The "Joint OAS Hemispheric Workshop on the Development of a National Framework for Cyber Security" was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from November 16 to 20, 2009, and was organized by the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), and the Group of Government Experts on Cyber-Crime of the Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA), in conjunction with the Government of Brazil.

The workshop was borne out of on-going OAS efforts in accordance with the mandates established by the Comprehensive Inter-American Strategy to Combat Threats to Cyber Security and reflects the OAS Member States' firm commitment to strengthening cyber security and protecting critical information infrastructure at the national and regional levels. In accordance with the OAS Cyber Strategy, the workshop sought to promote a collaborative approach to cyber security at the national and regional levels; one in which all relevant stakeholders are engaged and working together in a coordinated fashion.

With 32 OAS Member States officially represented, participants included a wide range of national and international experts as well as policy, regulatory, law enforcement, and technical representatives working on the various aspects of cyber security and critical information infrastructure protection. The workshop provided a discussion‐oriented forum for exchanging expertise, information, experiences, ideas, and innovative approaches for more effectively addressing cyber security at the national level. Each national delegation was encouraged during the course of the workshop to prepare a draft action plan for establishing, developing and/or implementing a national framework or strategy for cyber security in their respective country.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants offered numerous concrete recommendations for how the OAS, and specifically CICTE, CITEL and the REMJA group of experts, can continue to lead regional efforts to enhance cyber security and critical information infrastructure protection going forward.

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