we tend to speak to ourselves more not adopting communication to be relevant to the key stakeholder.

Source author: Didi Monnakgotla didintle.monnakgotla@ifrc.org

Include additional information --- great input, what helps in addressing the word count limitation is to include hyperlink of the communication. people who have interest to engage further can refer to the source

Source author: Didi Monnakgotla didintle.monnakgotla@ifrc.org

Real time information --- indeed social media provide real time information however we run a risk of consuming unverified information and consuming fake news.

Source author: Didi Monnakgotla didintle.monnakgotla@ifrc.org

Understand value add --- very key that each entity recognises their strength and understand their value add to the greater course. this will prevent each seeing each other as competitors rather as a "team"

Source author: Didi Monnakgotla didintle.monnakgotla@ifrc.org

Too much assistance --- Gerhard, I remember that in 2005, after the Tsunami of December 2004, MSF asked its donors to stop sending earmarked funds for Aceh as the possibilties of spending wisely the money there were limited.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

The dark side of technology --- Sadly true Marwa, once upon a time, before internet, e-mails and Skype, the people in charge in the field had to take decisions because they had no means to consult their Headquarters quickly. Autonomy was a blessing. It is paradoxical to see that faster ways to communicate have slowed down the decision process!

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Very creative approach --- Cara, thanks for this super link. I will reference it in my teaching.

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

Making every word count --- Ivy, smart trick. Also, when posting on Google, special attention should be payed to the first 3 lines, since these are what will show up as a snippet on the Google search page.

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

Tough challenge --- Virginia, I share your wariness with regard to the accuracy of information. I find it increasingly difficult to believe what I see and hear, and am constantly on guard and try to and identify what is and isn't fake news.

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

Min and max --- Gerhard, how would one gauge that level?

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

Members of original team --- Yes Taban, and equally important are the members of the team who were in the original meetings (if they are still there).

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

Ownership --- Baboloki, well put. What you say emphasizes the importance of developing a shared goal/vision as early in the negotiations as possible.

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

No place? --- Yes John, but maybe a snail's pace is better than no place?

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

Stellar reputation --- Marwa, this is yet another example that attests to the ICRC's hard earned reputation.

Source author: Daniel Beaudoin beaudoin.dnl@gmail.com

tell them what to do but what they should not do too --- Very often there is critic that NGO and CSO keep telling what is the right of people but not telling what are not the right too in order to avoid damage or harm when exercising the right they have and what they don't have. Right should have its limit and boundary too.

Source author: Samban Seng sengsamban@gmail.com

Join visit to site before agreement --- Either bi-lateral or multi-lateral agreement, having a visit to site for the basis to prepare the HD agreement is a very practical way amongst other ways. This could provide and promote ownership as well amongst parties.

Source author: Samban Seng sengsamban@gmail.com

Defining roles based on related HD procedures --- In defining role for each party, that should be in line with some of the humanitarian standard, procedure and treaty?

Source author: Samban Seng sengsamban@gmail.com

open science but also open market --- In addition to the open model of Science, I would also point on the system of the free market competition. The extreme acceleration given by medical research, which could count on extraordinary financial resources compared to normal times (similar to what happened during the space race in the 60s) was just the first leg of a relay played by companies fighting each other to patent first the discoveries made. As a result, the open market system has provided a number of vaccines, more or less comparable in effectiveness, which have helped making important steps forward. True, we are still in a sort of experimental phase, as shown by the increasing number of cases, almost one year after the first doses were distributed. The way is still long, but science has helped taking the right direction.

Source author: Vojko Bratina vbratina@katamail.com

immigration of qualified staff - Benin --- Thanks for the comment, Desire. I've just replied to a similar point from George (he mentioned brain drain pf physicians and nurses from India). From what you describe: what is the reason for the lack of state recruitment? Does it go beyond lack of finances?

Source author: Katharina Höne KatharinaH@diplomacy.edu

including mental health --- Thanks for the comment, Aura. On a general note, the inclusion of mental health in the targets is such an important step. It's a very important signal in the shift of perspective towards seeing mental health as health. If we dig deeper, mental health is further broken down into "emotional, psychological, and social well-being", which is a very useful holistic perspective. (on a side note, 100% support on the issue of mental health in academia).

Source author: Katharina Höne KatharinaH@diplomacy.edu

Awareness of other consequences --- Thank you Katharina for your insights and details on these topics. I must say that before reading this text of Module 3 and now your comments, I was not entirely aware of how much the resources and means allocated to respond to Covid-19 have disrupted efforts and programs to address other deseases

Source author: Aura Fossati aura.fossati@gmail.com

SARS and COVID-19 experiences in Taiwan - Political matters --- When the first SARS case happened in Taiwan in 2003, Taiwan's government and residents were isolated from the world.

When Taiwan tried to warn the world about COVID-19, we were still isolated by our strong neighbor country and WHO. WHO would not accept the warning from Taiwan until March 2020 to announce the pandemic. At the same time, I saw much disinformation and hate speech from Taiwan and China internet users to attack the chairman of WHO.

We had the SARS experience to mitigate the COVID-19 disasters in Taiwan in 2020 and made the mask diplomacy in 2020. Our government and people are still strong together. Even we have a serious epidemic from March to July 2021, but we still can operate normally.

• SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in Taiwan CDC https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Category/ListContent/bg0g_VU_Ysrgkes_KRUDgQ?uaid=u1D6dRGtmP4Q5YA1GmSKIw

• Taiwan's Vice President Talks to TIME About the Global Health Risks Arising From the Island's Isolation (MAY 18, 2017) https://time.com/4783772/taiwan-health-who-wha-china/

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

Affordable fee to access internet or telecommunications --- The remote health care or telemedicine are all rely on affordable fees to access telecommunication and internet. Education is also important.

The local development is a key factor. If there is no better economic development, resident will move out and look for a better area to live.

If people get education, they can learn how to use remote medical devices, change the local environment. I think that is why SDG 1 is so important.

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

Translating these targets into measurable objectives --- To ensure implementation of targets 3b, 3c and 3d measurable objectives with timeframes need to be assigned to each target. Each objective needs to be supported with implementation plans. This implementation plans need to be mobilised through access to available resources (technical, financial etc).

Periodic evaluation of the implementation of these objectives need to be done in order to evaluate process and to revise the objectives as changes occur.

Source author: Petal Punalall Jetoo pjetoo@gmail.com

Increasing Access to Health Care Education --- Promoting careers in medical and health care education and providing low cost and financing options for students can help to reduce the shortage of health care workers.

Source author: Petal Punalall Jetoo pjetoo@gmail.com

IHR monitoring --- Perhaps the process of assessing the implementation of the IHR by the States Parties should be reviewed. It seems to me that it is a self-assessment done by the countries with the support of WHO experts. Perhaps other actors should be involved, such as civil society, who will have an external eyes.

Source author: Désiré NEBOUA dneboua@yahoo.fr

Health Subsidies and Grants --- It may be useful to consider subsidies and grants for developing countries to reduce the cost of research. Shared and collaborative projects can be designed which pools local, regional and international researchers together. Strengthening research capacities can also be very cost effective and lead to long term benefits.

Source author: Petal Punalall Jetoo pjetoo@gmail.com

Brain drain --- India- the country which boasts the largest number of medical schools and world’s largest source for immigrant physicians/ nurses, struggles with its lack of local healthcare workers- 3.3 qualified allopathic doctors and 3.1 nurses and midwives per 10,000 population—well below the World Health Organization (WHO) benchmark of 22.8 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 10,000

Source author: George Thomas georgethomasdesk@gmail.com

Health staff migration --- I think the lack of health human resources in developing countries is also related to states policies. In 2013, as part of a master's exercise we examined the health system of Benin. What we found was that it had been almost 10 years since the state had recruited health workers. As a result, qualified personnels are forced to go to countries where they have the chance to find work.

Source author: Désiré NEBOUA dneboua@yahoo.fr

Long way to reach UHC --- I agree with you Katharina, your recommended article does some up the Swiss system. But I am thinking about the diversity in the systems as we move from country to country. According to a 2014 Indian Government study only 17% of the population has some kind of health insurance. There is a long way to go for India and the global south struggling with this.

Source author: George Thomas georgethomasdesk@gmail.com

The role of open science --- Research needs to be made accessible to the public to increase understanding and participation. Increasing access to scientific information and data will foster collaboration, build trust and support SDG 3. It is important for access and participation to be built into research designs.

Source author: Petal Punalall Jetoo pjetoo@gmail.com

speed of COVID recovery --- Vaccines was the game changer in overcoming the barriers set out by COVID but what helped us to survive the vaccine discovery phase was the evidence based scientific advice including physical restrictions like avoiding closed room gatherings, regular ventilations, use of masks, hygiene measurements, etc. This was possible because the scientific evidences where readily available at the doorsteps of every person who could make informed decisions- the power of Open Science and Open Access. This is an ongoing battle not just in the health sector but every fields- be it scientific or social spheres. All Science needs to be Open to live a healthly life in a healthy planet

Source author: George Thomas georgethomasdesk@gmail.com

the case of cardio-vascular disease --- Sorry if I'm becoming too medical... Here in CH, I hardly don't see any cardiac decompensation any more. And if, they come from remote mountain villages (an example of persisting unequal geographical health care distribution...). This is due to the fact that people are well screened for risk factors, the most important being arterial hypertension. The therapeutical options are clear (loosing weight, physical activity, pharmaceutical intervention) and easy (taking a pill, the other ones are less attractive) and you can't feel, but can visualise the results: numbers going down, and a happy looking doctor. The problem with prevention is when it takes individual effort, is not immediately visible and is economically not directly interesting... In clear: when it needs a pill it's easy, but prevention before -and I think also about mental health, it stays unattractive for both the patient and provider side.

Source author: Katharina Beyer katharina.beyer@etu.unige.ch

natural ressources as $$$ --- this idea came to me while volunteering in Namibia: here I was spending my holidays to work in a country sitting on diamonds. In a Global Health Class with a Novartis Board Member (>60y old ;-) I raised the question: if payment is a problem for the Pharma giants, why not take natural ressources as a "payment garant"? Of course it does not apply to all LMIC, but to more than one. His answer showed me clearly it was a "politically not correct" question. Why? because it's working very well for ams??

Source author: Katharina Beyer katharina.beyer@etu.unige.ch

Yes! But the accompanying stock market race and patent protection is questionable... --- I know it's a different issue... I totally agree Biontech is a great story, which might be an inspiring one for further vaccine research (a topic relatively neglected by Pharma, for the obvious reason that it's a business where you loose your customers...). Nevertheless, I'm questioning the $$$$ coming with this success, in the context of global shortage. There have been times where I made "fun" out of making more money with buying/selling at the right time vaccine-shares than working as a frontline worker, eventually putting myself at danger (but still, I found more satisfaction with the later..). The "right timing" had by the way nothing to do with the real life development, what made me leaving the game. What we should not forget is that this success would have been impossible without government =taxpayers money. But I never heard Germany got anything back from this success (except indirectly via taxes). And not to forget: this story is also why Germany was for protecting vaccine patent -against WHO request...

Source author: Katharina Beyer katharina.beyer@etu.unige.ch

It still happens in Italy --- This is something that we still experience in Italy depending on the region. I can attest to the personal situation of my family, living in a remote rural area in central Italy, where certain medical specialists, and sometimes even general practitioners, are rare. The healthcare system is undoubtedly at another level compared to what happens in cities and this has also been seen for the organization of access to COVID-19 vaccines, for very old people or with serious health problems, who have not really been a priority compared to what was happening elsewhere, because of the lack of health staff to administer them

Source author: Aura Fossati aura.fossati@gmail.com

How to fill this gap? --- How to fill this gap and this lack of funding on issues that are fundamental for developing countries but also developed ones, given that there are key to achieving the SDGs at the global level and should be prioritized? I am not familiar with the WHO but I imagine that meetings, fora, summits are organized to discuss needs and priorities identified by the Global Observatory on Health R&D. Is there a way for WHO to pressure governments for allocating more funding for specific and pressing Health R&D issues or to facilitate the development of specific international scientific collaborations on these topics?

Source author: Aura Fossati aura.fossati@gmail.com

more expansive SDG --- There is a typo here, this should, of course, read: expansive. Though costs are of course also involved ini mplementation :-)

Source author: Katharina Höne KatharinaH@diplomacy.edu

I don't think the diseases are only COVID-19, but only 1% of all funding is too little --- COVID-19 probably is a sudden case that began at the end of 2019, and the pandemic started in early 2020. But the 1% of funding is in research and development. I don't think it is enough to research the diseases in developing countries.

Source author: YingChu Chen jungheng@gmail.com

I have always been impressed ... --- ... with China's economic success despite its different government leadership and development model from the common capitalist norm in a democratic context.

I'm for one is a strong believer that small economies/developing countries like Kiribati should learn from China.

Source author: David Ateti Teaabo david.teaabo@gmail.com

In defence of BRI --- The Chinese deserve to be commended for their willingness to make significant investment commitments to develop infrastructure in many emerging markets.

Debt is debt wether its coming from BRI or Brettons institutions. Countries that have used the money to invest in the means of production have been able to repay these loans.

It takes two to tango and the issue with Africa and some emerging markets is misplaced priorities. borrowing for consumption where half of the funds ends up in politicians pockets is the problem.

Source author: Simataa Matali simatamatali@icloud.com

The world after C-19 is unlikely to return to the world that was. --- Many trends already underway in the global economy are being accelerated by the impact of the pandemic. This is especially true of the digital economy, with the rise of digital behavior such as remote working and learning, telemedicine, and delivery services. Other structural changes may also accelerate, including regionalization of supply chains and a further explosion of cross-border data flows.

Source author: Tarniem Shokry Iskandar tar.eskander@hotmail.com

Agreed --- As a matter of fact, China has been able to exceed influence by other great powers because of its aggressive strategy and willingness to exclude political conditionality

Source author: Tarniem Shokry Iskandar tar.eskander@hotmail.com

It depends as --- Foreign companies are trying to hold on to lucrative opportunities for example in China, even if new regulations and the pandemic have made international operations harder. As these businesses watched a crackdown on the domestic tech giants, and the Chinese government has continued to promote the world’s second-largest economy as opening further to overseas capital.

Source author: Tarniem Shokry Iskandar tar.eskander@hotmail.com

Botswana --- Botswana Government has articulated in its Vision 2036 that “education and skills are the basis for human resource development” . Schools are relatively free, with students paying approximately 10USD per term in School fees. Schools are not allowed to block students who are not able to pay the fees from attending classes. The school fees were reintroduced in January 2006, after two decades of free State education.

Source author: Lapologang Judah lapoduna@gmail.com

I attended the opening ceremony of an Indian investor's --- ...diamond processing unit in Gaborone, which did the sorting, polishing and even manufacture of jewellery, all from roughs produced in Botswana....You, and all African states, need much more of such value addition.....And we know who the main exploiters are....Do we do enough to regulate them?

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Of course. The Tourism Ministry is... --- ...a major player in this process. Must be included.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

That is most interesting. Can you please... --- ...give details of the investor-State dispute settlement process, or a link to a document in English that can be accessed?....India has had several high profile disputes with foreign investors, and candidly, our record on implementation is poor....We need to rethink this, in my view....Perhaps Bipul may have thoughts on this.

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Thanks for that information. --- I did not know this....I have no admiration for Trump, but the idea of an obligatory renewal process might be seen in more benign fashion in some situations. For example, if an agreement is controversial, and my country doubts the sincerity of the partner, might it not serve as a safeguard? I have in mind a border agreement, which hinges on implementation actions on both sides, or even a trade agreement -- say for pharma products -- which will need action by the other side to open its market. Realistic?

Source author: Kishan S Rana kishanrana@gmail.com

Investor passports --- interesting concept of investor passports. I read that the initiative was suspended in 2004 as result of pressure from donor countries to improve immigration controls following reports of fake passports and illegal sale of passports. Is the suspension still on? if no what measures have been put in place to improve the investor passport initiative. was there any difference between residence permit and an investor passport?

Source author: Lapologang Judah lapoduna@gmail.com

Glass Houses --- True, Ambassador SA is still regarded as an icon by many. At the very least, South Africa's collective successes and failures as a nation are on display for all to see. Where it has failed, it has admitted its mistakes, and one thing is certain: South Africans have realized that it is their responsibility to make it work, and hold the government responsibility for its failures.

Source author: Matshedisa Emily Mokoena mokoenamati@gmail.com

Bilateral cooperation in education --- Thank you very much David for your answer. It seems to me that the KEIP is an innovative program that could be used in other countries as an example of bilateral cooperation in education. Mexico could take advantage of this experience to introduce a collaboration plan similar to KEIP with the United States that contributes to educational schemes that meet the needs of basic education and improve its quality.

Source author: Cecilia Treemonisha Barros Ruiz cbarros@sre.gob.mx

KEIP is not affected by C-19 --- Thanks Cecilia for pointing to the KEIP (Kiribati Education Improvement Program) as an ongoing bilateral program in the education sector. The KEIP, inter alia, aims to rehabilitate the classrooms, improve WASH facilities and others. You will note from the Australian High Commission Tarawa (https://www.facebook.com/australiainkiribati/) and our Ministry of Education (https://www.facebook.com/moekiribati/) Facebook pages that KEIP continues to operate despite C-19. This is because of several reasons: Kiribati remains a COVID-19 free country (we have had quarantined cases but never become a community/local transmitted ones); the supply chain of goods for the KEIP from Australia and other countries remained operative and the KEIP management office and workforce, like other public and private entities, continued their operations because of the absence of C-19 in Kiribati.

Source author: David Ateti Teaabo david.teaabo@gmail.com

Human error --- Many of the human mistakes come from the same human nature. Curiosity. Clicking at any mail with falses promises

Source author: Juan Miguel López Vázquez Samaniego jsamaniego@sre.gob.mx

Re:Tools --- That's true. i appreciate the example as illustration.

Source author: Ioniarimalala RAKOTONIRINA ioniarimalala@gmail.com

Coordination --- I completely agree that achieving a government's foreign policy goals requires better coordination across government components, and a shared approach to external relations. Building strong government-business relations, as previously mentioned, clarifying the terms for the country's strategy, will also allow the development of a country's economy.

Source author: Matshedisa Emily Mokoena mokoenamati@gmail.com

Training --- Agree, it is critical that foreign representatives possess diverse skills. Some MFA are now providing economics training to their diplomats. Furthermore, they have realized that working together and learning from a wide variety of stakeholders will help improve diplomatic services skills.

Source author: Matshedisa Emily Mokoena mokoenamati@gmail.com

Regular consultations --- Yes, as part of their performance assessment the missions abroad are measured on a number of platforms utilized to inform and promote South Africa’s foreign policy to domestic and international audience.

Source author: Matshedisa Emily Mokoena mokoenamati@gmail.com

EDSF --- South Africa's MFA (DIRCO) created an Economic Diplomacy Strategic Framework (EDSF) to assist South African missions abroad - its embassies, consulates, and high commissions – to meet domestic priorities for growth and prosperity in the international environment. It also instructed diplomats on how to assist business sectors, trade and investment delegations, provinces, cities, and provincial development agencies.

Source author: Matshedisa Emily Mokoena mokoenamati@gmail.com

Perception matter too --- For a country like South Africa, which is seen as having lost its moral authority by international critics, engaging in economic diplomacy must be difficult for the diplomatic and consular missions implementing the government's foreign policy objectives to raise its international profile

Source author: Matshedisa Emily Mokoena mokoenamati@gmail.com

local value addition --- In 2012 Botswana signed a new agreement with Debeers that ensured the relocation of the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sales department that is responsible for all aggregation, sorting and valuation of diamonds, from London to Botswana. This was aimed at maximising benefits from diamond mining through local beneficiation. Botswana has been able to create employment for her citizens through value adding activities in the diamond industry since then.

Source author: Lapologang Judah lapoduna@gmail.com

Beyond the patents and copyrights: the know-how and "trade secrets" --- I have a comment about the waiver to the TRIPS for Covid-19 vaccines. Even if the EU and Japan change their mind and this temporary waiver is approved at the WTO, it remains to be seen if and how enough companies in India or South Africa are able produce vaccines for instance, a very complex process. Often, they will need not just access to the aforementioned IP rights, but also to the specific and intangible know-how that the original manufacturers possess, which requires total involvement from them. We have a better chance at fostering cooperation in form of joint-venture with transfer of knowledge.

Source author: Mouloud Khelif mouloud.khelif@gmail.com

Multidisciplinary --- great use of the multidisciplinary approach too!

Source author: Kiconco Patricia kictricia@gmail.com

Multidisciplinary --- Great use of the multidisciplinary approach too!

Source author: Kiconco Patricia kictricia@gmail.com

Can we work on the much needed trust --- COVID-19, among others things, might have grossly eroded the trust between these three entities, people, politicians and scientists through the plethora of misinformation from conspiracy theories to speculations, nationally and globally. As we reorganize and analyze how much and the extent of the damage done (which is something else I think countries need to do internally), we need to work on the trust between the stakeholders involved in achieving SDG3. I also agree with @Max on the need to focus on the targets and the indicators rather than on the goal.

Source author: Kiconco Patricia kictricia@gmail.com

Blockchain --- Scott, true - blockchain is an underlying technology of not just cryptocurrencies but many other applications (like smart contracts, for instance). One interesting possible application of blockchain (which is essentially a distributed database of transactions of any sort, which can't be altered after the transaction is written down) in peacebuilding and mediation is - the exchange of prisoners (where sides don't believe each other to maintain the correct lists and exchanges).

Blockchain seems to not have 'embodied' to its full extent yet - apart from cryptocurrencies, we haven't seen many revolutionary uses yet; but there are promises that blockchain can also help tracking our ownership, and even our personal data (who and when had access to it, for instance).

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Turning crypto to cash --- Tracing the money is an important element of investigations. While transferring crypto from an account to an account can be somewhat hidden, exchanging crypto for fiat/cash is getting harder and harder for criminals - as Vladimir notes, states are imposing strict regulations on the public online exchanges (which now demand password copies and IDs, doing checks, etc).

Yet, this all stays when we think about rather small amounts of (illegal) money. Large sums, however, are laundered in a different, and rather conventional way (casinos, weapons and drugs or what not). Again, crypto is only an addition to cybercrime (and crime in general), but many elements are conducted in a conventional way.

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Accountability and robots --- Let me extend this great brainstorming about a robot buying on a darkweb - to a self-driving car hitting a pedestrian. Who's accountable - a machine (probably not), an owner of the machine, a vendor (say a car producer), a third-party supplier that did the software...?

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Tor in ordinary life - and 5G --- Bennette, check out the discussion thread initiated by Alan above in the box on Tor; we suggest that Tor is not more widely used because it is somewhat slower, not so easy to use for just anyone, and not much needed for most people (where VPN will do) - though perceptions about Tor mater as well probably. Add your thoughts here or above.

Vladimir, as for 5G: it will certainly speed up our interactions. But, the Tor nodes are on personal devices around the world, which might be connected through the mobile connectivity (4G, 5G, etc), but could easily be on a fibre-to-the-home already (yet faster), or on a slow community wifi or ADSL (which is very slow).

So it really depends what connection node users have; as the time goes, and the global connectivity improves, we can guess Tor capacities could get bigger. But this doesn't necessarily mean it will become more usable: services we use are also more and more demanding (higher video quality, real-time interaction and gaming, virtual reality..) - so it is cat-and-mouse chaise. Also, the more people that use Tor, the greater the stress (and 'demand' might not be followed by the 'supply' of node capacities...

I guess Tor won't become a mainstream anyhow; but it is certainly a very useful tool for everyone for particular sensitive (private) browsing or research. But other technological alternatives (also mentioned in the text) may emerge.

Yet I tend to agree with Alan: there are many simpler ways to protect ones privacy (and security), like passwords, and people are not implementing them. Tor is far from the sight for many. We have to improve awareness of the masses in general.

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Shipment of illegal goods --- Scott, take a look at (and join) the discussion thread under 'illegal goods' just above - there we suggest that the dark web is actually just a 'last mile' of the criminal market (making orders and payments easier and safer), while the delivery follows typical routes (including the ordinary post for smaller items, not least packages of drugs).

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Is it illegal to surve a darkweb? --- In most cases, it is actually not possible to surf the criminal marketplaces without being granted access thanks to a recommendation of at least one member... So, one can't just bump in there accidentally, even if using the Tor (Tor actually looks like a normal VPN; one would have to know where to find these forums).

I am not a legal expert - I hope Tanya or someone of you could actually build on this here - but I don't think even entering an illegal marketplace would be illegal (though that might put you under the radar of law enforcement authorities, depending on the 'importance' of the forum). There are many researchers and journalists that roam around and explore the items. You would actually have to do an illegal conduct - buy or sell - in order to break the law.

Any deeper (legal) expertise on this?

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Illegal medical research --- Exactly - unethical human experimentation, including on the abducted people. I have had a good (and very disturbing) reading on this some years ago, I will try to find it (though I am sure Googling would help finding something similar). The dark web knows to be really dark...

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

'Dark till the last mile' --- I like how Ndeye puts this! For the markets of traditional illegal products (guns, drugs, etc), the 'delivery' is done the way it would be done anyhow, without the darkweb.

What darkweb adds is a guaranteed anonymity of a buyer, an ease to search and find what you want ('market' in its full meaning), and easy and safe monetary transactions (crypto). In addition, most dark markets (ie operators of those sites) play a role of an intermediary - double-checking who are the members (especially in 'darker' forums), and ensuring escrows (ie they take over the payment and save it, only passing it to the seller once the product is delivered).

I have heard stories about drugs, for instance: it is shipped through an ordinary post (which doesn't check this by default - most of the items could actually be delivered by the post, see the exhibition example below) to the address of an abandoned house. There is no direct contact between the buyer and the seller at all. I guess this is just one of many ways they operate.

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Tor for regular use --- Alan, good point. Speed is one argument for not using Tor for regular activities. The other is complexity: even though applications are available for most operating systems and mobile devices, it is not an app 'for dummies' - it needs certain understanding of how it works, and settings etc. Thus it is usually embraced by somewhat more IT-savvy (or conscious) people. Also, for most of us a VPN (whether a commercial or the one by our company/institution) is sufficient (especially when traveling and using public WIFIs).

I wonder, however, if the perceptions also play a role? Tor is known for browsing the darkweb (even if not the criminal markets within), and is perceived as something at the edge of legal.

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Export control of files --- Scott, interesting question. Could you make a parallel to 'instructions' (even if hardcopy version, a bluepring) of producing a nuclear bomb? Is this kind of knowledge/instruction subject to export control? Could it be the same as a file containing a 3D design of a gun, say?

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Legitimate (hacking) business? --- Important question, Bennette. On one hand, states may decide what is legitimate business in their jurisdiction; for instance, in many jurisdictions 'pen testing' (ie testing the resilience of an organisations' IT system by an third party as a contractor) is legal.

On the other, giving a clear legitimacy to a 'hacking' business which clearly conducts attacks against third parties (particularly abroad) without the consent would not be well accepted abroad - and thus, no state really 'allows' this publicly.

But, what is the grey zone? For instance, the NSO Group in Israel which produces most sophisticated weapons (built on zero-day exploits) for hacking into mobile phones - but it rents it to others (foreign security services) rather than conducting attacks on their own? Contrast this with many ransoware-as-a-service offers on a grey market, where criminals rent a full set of malware and tools to conduct a ransomware - but this is illegal (perhaps because their clients are formally not governments)?

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu

Abuse of power through oral agreements --- My fear with oral agreement is that they will only be know by few and they can be subjected to abuse of power.

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

written agreements --- they serve as reference at all times

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

Face to face is still neeed --- i total agree

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

level of agreement or engagement needed --- I will say it depend on the level of agreement the two parties intend to reach. It is can be efficient to some extent especially when you deal with someone not near by.

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

Body Language is needed --- I total agree that there is nee to account for communication in any form but from my experience i consider face to face more efficient.

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

linking --- The Walvis Bay Corridor, a trade route linking land-locked Zambia (and neighbouring countries such as DR Congo, Malawi and Zimbabwe) to the Walvis Bay port on the Atlantic Ocean.

Source author: Mavis Tungulu mtungulu@gmail.com

promoting investment --- Given that FDI involves foreign companies, embassies play an important role in the task of promoting investment.

Source author: Mavis Tungulu mtungulu@gmail.com

embassy --- to uphold and protect the country's national interests in the country where the embassy is based

Source author: Mavis Tungulu mtungulu@gmail.com

the best way to fast track th process --- one-stop shop for business or office that offers multiple services or products to customers or client helps fast track and simplify the process.

Source author: Mavis Tungulu mtungulu@gmail.com

@Sethunya --- Agree with you.

Source author: Mavis Tungulu mtungulu@gmail.com

Question --- Has the line between humour and offense also blurred with the "snowflake generation"?

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

The Echo chambers --- Would be interesting to reflect on the role of the internet and social media in this process. These tools have allowed for the multiplication of the so called echo chambers which only reassure the initial preconceptions that determine the right of belonging or not. Likewise, they cancel every possibility of coming into contact with differing worldviews and being able to accept "the other".

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

Easier said? --- I would say there is a prerequisite before getting to those characteristics of active listening, and it is to actually force us to listen to the whole argument before even attempting to formulate a reply. I think most of us, almost instinctively, usually "keep listening" but are already working on what we are going to reply next, after just listening to the first couple of sentences of our counterpart.

Source author: Desirée Colomé Menéndez dcolome@sre.gob.mx

Consequences of rush decisions --- The principle of no harm should apply at all times and in the event that the decisions are made in a quick/ rush manner protection of gender and inclusion may be overlooked. Even though the situation is a dire one through engagement has to be done to avoid putting the lives of the vulnerable at risk.

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

agreed monitoring interventions --- regular evaluations should form part of the agreement and thus makes it easy to consistently intervene whenever their are hiccups. .

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com

Different opinions --- both parties also need to appreaciate their having different opinions about a particular issue does not mean that one cannot have sense of ownership on the final agreement. different opinions contributes to effective and strong interventions

Source author: Baboloki Tebatso baboloki20@gmail.com