The Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on International Law in Cyberspace, established in 2015 at its Beijing Session, has evolved into a key forum for Member States to engage on the international legal regulation of cyberspace. Over seven meetings from New Delhi (2016) to Kampala (2024), the OEWG has facilitated sustained deliberations on the applicability of international law, particularly principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and state responsibility in the digital domain. The AALCO OEWG process has also maintained close conceptual alignment with parallel UN processes such as the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts and the Open-Ended Working Group on ICT Security, while foregrounding Afro-Asian perspectives on the applicability of international law in cyberspace.
Early discussions focused on foundational questions such as cyber sovereignty, governance, and cooperation against cybercrime. Subsequent meetings deepened engagement through structured inputs, including Special Rapporteur’s reports and Member State responses. A notable outcome has been the gradual development of fifteen non-binding “consensual principles,” reflecting the position of the Special Rapporteur on the interface of cyberspace with different legal regimes.
Building on this trajectory, the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization aims to extend its engagement from cyberspace to the legal implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for international law once the OEWG track on Cyberspace is completed.