IGF 2023 Open Forum #16 Promoting the Digital Emblem

Time
Tuesday, 10th October, 2023 (02:00 UTC) - Tuesday, 10th October, 2023 (03:30 UTC)
Room
WS 8 – Room C-1
Issue(s)

Cyberattacks, Cyberconflicts and International Security

Panel - 90 Min

Description

As armed conflicts digitalize, hospitals are increasingly targeted by cyber operations that threaten their data, communications, software, and hardware, all of which are critical for hospitals to operate. The session will delve into the project of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the development of a ‘Digital Emblem’ to mark medical facilities and certain humanitarian organizations that are specifically protected under international humanitarian law in cyberspace, just as the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal emblems do in the physical world. The session will discuss the need to extend IHL protections in cyberspace to avoid inadvertent attacks on the systems used by protected entities in cyberspace during armed conflicts and how a ‘digital emblem’ could be viable solution. The technical streams being developed for the digital emblem also will be able to be used to expand these capabilities. Based on these developments, it will be possible to divide, segregate, and mark what are military assets within civilian infrastructures, so as to distinguish them and prevent civilian infrastructures from being attacked (with cyber or physical capabilities) during armed conflict or peacetime. It will feature representatives from ICRC, Johns Hopkins APL, ETH Zurich, CyberPeace Institute, Microsoft and the JPCERT to discuss the practical implementation of this proposal.

ICRC, being an organization operating in more than 100 countries, has a long culture of online work, exchange and participation. It will therefore be the organizers' concern to respect this culture during the IGF as well. The listed organizations have confirmed their attendance and some people have already confirmed their availability (such as Koichiro Komiyama of JPCERT). It is possible that the names of the experts may change slightly, also trying to have a greater gender balance.

Organizers

ICRC
Felix Linker, Researcher, ETH Zurich (online) Dr. Antonio DeSimone, Chief Scientist, Johns Hopkins APL, (onsite) Francesca Bosco, Senior Advisor, CyberPeace Institute (onsite) Koichiro Komiyama, Director of the Global Coordination Division, JPCERT / APCERT Michael Karimian, Director Digital Diplomacy, Asia and the Pacific, Microsoft Mauro Vignati, Advisor Digital Technologies of Warfare, ICRC

Speakers

Felix Linker, Researcher, ETH Zurich (online) Dr. Antonio DeSimone, Chief Scientist, Johns Hopkins APL, (onsite) Francesca Bosco, Senior Advisor, CyberPeace Institute (onsite) Koichiro Komiyama, Director of the Global Coordination Division, JPCERT / APCERT Michael Karimian, Director Digital Diplomacy, Asia and the Pacific, Microsoft Mauro Vignati, Advisor Digital Technologies of Warfare, ICRC

Onsite Moderator

Michael Karimian, Director Digital Diplomacy, Asia and the Pacific, Microsoft

Online Moderator

Felix Linker, Researcher, ETH Zurich (online)

Rapporteur

Mauro Vignati, Advisor Digital Technologies of Warfare, ICRC

SDGs

16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals

Targets: The SDGs share many of ICRC interests. They show States committing to clear and measurable progress in areas which are fundamental to the ICRC's mission to prevent, assist and protect, and to the requirements of International Humanitarian Law. Every day around the world, ICRC works tirelessly in the same direction as the SDGs. In particular for the proposal: - We, ICRC, are deeply engaged in reducing violence, protecting people from violence and ensuring norms to prevent and regulate violence, especially IHL and IHRL. This is essential for people we work for who are affected by armed conflict, violence, displacement, migration and detention. - SDG 16 - We, ICRC, do all of this in partnerships of various kinds with local authorities, armed forces and police, communities, civil society, business and our own Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. We also work across the lines of conflict and with authorities beyond State structures to ensure people's protection and assistance - SDG 17 Generally speaking, ICRC works tirelessly in the same direction as the other SDGs: - We reduce poverty and hunger by providing assistance to those caught up in armed conflict or other situations of violence - SDG 1 and 2 - We increase people's safe access to health care, education, water and sanitation, employment and resilient infrastructure and services - SDGs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 - We are concerned about inequality, especially inequality created by conflict and violence - SDG 5 and 10 - We work with people to manage the shocks of climate risk in many parts of the world where conflict and climate create a dangerous double vulnerability for millions - SDG 13 - We also strive to improve our own ecological footprint in and between the 100 countries in which we work around the world - SDG 12