Cyber Policy Department
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office cyber diplomacy unit
The FCO Cyber Policy Department (also referred to as the International Cyber Policy Department or Cyber Policy Team) is the primary unit within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO, formerly FCO) responsible for international cyber diplomacy, capacity building, and shaping the UK's global cyber security foreign policy.
History and Naming
The unit has operated under varying names reflecting organisational changes:
- International Cyber Policy Department (c. 2011–c. 2020) – the original formal title under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
- Cyber Policy Department (c. 2020–present) – the current name following the 2020 FCO-DFID merger that created the FCDO.
- Cyber Policy Team – a common informal or shorthand reference used in official correspondence and external documents.[1][2]
Reporting Lines
In 2013, the department sat within the Human Rights and International Security Directorate of the FCO and reported to the Director General for Defence and Intelligence. It ultimately reported to the Permanent Under-Secretary and the Foreign Secretary (William Hague at the time).[3]
Following the creation of the FCDO, the Cyber Policy Department is led by the UK's Cyber Director (who also serves as the UK Cyber Ambassador) and sits within the broader security and international relations structure.
Role in Ghana Pilot
The FCO Cyber Policy Team provided overall governance for the 2013–2014 Ghana Pilot Project (the initial proof of concept for the Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative). It held the budget, managed the grant under the title “CCI Capacity Building in Ghana and the West Africa Region - Local Project Facilitation”, set diplomatic objectives, and coordinated with the Cabinet Office.[1]
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Commonwealth Cyber Programme: country case studies FCDO, 9 March 2021.
- ↑ UK Cabinet Office, National Cyber Security Strategy 2011 Cabinet Office, November 2011.
- ↑ UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report 2013 FCO, 2014.