On 9–10 April 2026, Dustin A. Lewis, Research Director of the Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict, participated in the Regional Consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean on Upholding International Humanitarian Law in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies During Armed Conflicts. The consultation was jointly organized in Mexico City by the Government of Mexico and the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of the ICT workstream of the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law.
The consultation brought together diplomats, legal advisers, technical specialists, humanitarian practitioners, and expert speakers to consider how IHL applies to the use of information and communication technologies in armed conflicts and how States may strengthen implementation in this area.
Lewis delivered presentations in two sessions. In the session titled “Safeguarding Specific Protections in the ICT Environment & Averting Information Spread in Violation of IHL,” he addressed how established protections for medical services, humanitarian activities, objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, and other specially protected persons, objects, and functions apply in increasingly digitalized conflict settings. His remarks emphasized that digitalization does not displace IHL. Rather, it requires careful, good-faith interpretation and application of existing obligations to new modalities of harm, including disruption or degradation of protected functions, risks to data and supporting infrastructure, and cascading effects on civilian systems.
In the session titled “Cross-Cutting Measures to Strengthen Implementation of IHL in Relation to ICT Activities,” Lewis addressed practical measures that States may take to strengthen respect for IHL in relation to ICT activities. He focused on legal reviews of ICT capabilities, integration of IHL into doctrine, procedures, and training, and the provision of legal advice in ICT-enabled operations. He also highlighted the importance of legal–technical integration, iterative and context-sensitive review processes, realistic scenario-based training, and attention to civilian protection.
Across the two sessions, Lewis underscored that while challenges posed by ICTs in armed conflict are real and evolving, a core legal task remains one of faithful interpretation and implementation of existing IHL. Strengthening shared understandings, advancing practical measures, and sustaining dialogue across legal, technical, operational, and policy communities will arguably be essential to upholding the protective purposes of IHL in contemporary and future conflicts.