A/66/152 open Internet that promotes innovation, stimulates economic growth and safeguards fundamental freedoms. The Netherlands attaches great importance to involving the private sector and knowledge institutions in this dialogue and is keen to share experience and best practices with others. The intensive international exchange of knowledge and information among all stakeholders and organizations is essential for making cyberspace more secure and reliable. Consistency in the application of existing international legal frameworks is another important issue meriting international attention. United States of America [Original: English] [7 June 2011] I. Introduction Information and communications technologies are crucial to the development of all Member States. Linked together to create a cyberspace, these technologies help to realize the common vision of an information society as envisaged at the World Summit on the Information Society, held in 2003 and 2005. Information and communications technologies contribute to the essential functions of daily life, to commerce and the provision of goods and services, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and to the free flow of information among individuals, organizations and Governments. They are a powerful new tool, allowing e-government, promoting economic development, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance and enabling critical civil, public safety and national security infrastructures. Moreover, the promise that networked communications offer to reduce barriers to international understanding and cooperation cannot be overstated. Even as reliance on information and communications technologies grows, risks associated with this dependency grow as well. A diverse range of events and activities, natural and man-made, threaten the reliable functioning of critical national infrastructures, global networks and the integrity of the information that travels over or is stored within them. Man-made threats are increasing in number, sophistication and gravity. Some are State-based, but many come from non-State actors and involve criminal or terrorist activity. Motivations vary, from the theft of money or information, or the disruption of competitors, to nationalism and the extension of traditional forms of State conflict into cyberspace. These threat actors target individuals, corporations, critical national infrastructures and Governments alike, and their effects carry significant consequences for the welfare and security of individual nations and the globally linked international community as a whole. Whatever national steps Governments may take domestically to protect their information networks, international collaboration on strategies to reduce risks to information and communications technologies is essential to ensure the security of all. Governments must have confidence that the networks that support their national security and economic prosperity are safe and resilient. Achieving a trusted infrastructure for information and communications technologies will ensure that all achieve the potential of the information revolution. 14 11-41691