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In the spring of 2021, the ICRC and Geneva Academy jointly organized a student essay competition on the protection of civilians against the dangers posed by military cyber operations. Students from nearly 30 countries and all continents of the world contributed short essays answering the question: ‘Which measures – technical, policy, legal, or other – should States put in place to avoid or at least reduce the risk of civilian harm from military cyber operations during armed conflicts?’
Today, we are delighted to publish Isabelle Peart’s winning essay. In the words of one of the chairs of the jury, ICRC’s Laurent Gisel, Isabelle’s essay ‘impressed us by the maturity of the presented thoughts as well as by the well-argued suggestions on how to reduce the risk of harm to civilians that is posed by military cyber operations’. The essay adapts the IHL concept of demilitarized zones to the cyber context, and on that basis presents an argument for the establishment of international digital safe havens. |