Laetitia Cesari

What brought you to a career in technology at the United Nations?

I am very interested in international security matters and realised how interconnected people are and how important access to cyberspace is for Humanity, for education, health, right to information, links between families and the provision of governmental services, especially for remote populations. Therefore, it is critical to ensure the cyber security of infrastructure. Satellite applications have an increasing importance for our modern societies but are vulnerable to cyber hostile operations. I am fascinated by learning more about the nexus between outer space and cyber. Therefore, in parallel with my position at UNIDIR, I am also pursuing a PhD in Space and cyber law.

What has been your favorite technology project or initiative at the United Nations and why? What was your contribution?

UNIDIR builds a cyberpolicy portal that maps the national, regional and international legal and policy frameworks applying to Cybersecurity. It is an accessible and useful tools to which I've been contributing a bit. Furthermore, in the context of the Open ended working group of the conference on disarmament, I am conducting research and participating in panel discussions on the threats posed by non kinetic interference and hostile activities, including cyber ones.

What advice would you give women interested in pursuing a field in technology?

I would tell them to read as much as possible about the topic and get into coding. Some coding languages are not so complex and it can give them an opportunity to understand systems of information and cyberspace. Also, I am engaged in the Space4Women Mentorship Programme of UNOOSA and discovered in this context how important mentorship is. It is beneficial to have somebody with whom you share interests and can discuss with.