User:L.novaes/sandbox

The policy debate about encryption has a significant international dimension because of the international nature of the communications networks and the Internet as well as trade, globalization and the national security dimensions. In fact, global trade and networked communications make it so difficult to untangle the international dimensions from the national ones, that encryption policy norms need to be agreed upon internationally to be sustainable for the online environment. Recognizing this, international organizations have contributed to the development of international norms related to encryption, in the field of data protection, economic policy, export controls, Internet governance and more recently on the supporting role of encryption for the protection of human rights. The technical internet community, including the IETF, W3C and the Internet Society has also since long made important contributions to the international developments related to encryption policy, through policy statements and standards.

The OECD Recommendation Concerning Guidelines for Cryptography Policy was adopted on 27 March 1997. The OECD states that reviews conducted since their adoption have concluded that they continue to be adequate to address the issues and purpose for which they were developed. There are three components to this policy intervention of the OECD, which is primarily aimed at its Member Countries: a recommendation of the OECD Council, Guidelines for Cryptography Policy (as an Annex to the Recommendation) and a Report on Background and Issues of Cryptography Policy to explain the context for the Guidelines and the basic issues involved in the cryptography law and policy debate.