Manche Dinge kann man nicht besser und deutlicher formulieren, deshalb an dieser Stelle ein Zitat aus dem Statement des Internationalen Roten Kreuzes anlässlich der 69. Session der „debate on all disarmament and international security agenda items“ des ersten Komitees der UN Generalversammlung.
The potential human cost of cyber warfare is also a matter of concern. Cyber warfare refers to operations against a computer or a computer system through a data stream, when employed as means and methods of warfare. Cyber attacks against transportation systems, electricity networks, dams and chemical or nuclear plants could have devastating consequences. The ICRC welcomes the fact that the 2013 Report of the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security confirmed the applicability of international law in this regard. Indeed, cyber warfare is subject to the limits imposed by international humanitarian law on all new weapons, means and methods of warfare, in particular the prohibition on directing attacks against civilian objects and the prohibition on indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. Even though existing rules apply to cyber warfare, the interconnectedness of military and civilian networks poses a significant practical challenge in terms of protecting civilians from the dangers of cyber warfare. This challenge underscores the importance for States that develop or acquire cyber-warfare capabilities – whether for offensive or defensive purposes – to assess their lawfulness under international humanitarian law.
Bemerkenswert an diesem Statement ist vor allem, dass – unabhängig aller aktuellen Debatten über Cyberwaffen, die Tragweite von Attacken im Cyberspace und der Gefährung kritischer Infrastrukturen – das ICRC über diese Diskussionen hinweg die militärische Aufrüstung im Cyberspace als Bedrohung für Menschen, des etablierten Völkerrechts und die internationale Sicherheit betrachtet. Hier das Originaldokument und eine lokale Kopie.