PRESS RELEASE : UK Government strengthens UK-Japan partnership on cyber [January 2024]

Today the two countries have agreed to a Memorandum of Cooperation to deepen public-private partnerships in cyber between the UK and Japan.

The Memorandum was signed during the course of a three-day visit to the UK from Japan’s Keidanren Cyber Security Committee, hosted by the National Cyber Advisory Board (NCAB).

Co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minster, Oliver Dowden, and Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, Sharon Barber, NCAB was formed in 2022 to bring together leaders from academia and industry. The group aims to present alternative viewpoints and harness networks from across the cyber ecosystem, supporting delivery of the National Cyber Strategy.

Signing the Memorandum on behalf of the UK, Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden said,

Cyber is the new frontier. To ensure we remain at the forefront of cyber strategy we must continue to work with democratic partners who share our values”.

Japan is an important friend and ally, sharing our beliefs on areas such as rule of law, climate change and human rights. This latest partnership further strengthens our relationship with Japan following the signing of the Hiroshima Accord and promotes collaboration across the public and private sector, strengthening our economy and demonstrating the UK Government’s commitment to making long-term decisions to secure our future.

The Japanese delegation met with key figures from the public sector alongside industry experts including senior representatives from IBM and Sharon Barber, Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, to discuss securing digital supply chains, engaging businesses on cyber resilience and best practice recruitment to increase cyber skills across both countries.

This builds on the UK and Japan’s work together to strengthen our shared values of democracy, rule of law and free and open trade. In May 2023 the UK and Japan signed the Hiroshima Accord committing to an enhanced Global Strategic Partnership on issues such as global security, resilience and climate change.

Signing on behalf of Japan, Dr. Nobuhiro Endo commented,

Based on this MoC, Keidanren is determined to further deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation between our public and private sectors. From the perspective of co-creating a data-driven society, we hope to continue to discuss safe and secure use of digital technologies including AI.

Co-chair of NCAB, Sharon Barber commented,

Close collaboration between government and industry is at the heart of NCAB. The Memorandum of Cooperation between the UK and Japan is a significant further step on our journey and one which will help both nations further mature their private-public partnerships on cyber, and ultimately support the delivery of each nation’s cyber security strategy.