152 Countries Call for International Treaty to Ban and Regulate Killer Robots
In a significant move, 152 countries have voted in favor of a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly, calling for a new international treaty to ban and regulate autonomous weapons systems, commonly known as killer robots. The resolution highlights the urgent need to address the dangers posed by removing human control from the use of force, emphasizing the need for international action.
Autonomous weapons systems, which select and apply force based on sensor processing rather than human inputs, have been a topic of concern for many years. However, recent technological advancements have accelerated the development of weapons systems that operate without meaningful human control. These machines, rather than human operators, would determine when, where, and against whom force is applied, raising serious ethical, legal, and security concerns.
The resolution calls upon UN Secretary-General António Guterres to seek the views of countries and other stakeholders on the challenges and concerns posed by autonomous weapons systems. Their input will inform a report to be submitted to the General Assembly by September 2024. Additionally, the resolution adds an agenda item on lethal autonomous weapons systems to the UN General Assembly’s provisional agenda for 2024, providing a platform for states to take action.
The countries voting against the resolution include Belarus, India, Mali, and Russia, while 11 countries, including China, Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, abstained from the vote. It is worth noting that several of the abstaining and opposing countries have heavily invested in military applications of artificial intelligence and related technologies.
The call for a ban and regulation of autonomous weapons systems is not new. More than 100 countries have expressed the urgent need for a new treaty with prohibitions and restrictions on these weapons. In February, countries from Latin America and the Caribbean endorsed the Belén Communiqué, supporting the negotiation of an international instrument to address autonomy in weapons systems. In October, UN Secretary-General Guterres and the International Committee of the Red Cross President jointly appealed to member states to negotiate a treaty by 2026 to regulate and ban autonomous weapons systems.
Previous attempts to address the issue under the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) have been hindered by a consensus approach, allowing a single country to block proposals. However, states at the CCW recently agreed to meet and consider formulating elements of an instrument, without mandating negotiations or adoption of a new protocol.
The advocacy group Human Rights Watch, a co-founder of Stop Killer Robots, applauds the General Assembly resolution and urges governments to move swiftly in negotiating a new international treaty. They emphasize the importance of safeguarding humanity by prohibiting and restricting autonomous weapons systems.
The international community must now take decisive action to address the ethical, legal, and security concerns raised by killer robots. The resolution underscores the global consensus that a new treaty is necessary to regulate and ban these weapons, ensuring human control remains a crucial factor in the use of force. The quest for technological advancement must not come at the cost of endangering human lives and global stability.
