By-laws of the National Information Space Security Coordination Group

Issued pursuant to
Section 13 of the State Administration Structure Law

I. General Provision

1. The National Information Space Security Coordination Group (hereinafter - the Security Group) is a collegial consultative body which on a day-to-day basis and in crisis and threat situations ensures coordination and exchange of information between the authorities involved in the Security Group on the security risks and challenges identified in the monitoring and analysis of the information space, as well as provides recommendations for risk mitigation and prevention.

II. Functions and Tasks of the Security Group

2. The Security Group has the following functions:

2.1. coordinate and supervise the implementation of the Conceptual Report on Strategic Communication and Security of the Information Space 2023-2027 (hereinafter - the Concept);

2.2. contribute to the detection, mitigation, and prevention of risks and threats to the national information space and public security.

3. The Security Group has the following tasks:

3.1. coordinate the monitoring, analysis, and study of information space security;

3.2. provide a consultative format for the inter-institutional exchange of information between the members of the Security Group on main trends, security risks and threats, and their potential impact on national and public security, and also on other issues related to the implementation of the Concept or the information space security;

3.3. make recommendations for the development of information space security policy, including, for the adaptation of the activities of State administration authorities, cooperation mechanisms, regulatory framework on information space security and other issues;

3.4. plan the organisation of crisis management simulations, as well as the training of State authorities, local governments and their subordinate institutions on the information space security issues;

3.5. provide proposals to the Cabinet;

3.6. provide proposals and strategic support for effective crisis management, including to the Crisis Management Council or the Operational Control Centre of Civil Protection;

3.7. compile and provide information for the preparation of reports on the implementation of the concept.

III. Composition and Organisation of the Work of the Security Group

4. The Security Group shall be chaired by the head of the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery. In the absence of the head of the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery, another duly authorised employee of the State Chancellery may perform the duties of the head of the Security Group.

5. The following authorities are represented in the Security Group with voting rights:

5.1. the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery;

5.2. the Chancery of the President;

5.3. the Ministry of Culture;

5.4. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

5.5. the Ministry of the Interior;

5.6. the Ministry of Defence;

5.7. the Ministry of Justice;

5.8. the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development;

5.9. the Ministry of Finance;

5.10. the Ministry of Transport;

5.11. the Ministry of Education and Science;

5.12. the Ministry of Economics;

5.13. the Office of the Prime Minister;

5.14. the State Security Service;

5.15. the State Police;

5.16. the National Electronic Mass Media Council;

5.17. the Public Electronic Mass Media Council;

5.18. the Information Technology Security Incident Response Institution CERT.lv;

5.19. the Constitution Protection Bureau.

6. Each authority shall be represented in the Security Group by one person with one vote. A meeting of the Security Group shall be held and valid if at least half of the authorities with voting rights represented in the group, excluding the chairperson, are present.

7. The Security Group shall take its decisions by the majority of the persons present with voting rights. In the event of a tied vote, the chairperson of the Security Group shall have the casting vote.

8. Representatives without voting rights from the authorities referred to in Paragraph 5 of this Regulation and other authorities, including the Saeima and individual committees thereof, other ministries, their subordinate institutions, local governments, and also representatives and experts from civil society, academic institutions or the private sector shall be invited to participate in the meetings of the Security Group according to the items on the agenda.

9. The functions of the secretariat of the Security Group shall be performed by the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery. The secretariat shall ensure the holding of the meetings of the Security Group, draw up agendas for the meetings, take down the minutes of the meetings and distribute the materials related to the meetings to the members of the group.

10. The head of the Security Group shall approve the agendas of meeting, convene and chair meetings of the group, sign decisions, minutes and other documents related to the group's activities, and, if necessary, represent the group in local and international cooperation formats without a special authorisation.

11. Meetings of the Security Group shall take place not less than once every two months. The invitation to participate in the meeting and the agenda thereof shall be sent to the invited participants not later than five working days before the meeting. If the matters under consideration are related to significant risks to national and public security, derogations from this time limit may be permitted on specific grounds.

12. A member of the Security Group has the right to propose a matter for inclusion on the agenda of a Security Group meeting by notifying the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery no later than one working day before the meeting. If the matters under consideration are related to significant risks to national and public security, derogations from this time limit may be permitted on specific grounds.

13. A member of the Security Group shall have a special security clearance for work with an official secret. If the matter under consideration requires a special security clearance for work with an official secret and a certificate for access to NATO or European Union classified information, the representatives holding the clearance of the relevant category and certificate shall participate in the examination of the matter at the meeting of the Security Group.

14. Meetings of the Security Group shall be closed and held onsite at the State Chancellery. If a meeting cannot be held onsite at the State Chancellery, the meeting shall be organised at another location or remotely.

Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš

Acting for the Prime Minister - Minister for Foreign Affairs E. Rinkēvičs

Translation © 2023 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)