In Geneva, 128 states agree on a document on autonomous weapons
In Geneva, Switzerland, 128 states parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons agreed on a non-binding document that could pave the way for international rules on autonomous weapons systems. Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
Document after years of negotiations
The agreement was reached after more than a decade of discussions on regulating systems capable of detecting and engaging targets with varying degrees of autonomy. Such systems are sometimes called “killer robots.”
Representatives of the states parties to the convention held negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, throughout the week and reached a consensus overnight. The agreed text is not legally binding, but it could pave the way for negotiations on a formal international treaty.
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Criticism of the text and the positions of the United States and Russia
Nicole van Rooijen, executive director of the Stop Killer Robots coalition, told Reuters that the definition of autonomous weapons and measures to reduce their potential harm to civilians had been weakened in the document’s text. According to her, the work developed by states over the past three years was significantly diluted in the final hours of negotiations.
The negotiations continued late into the night because of disagreements over the wording, including due to the positions of the United States and Russia as the aggressor state. The United States and Russia support national guidelines instead of internationally legally binding rules. Washington, in particular, sought the flexibility of a non-binding text on issues of exercising human judgment.
Participants discussed regulation amid concerns over the use of lethal autonomous systems in wars and conflicts, including in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East.
