Topic: Future of Cyber Warfare
Country: Afghanistan
Delegate Name: David Fairfield
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Afghanistan position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
Afghanistan has, over the past few years, fallen victim to cyber attacks perpetrated by the governments of various nations and affiliated groups and has seen firsthand the destruction such attacks can effect.
Afghanistan defines cyberwarfare as attempts at sabotage or espionage performed through use of the internet against a nation and it’s people that is committed by the government of another nation, a group affiliated with it, or a hostile organization that is allowed to exist by that government.
Afghanistan believes that cyberwarfare, when engaged in during a time of peace should be considered a criminal act and subject for review in the International Court of Justice. If engaged in during a time of war between the two or more parties involved should be considered military action unless it is deemed unnecessarily violent in which case it should be considered a war crime, as would chemical or biological warfare.
Afghanistan believes the only way to prevent further cyber attacks and the destruction that may come with them would be to set international standards defining cyber warfare and the consequences of unprovoked cyber attacks. Although it would strongly condemn the use of cyberwarfare in most cases, Afghanistan would, to a certain extent not be opposed to the use of cyberwarfare to avoid physical warfare if it did not harm the people of the targeted nation irreparably. However, in order not to be considered criminal acts, such cyber attacks would have to be deemed justified by the international community. Also, Afghanistan would promote that countries internally regulate their industries to assure they have a certain amount of cyber security and are not extremely vulnerable to cyber attack, especially industries such as banks, oil companies, water systems, or energy providers which, if damaged, could greatly affect the security of an entire nation.
Afghanistan’s views on the subject of cyberwarfare are similar to those of most Middle Eastern countries as well as other select nations around the world.
Afghanistan remains fully committed to working to resolve the threat of cyberwarfare and hopes an international consensus can be reached with regards to the topic at hand.
