IGF 2024 Open Forum #73 The Need for Regulating Autonomous Weapon Systems

Autonomous weapon systems (AWS) are understood as weapons systems that - once activated - select and apply force to a target without further human intervention. They raise fundamental legal, ethical and security concerns relating to the nature of human control, accountability and compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. These systems raise ethical concerns regarding the dignity of the person and face moral demands from the principles of humanity and requirements of the public conscience. AWS also present global risks to peace and security. In order to ensure that we can leverage the positive contribution of emerging technologies to sustainable development while preventing harms and mitigating its risks, international regulation of AWS through a legally binding treaty is necessary. Consequently, it is important to address this question as a contribution to the achievement of SDG 16, focussing on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. For decades, states have grappled with the issue within the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) in the framework of the CCW’s Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems. These discussion have, however, yielded no results. Among other things, conceptual, technological and operational uncertainties around AWS, as well as increasing geopolitical tensions, have proved to be veritable stumble blocks to reaching a consensus on the way forward. Some parts of the discussion — notably questions about definitions and characteristics of AWS — go round in circles. Moreover, States continue to disagree about the desirable outcome of the process. In view of the futile attempts to come to a consensus on regulation AWS, the process launched in the United Nations General Assembly by its Resolution 78/241 on “Lethal autonomous weapons systems” adopted on 22 December 2023 is of paramount importance. The event aims to broaden the discourse and galvanise global multi-stakeholder perspectives and partnerships on this issue taking into account the perspective of the Agenda 2030 and its SDGs in order to advance the current discussions on the legal regulation of AWS, also in the context of the Summit for the Future. Furthermore, the event will be informed by the debate of the 79th UN General Assembly on the first ever UN General Assembly resolution on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (Res 78/241), the work in the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons on the issue as well as the results of the Vienna Conference “Humanity at the crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Challenge of Regulation” (www.aws2024.at) and of several regional conferences on the issue.

The session will consist of presentations from the panelists and a Question and Answer session. The objective is to raise awareness about the issue of AWS and connect communites dealing with tech/digital governance and with IHL/disarmament issues. We will strive to provide for a possiblity to link up/connect participants irrespective of whether they participate online or offline.