G7 Rapid Response Mechanism

The following countries and organisations are members and observers (associate members) of the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism: • • • • • • • • • • • • • '''' • '''' ==Mandate==

The RRM was mandated to "strengthen coordination to prevent, thwart and respond to malign and evolving threats to G7 democracies." It "will share information and threat analysis related to various threats to democracy, and is an established mechanism to identify opportunities for coordinated response." According to the Institute for Research on Public Policy's Policy Options magazine, the "RRM initiative seeks to strengthen the leading democracies' coordination to identify and respond to diverse and evolving threats…including through sharing information and analysis, and identifying opportunities for a coordinated response." ==Administration==

The RRM initiative is led by Canada through Global Affairs Canada's Centre for International Digital Policy. Zimmer described the initiative's three pillars. • "enhancing citizen preparedness" through the "digital citizen initiative" • "improving organizational readiness" with national security and intelligence agencies supporting Elections Canada • "ensure a comprehensive understanding of and response to any threats to Canada's democratic process." by establishing the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force (SITE) which works as a team with the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as Global Affairs Canada Zimmer said that as part of the third pillar, "We have activated the G7 rapid response mechanism, announced at the G7 leaders' summit in Charlevoix, to strengthen coordination among our G7 allies and to ensure that there is international collaboration and coordination in responding to foreign threats to democracy." == Background ==

Charlevoix summit The G7 met from June 8 to 9, 2018 during their summit at the Manoir Richelieu in Charlevoix, in La Malbaie, Quebec. The Charlevoix Summit was the 44th G7 summit. The group issued eight "Commitments" at the summit. They included: • Commitment on Defending Democracy from Foreign Threats • Commitment on Equality and Economic Growth • Commitment to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Abuse and Harassment in Digital Contexts • Declaration on Quality Education for Girls, Adolescent Girls and Women in Developing Countries • Commitment on Innovative Financing for Development. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced five themes for Canada's G7 presidency which began in January 2018. Defending Democracy from Foreign Threats They committed to "cooperate in defending democracies from foreign threats and establish a response mechanism for that purpose". The Charlevoix Commitment states that "foreign actors seek to undermine our democratic societies and institutions, our electoral processes, our sovereignty and our security. These malicious, multi-faceted and ever-evolving tactics constitute a serious strategic threat which we commit to confront together, working together with other governments that share our democratic values." The Charlevoix Summit resolved to "establish a G7 Rapid Response Mechanism to strengthen our coordination to identify and respond to diverse and evolving threats to our democracies, including through sharing information and analysis, and identifying opportunities for coordinated response." == Monitored elections ==

2019 European Parliament election RRM Canada's comprehensive report on the 2019 European Parliament election analyzed open data "related to foreign interference during and leading up to the 2019 European Union Parliamentary Elections, May 23–26, 2019". RRM Canada did not find "significant evidence of state-based foreign interference, or any large-scale, organized and coordinated efforts by non-state actors". No foreign activity was detected, although the data revealed ""suspicious account creation pattern that is indicative of troll or bot activity". They found "automated inauthentic behaviour and trolling activities" but concluded that they were "very likely domestic". The data showed "suspicious account creation pattern that is indicative of troll or bot activity", and "spikes in account creation" which suggested the "presence of accounts developed for a specific purpose." The accounts were very likely domestic and were "mainly supporters of the United Conservative Party (UCP)." A second small community with suspicious account creation patterns were identified as supporters of the national People's Party of Canada. The report concluded that there was "no evidence supporting a broad, coordinated campaign to influence the Alberta election." The report noted that "domestic actors" were "emulating" "tactics used by foreign actors, within the context of provincial elections and that this "behaviour will make it increasingly difficult to distinguish national from foreign interference efforts" in the upcoming 2019 Canadian federal election on October 21, 2019. In January 2019, Policy Options said that, "the nascent Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) initiated in 2018 under Canada's G7 presidency to defend against foreign threats holds promise and could offer a valuable model of cooperation for future efforts to defend democracy and the ideas that underlie it." The RRM initiative seeks to strengthen the leading democracies' “coordination to identify and respond to diverse and evolving threats…including through sharing information and analysis, and identifying opportunities for a coordinated response." == Disruption tactics ==

Divisive narratives RRM Canada identified a shift from information warfare to narrative competition, in which narratives about divisive issues such as "immigration, Muslims in Europe, climate change and liberal vs conservative values" are disseminated and amplified across "national borders and global political contexts to engage pan-European, regional and international communities." ==References==