Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems concludes first meeting

The Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) – established by the Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) with the mandate to examine emerging technologies in the area of LAWS – met in Geneva, on 13–17 November. The GGE discussed technology, military, legal, and ethical issues surrounding LAWS, and adopted a report outlining several conclusions and recommendations. Among these: international humanitarian law applies fully to all weapons systems, including the potential development and use of LAWS; responsibility for the deployment of any new weapon systems in armed conflicts remains with states; given the dual nature of technologies in the area of intelligent autonomous systems, the Group’s work should not hamper progress in or access to civilian research and development and use of these technologies; there is a need to future assess the aspects of human-machine interaction in the development, deployment, and use of emerging technologies in the area of LAWS; there should also be further discussions on possible options for addressing the humanitarian and international security challenges posed by emerging technologies in the area of LAWS. The Group also recommended that it meets for a duration of 10 days in 2018 in Geneva.