France welcomes agreement by 128 countries on draft report concerning autonomous weapon systems

Paris, September 10 (KUNA) -- France welcomed on Thursday the agreement on the draft final report of the Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapon systems within the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). In a statement, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “after three years of discussions, the 128 states parties to the CCW agreed on the draft final report of the Group of Governmental Experts dedicated to lethal autonomous weapon systems.” The statement added that this agreement represents “a concrete step forward toward oversight of lethal autonomous weapon systems,” noting that it demonstrates that, despite current international tensions, multilateral dialogue can still facilitate the achievement of common positions on arms control, and that France contributed fully to this outcome. It clarified that the adopted report lays the foundations for a future international framework, particularly by enabling a better definition of the systems in question, identifying common principles, establishing clear prohibitions on certain systems, and introducing measures for oversight, risk reduction, and accountability. The statement further specified that the text defines the concepts of “human control” and “human judgment,” and reaffirmed, in line with France’s consistent position, that humans “exercise control” over weapon systems that incorporate autonomous functions. It stressed that technological progress must not lead to the full delegation of the most critical decisions to machines, particularly decisions concerning the use of force. It noted that the next review conference of the CCW, scheduled to be held in Geneva in November, will need to determine the next steps to be taken regarding this report. France expressed hope that the conference would be able to adopt a new negotiating mandate for the Group of Governmental Experts based on all the elements agreed upon last week. The statement explained that the objective is to initiate discussions on the creation of a future international instrument that would completely prohibit autonomous weapon systems and regulate systems that incorporate autonomous functions. Concluding the statement, it said that in light of the rapid development of autonomy in weapon systems and the “serious” questions it raises, particularly regarding compliance with international humanitarian law, France reaffirmed its willingness to work constructively to reach a consensus-based mandate and to advance the international community toward common, responsible, and balanced rules for regulating lethal autonomous weapon systems. (End) M.B./F.A.S.