UN Secretary-General calls for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE LAWS) to advance their work to restrict the development of LAWS. In a statement addressed to the GGE, which met in Geneva on 25–29 March 2019, Guterres noted that ‘machines with the power and discretion to take lives without human involvement are politically unacceptable, morally repugnant and should be prohibited by international law’. Acknowledging that there are different views among member states on the way forward (whether new legislation is required or a set of guidelines is more appropriate), the Secretary-General invited the group ‘to narrow these differences and find the most effective way forward’, also adding: ‘The world is watching, the clock is ticking and others are less sanguine. I hope you prove them wrong.’​