Cyber remarks with Microsoft’s Naria Santa Lucia

News Article | 7 December 2023

Last week the inaugural edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building took place in Accra, Ghana. We were thrilled to bring together over +700 leaders and experts from all over the world to find common solutions to the challenges our societies face in the ongoing digital transition.

The GC3B’s first theme was: Cyber resilience for development, which illustrated the need to strengthen cyber capacity building efforts worldwide and integrate cyber resilience within the global development agenda. To this end, the highlight of the GC3B was the announcement during the opening ceremony of the “Accra Call for Cyber Resilient Development: An Action Framework“.

The Accra Call provides a blueprint to catalyze global action for cyber resilience for development, stipulating 16 concrete actions that will stimulate global action by inspiring and mobilising all relevant stakeholders to rally behind these issues and pursue actions of the Call within their mandates and processes. Digital technologies and the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and we must all act now to ensure that no country is left behind in their digital evolution. After all, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.  

Microsoft was one of the first organizations to endorse the Accra Call, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring that digital technologies have a positive impact on society. We are honoured by Microsoft’s endorsement and greatly appreciate their support for the Accra Call.

We are delighted to share the cyber remarks by Naria Santa Lucia, who serves as General Manager for Digital Inclusion and Community Engagement at Microsoft Philanthropies. As the digital inclusion lead at Microsoft Philanthropies, Naria oversees Microsoft’s global philanthropic strategy, grant investments and partnerships in digital skills, computer science education, and career pathways. With the goal of increasing digital, computing, and AI skills for traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced communities, Naria works in partnership with non-profit organizations around the world to help millions of people thrive in the digital economy.

Watch the video below to listen to Microsoft’s cyber remarks on why cyber capacity building is critical and why the GC3B is necessary to help catalyze global action for cyber resilient development.