ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the origins of confidence-building measures (CBMs) in the Cold War context in which they first emerged and consider the security objectives they were meant to achieve. It discusses the application of CBMs to the challenges presented by inter-state cyber operations including the key stages in their diplomatic development, notably by the United Nations (UN) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Although CBMs first emerged in the European context and under the auspices of the CSCE and later the OSCE they were also the subject of scrutiny at the universal level of the UN. The Secretary-General’s forward to the Group of Governmental Experts report indicated that ‘CBMs aim at strengthening international peace and security and at fostering a climate of trust and international cooperation among states in order to facilitate progress in the disarmament field’.
