CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems – General statement

Ministry Statements & Speeches:

Jikita de Schot, Senior Policy Officer, International Security and Disarmament Division, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Thank you Chair.

I would first like to acknowledge your efforts, Chair, during our first session and the intersessional period. We look forward to working through your rolling text together, with the aim of fulfilling our mandate.

On this note, we emphasise the urgency of our work on autonomous weapon systems. This Group’s mandate is to “complete its work as soon as possible, preferably before the end of 2025”. We encourage all delegations to make the most of the opportunity presented to us by the Chair to systematise our work and make concrete progress towards elements of an instrument. 

In advance of this meeting’s discussions, we reiterate New Zealand’s ambition for a new, specific prohibition on autonomous weapon systems  that cannot operate in compliance with IHL, including those with effects that cannot be anticipated or controlled. And for those that can comply, we seek appropriate regulation.

We also congratulate Austria for bringing together a broad range of states and interested parties to discuss the implications and challenges raised by autonomous weapon systems in April 2024. New Zealand endorsed the Chair’s Summary from the Vienna Conference on Autonomous Weapons Systems. And I take the opportunity to welcome Singapore as a High Contracting Party.

Finally, we draw attention to the UN Secretary General’s report on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems. New Zealand co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution that called for this report. Accordingly, we welcome the high number of submissions underpinning the report, which, taken cumulatively, draw attention to a broad range of humanitarian, legal, security, technological, and ethical issues relevant to autonomous weapon systems.

I thank you.

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