Participation
Who can participate?
The Competition is open to teams consisting of
one or more members between the ages of 16 and 32 as of July 30, 2020 at 11:59
PM (23:59) GMT.
Do you need to be a
cybersecurity expert to participate?
It is desirable that teams bring together
expertise from multiple disciplines, from international law and politics to
cybersecurity and technology.
Does it matter where
you are based?
No, we hope to receive submissions from around
the world.
How big should the
team be?
Teams should consist of a maximum of five
people. Each participant should be a member of only one team.
Am I allowed to have
support?
Teams can and are encouraged to seek advice
and support from mentors, sponsors, and others.
Focus of competition
What are we looking
for?
Concrete and innovative ideas on a technology
solution – mobile app, software or hardware product, code or others – that can be
applied in the relations between nation states and that can help reduce the
malicious use of cyberspace to cause instability.
This initiative has been launched in the
context of the United Nations’ work on disarmament in the ICT domain and it is
important that the technology solution proposed addresses the topics under
discussion at the United Nations at the moment:
- Addressing existing and potential cyber
threats, - Ensuring respect for international law in
cyberspace, - Ensuring respect for human rights in
cyberspace, - Promoting adherence to voluntary norms, rules
and principles, - Fostering confidence building, and
- Enhancing cybersecurity capacity building.
In the discussions between UN member states, these
topics have proven difficult to tackle and we hope that the competition will
uncover innovative ways to make progress in these areas.
Competition process
How do I register?
Teams and individuals wishing to sign up for
the competition should send an email to apps4digitalpeace@cybertechaccord.org.
What should I tell you
in the email registration?
You should list your team members and the
topic of your submission.
By when do I need to
register?
Final deadline for registration is 30th
April 2020.
Why do you need me to
register?
We plan to communicate with participants
directly to elaborate on the process of the actual submission.
When are the final
submissions due?
They are due on 30th July 2020.
Submissions
What is the submission
process?
Upon registering, participants will receive a
confirmation email with instructions on how to file their submission.
What should the
submission include?
The submission should include a detailed
description of the proposed technology solution that would help tackle the
abovementioned issues, including a short pitch in the form of either a video or
essay. The description should include information on:
- The type of technology
that you intend to develop: is it a mobile app, a hardware product, a code? - How this technology
will work (e.g. main features). - Which of the areas
mentioned above (confidence building, capacity building, cybersecurity norms,
human rights in cyberspace, international law in cyberspace, and threats) will
this technology help tackle and how. - More generally, how
this technology can contribute to the objective of digital peace.
Ultimately, the description of the project
should show that the technology solution proposed is feasible and that, if developed,
it could contribute to improving cyberspace stability.
Do I need to develop a
functioning technical solution?
At the time of the submissions, we do not
expect that teams will have already developed these technology solutions.
However, we will certainly welcome prototypes
of the proposed product if this is already being developed.
Prize
What are the prizes in
the competition?
The finalists will receive mentoring from
Cybersecurity Tech Accord signatory companies, and an invitation to present at
the Cybersecurity Tech Accord annual event at the RSA conference in San
Francisco in 2021.
In addition, they will be awarded monetary
prizes:
- $15,000 first prize
- $10,000 second prize
- $5,000 third prize.
Results of the competition
Who will the judges
be?
Judges will be made up of senior
representatives of Cybersecurity Tech Accord signatory companies, as well as
United Nations personnel, and external thought leaders in this space.
But who exactly will
the judges be?
The judges will be announced in the coming
months.
What are the judging
criteria?
Teams will be judged on 3 criteria:
- Innovative use of technology
- Design and user experience
- Impact on real world problems
Judges will weigh the criteria equally.
When will I hear about
the results?
Teams with the best entries will be notified around
1st August 2020 and invited to present to a panel of judges during
the United Nations High Level week (September 2020 in New York).
What will the finalist
have to do?
The finalists will be asked to deliver a short
pitch – 15 minutes – giving an overview of the work they have done, the
evolution of thinking in the development of the submission, and its potential
impact on the work of the United Nations in this space.
When will the final
results be announced?
The final results will be announced during an
event in September 2020.
Clarifications
Participants may request any clarification on
the competition up to 5 working days before the deadline of the submission by
sending an email to apps4digitalpeace@cybertechaccord.org.
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