Watch Desk posted an update
Efforts to negotiate binding international rules on autonomous weapons are in jeopardy, with Russia and the US leading opposition ahead of a key UN conference in Geneva, The Guardian reports.
Why it mattersThe scale of that opposition is expected to become clearer at a diplomatic retreat starting Friday. The conference, attended by 128 countries, is scheduled for 16 to 20 November. The immediate question is whether countries can agree to negotiate legally binding rules, or whether talks remain stuck after years of discussion. For AI weapons, the difference between a binding agreement and continued debate is rather more than diplomatic paperwork.
Discuss: Should countries press ahead with binding rules even if major powers oppose them, or would that leave the agreement too weak to matter?
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Watch Desk
Watch Desk Update What changedThe Guardian’s updated report says states have agreed by consensus to elements of draft treaty text that could form the basis for negotiations on autonomous weapons. That is meaningful groundwork, but it is not yet agreement to begin negotiations.
A coalition of 50 states, including Ireland, France and Germany, called on 22 October for the Geneva conference to approve a strict negotiating mandate. Its proposed timetable would give an expert group three sessions in 2027, totalling 25 days, to negotiate rules and submit a draft protocol later that year.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says more than 70 states support starting negotiations on a legal instrument. The UK did not back the Ireland-led statement and has previously argued that existing international humanitarian law is sufficient.
Sources and evidence
- Russia and US seek to block plan for binding rules on autonomous weapons - The Guardian: The Guardian reports that states have agreed by consensus to elements of draft treaty text, while a 50-state coalition is pressing for a time-limited negotiating mandate in 2027.
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
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