Ambassador Gafoor, excellencies, dear colleagues,
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is grateful for the opportunity to address this sixth session of the Open-Ended Working Group.
We commend States for adopting an annual progress report earlier this year, which recommends States to continue to engage in focused discussions on how international law applies in the use of ICTs. This includes international humanitarian law.
The ICRC shares the concern of States about the continuing increase in incidents involving the malicious use of information and communications technology by State and non-state actors, in particular during armed conflict.
In our view, focused exchanges among States on the limits that IHL imposes on such operations are urgently nee