AWS: what the law says – and does not say – about the human role in the use of force

ICRC Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog · Nov 11, 2021 · 11m

Intergovernmental discussions on the regulation of emerging technologies in the area of (lethal) autonomous weapon systems (AWS) are back on track in Geneva after more than a year of COVID-19 related disruptions. A critical task facing States is to further clarify how international humanitarian law (IHL) applies: what limits does it place on the development and use of AWS and, perhaps most importantly, what does it require from humans in the use of force? In this post, Laura Bruun from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), reflects on whether IHL provides sufficiently…