Presentation Schedule
Middle Powers as Cyber Norm Entrepreneurs: Australia’s Role in Shaping the Global Cybersecurity Order (106191)
Session Chair: Mae Chow
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Monday, 20 April 2026 20:40
Session: Session 2
Room: Live-Stream Room 1
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
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The return of great power rivalry has raised questions about global governance and cooperation. In this shifting landscape, understanding the role of middle powers is crucial, as they navigate between competing powers while seeking to sustain a resilient liberal international order. Australia has emerged as one of the most proactive regional players in the Indo-Pacific amid intensifying great power competition and the rising influence of authoritarian states. Similarly, cyberspace reflects the same dynamics. While existing scholarship extensively studies Australia’s alliance management and regional security strategy, limited attention has been paid to its role in shaping global cybersecurity norms. This paper argues that Australia has served as a norm entrepreneur in the cyber domain. It has strategically leveraged its alliance with the US, engagement in multilateral institutions, and partnerships with like-minded countries to promote rules, standards, and norms in cyberspace. Drawing upon Norm Diffusion Theory by Finnemore and Sikkink, the paper explores how Australia engages in norm-shaping efforts in cyber domain, including advancing liberal values, setting standards, and promoting responsible state behavior. The paper employs qualitative analysis of strategic policy documents, official government statements, and multilateral engagement records to assess Australia’s norm-shaping activities. By examining Australia’s diplomatic initiatives and efforts in advancing rules, standards, and principles of responsible cyber conduct, this paper demonstrates how middle powers can exercise normative influence in emerging governance domain of cyberspace. In doing so, the paper contributes to the existing studies on middle power diplomacy, geopolitics, and cybersecurity governance.
Authors:
Eunju Oh, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, South Korea
About the Presenter(s)
Eunju Oh is currently a researcher at Center for Security and Strategy, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Seoul, South Korea.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule
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