A/68/156/Add.1 As tasked in the Summit Declaration, NATO Defence Ministers adopted a NATO policy on cyber defence and a cyber defence action plan in June 2011. Since then, NATO has been implementing the action plan continuously. The policy focuses on the protection of NATO networks and national networks of member States that are connected to NATO networks or process NATO information for core tasks of NATO (including the development of common principles and criteria to ensure a minimum level of cyber defence in all member States). To reduce the global risks emanating from cyberspace, NATO intends to cooperate with partner nations, relevant international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Union, the private sector and academia. Germany welcomes the commitment of NATO regarding cyber security and actively supports the discussions. Islamic Republic of Iran [Original: English] [7 June 2013] In the view of the Islamic Republic of Iran the use of information and telecommunications technologies and means brings about many opportunities for all States and humanity as a whole. Today information and telecommunications are essential parts of modern societies. They are extremely crucial resources for the wealth and prosperity of nations. Iran believes that every effort should be made, at the national and international levels, to provide the grounds for the broadest possible use of information and telecommunications technologies and means by all nations and to ensure that those technologies and means remain among the main driving forces of development in all societies. Without a doubt, achieving such a noble goal is dependent, to a large extent, on ensuring full respect for the sovereign right of any State in the field of information and telecommunications, including the development, acquisition, use, import and export of, and access to, information and telecommunications technologies and means and related services without any restriction or discrimination. Indeed, ensuring constant availability, reliability, integrity and security of information and building a safe and secure information and telecommunications environment is in the interest of all nations and therefore of utmost necessity. It is an undeniable fact that the adoption of any measure to deny or restrict the transfer of advanced information and telecommunications know-how, technologies and means, as well as the provision of information and telecommunications services, to developing countries would have adverse effects on their overall development and therefore, should be avoided. At the same time, information and telecommunications technologies and means have the potential of being used for illegal purposes, including for adversely affecting the social, cultural, economic, political and security infrastructures and interests of States. On the one hand, ever growing dependence of societies on information availability and telecommunications infrastructure, and on the other hand, the exploitation of information and telecommunications technologies and means for illegal purposes, particularly by criminals and terrorists, including State terrorism, demonstrates the existing vulnerabilities and the extensive effects of any potential threat originating from the information and telecommunications. 13-47545 11/24