A/70/172 against highly visible targets, such as media outlets. Attacks against critical infrastructures, in particular, could have severe consequences. An all-out “cyberwar” seems unlikely at present. However, the limited use of cybercapabilities as part of a larger war-fighting effort, including in the context of hybrid conflicts, has become a reality. In addition, incidents in cyberspace may escalate into real-world conflict. Germany advocates a three-pronged approach to manoeuvre in that environment: agreeing rules of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace, engaging in confidence-building and increasing cyberresilience. The United Nations is the crucial forum for establishing the rules of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace. An important starting point is the consensus of the Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security of 2012-2013 that international law, particularly the Charter of the United Nations, is applicable in cyberspace. The Group of Governmental Experts of 2014 -2015, in which Germany has once again been actively engaged, has built on this. A shared understanding of the rules, norms and principles of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace could enhance international transparency and predictability, thereby contributing to peace and stability. It would be useful, for example, to have a better common understanding of how the law on armed conflict applies to the use of those military cybercapabilities that more and more States are developing. Concerning confidence-building, Germany attaches the utmost importance to regional organizations. In 2013, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe agreed on an initial set of cyberconfidence-building measures. Implementation is proceeding well and negotiations are under way for a second set, which would address trust-building and cooperation. As part of its upcoming chairmanship of the organization, Germany plans to prioritize cybersecurity. Germany is working on an information technology security act to increase cyberresilience at the national level. The draft text of that act defines minimum requirements for the information technology security of critical infrastructures. It establishes an obligation to report significant incidents with a view to improving the overall security of systems and public protection in general. Germany also offers support to other States in increasing their capacity to manage cybersecurity risks. The full text of the submission by Germany www.un.org/disarmament/topics/informationsecurity/. can be found at Netherlands [Original: English] [29 May 2015] The international community has a shared interest and responsibility to ensure that cyberspace remains open, free and secure. In the view of the Netherlands, security would be served by the broad acceptance of and adherence to a set of norms of responsible behaviour of States. Much work has been done already by the Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security. However, the 15-12333 7/14