The Pall Mall Process Enters a Decisive Phase

France and the UK gather stakeholders in Paris to tackle the misuse of commercial cyber intrusion tools

One year after its launch, the Pall Mall Process convenes once again in Paris to build momentum towards a more responsible governance of commercial cyber intrusion capabilities.

Initiated jointly by France and the United Kingdom in February 2024, the Pall Mall Process emerged from the work of the Paris Call’s Working Group on Cyber Mercenaries and a dedicated session at the 6th edition of the Paris Peace Forum. The goal: to shape global norms and curb the proliferation and misuse of powerful cyber tools sold on the open market.

The upcoming conference, taking place on April 3–4 in Paris, will be a pivotal opportunity to assess progress and define next steps. To mark the occasion, our Head of the Cyber and Emerging Tech Governance Programme, Pablo Rice, contributed to a new commentary published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). This piece reflects on the achievements and remaining challenges of the process, including the need to structure the initiative more clearly, define shared working concepts, and maintain momentum in a complex geopolitical context.

Read the commentary