A/68/156/Add.1 Accordingly, taking all appropriate infrastructural, legal and technical measures at the national level to strengthen the security of information and telecommunications technologies and means and to prevent their use for illegal purposes is essential. Nevertheless, owing to the complex nature and unique features of information and telecommunications technologies and means, including borderless space, dynamism, anonymity, speed and rapid technological advances, as well as the increasing interconnection between the underlying networks of information and telecommunications, it seems that ensuring the security of information and telecommunications merely through the adoption of national measures is impossible. For that reason, and taking into account the growing cases of use of such technologies and means in many countries for illegal purposes, all States should both act nationally and cooperate internationally. While noting the ongoing efforts within the United Nations and other international organizations on the issues related to information and telecommunications, the Islamic Republic of Iran is of the view that the most appropriate international mechanism for consideration of the developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security is to launch a process within the United Nations with the equal participation of all States. Iran firmly believes that the main purpose of that process should be to develop a common understanding between States about the importance of enhancing security of information and telecommunications, the nature, scope and severity of threats to information and telecommunications technologies and means, and finding the ways and means to prevent those threats. Such a process can lead to the adoption of a programme of action that will set the necessary measures by Member States and be conducted in the format of international conferences every five years to produce political outcomes ranging from declarations to codes of conduct. Nevertheless, the ultimate goal of that process should be the progressive development of solid international legal foundations for strengthening and ensuring the security of global information and telecommunications and preventing the use of information and telecommunications technologies and means for illegal purposes. In the view of the Islamic Republic of Iran, consideration of the issues related to the developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security should be carried out on the basis of the following principles and elements: (a) As a general principle, international law is applicable and therefore should be applied to the use of information and telecommunications technologies and means by States. For that reason, in their use of these technologies and means, States must observe the purposes and principles of the United Nations and their obligations under its Charter, in particular Article 2, paragraph 3, to settle international disputes by peaceful means, the prohibition in Article 2, paragraph 4, on the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations, as well as the prohibition set out in Article 2, paragraph 7, on intervention and interference in the internal affairs of States; (b) Nothing shall affect the sovereign right of States in the field of information and telecommunications, including the development, acquisition, use, import and export of, and access to, information and telecommunications know-how, technologies and means as well as all related services, without restriction or discrimination. Accordingly, States should seriously refrain from adopting any 12/24 13-47545