Professor Marco Roscini holds expert meeting on cyber warfare and international humanitarian law in Geneva

The expert consultation was co-organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Professor Roscini in his capacity as Swiss IHL Chair at the Geneva Academy as part of the Joint Initiative on the Digitalisation of Armed Conflict. The initiative aims to explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalisation of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.

The meeting in Geneva aimed to address the growing involvement of civilians in cyber and digital operations during armed conflicts. Over one and a half days, scholars, practitioners, and cyber experts explored aspects including civilian cyber activities, the concept of direct participation in hostilities, limits on civilians’ cyber activities under international humanitarian law, hacker groups in contemporary armed conflicts with discussions on their legal status and related state responsibilities. Additionally, the meeting addressed practical and legal challenges faced by technology companies operating in conflict-affected contexts.

The resulting report from this meeting will be published in 2024 and will be of interest to legal practitioners, scholars, political decision-makers, academics, researchers, lawyers and technology experts.

Speaking about the expert consultation, Professor Roscini said: “The increasing use of cyber and digital technologies during armed conflict exponentially increases the involvement of civilians, both as actors and as victims. The workshop was an important step towards a better understanding of how international humanitarian law can protect them.”

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Find out more about Professor Roscini’s book Cyber Operations and the Use of Force in International Law on Oxford University Press’ website.