Read the proactively released Cabinet paper on New Zealand's Policy Position on Autonomous Weapons Systems. [PDF, 9.4 MB].
International engagement on autonomous weapon systems
New Zealand is committed to working towards effective, multilaterally agreed rules and limits on autonomous weapon systems (AWS). We continue to seek binding international prohibitions and regulation of AWS.
New Zealand engages actively in the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, a forum that brings together States Parties to the CCW, observers, and civil society. Established in 2016, the Group meets twice per year in Geneva to build consensus on autonomous weapon systems, including the legal and humanitarian questions they raise.
In 2023, New Zealand co-sponsored a United Nations General Assembly Resolution on AWS, calling for a UN Secretary General’s report on the challenges and concerns raised by these systems. New Zealand’s submission to the report can be read below.
In early 2024, New Zealand endorsed the US-led Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy(external link). Voluntary initiatives like this are useful to share best practices and build norms. New Zealand views them as interim measures on the path towards specific legally binding rules and limits on AWS.
Domestic engagement on autonomous weapon systems
In 2021, MFAT commissioned a public survey on New Zealanders’ perceptions of AWS, to inform our national policy position. Read the results below.
In 2022, MFAT established an Autonomous Weapon Systems Working Group, comprised of officials from a range of agencies and non-government experts. Meetings of the Group are currently paused.