About the Event
In today's world of new technologies, international armed conflicts are fought not only on the battlefield, but also in cyberspace. One of the most recent examples is the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when cyber operations became part of the modern means of warfare along with military operations on the battlefield. The ever-increasing number of cyber operations raises the need to consider the challenges facing international humanitarian law in this regard. Not all cyber operations are cyberattacks, but it is important to understand what the threshold is for cyberattacks under IHL and whether they can be considered, for example, war crimes and under what circumstances. Cyber-attacks can cause serious damage to healthcare facilities, critical infrastructure and communication networks, but are civilians and civilian infrastructure protected from such cyber-attacks? What are the risks and obligations of civilian hackers and large technology companies participating in cyber operations during armed conflict? Does the emergence of AI affect the conduct of cyber operations? What are the threats to national security, as well as international security and peace? These and many other questions arise before IHL every year, given the extremely rapid development of new technologies and their active use in international armed conflicts.
The panel discussion will be followed by a light lunch for attendees.
Speakers:
- Kubo Mačák, Professor of International Law at the University of Exeter, Law School
- Francesca Bosco, Chief Strategy Officer at CyberPeace Institute
- Tilman Rodenhäuser, Legal Adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Victor Stoica, Assistant Professor of International Law at the University of Bucharest
Moderator:
Daryna Abbakumova, SNSF Research Fellow at Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, Visiting professor at the International Law Department, Geneva Graduate Institute.
