UN, Red Cross call for international treaty for safety against 'killer robots'

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, echoed a similar sentiment in the need for governments worldwide to immediately take action and "act now" to ensure human control over the use of lethal autonomous weapons and safety against 'killer robots', as they are popularly known.

In a joint appeal, they implored the 193 member states of the UN to take resolute steps and engage in negotiations for a new international treaty, with the goal of implementing a ban on and regulation of autonomous weapons systems by 2026, a statement by the rights group pointed out.

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Guterres initially proposed this ambitious timeline in his "New Agenda for Peace" briefing paper, published in July.

"Such a treaty should prohibit autonomous weapons systems that function in such a way that their effects cannot be predicted. Clear restrictions are also needed for all other types of autonomous weapons to ensure compliance with international law and ethical acceptability," it added.

The high-level proposal, along with its proposed timeline for negotiation and implementation, is a step toward crafting a treaty in the future.But there has been disappointment in what has been achieved so far. Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, a coalition of non-governmental organisations, is seeking to ban these 'killer robots'.

"Machines should not be allowed to make life and death decisions. There have been 10 years of international discussions on killer robots without concrete outcomes. This October, that could all change. At the United Nations General Assembly, there will be a vote on a resolution – a first step towards new international law," the coalition said.

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UN General Assembly resolution

A proposed resolution within the UN General Assembly, slated for a vote at the end of October, is presenting as a crucial step towards the realisation of an international treaty.

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This resolution, introduced by Austria and co-sponsored by a minimum of 10 other countries, is seeking to facilitate the sharing of viewpoints among all nations concerning autonomous weapons. It also invites responses to the associated risks of these autonomous weapons.

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