
“All weapon systems, including autonomous ones, should remain under meaningful human control”. This “meaningful human control” (MHC) formula expresses a point of overwhelming consensus in the AWS debate, and was promptly met with interest by a substantial number of States participating in discussions at CCW meetings. MHC is in fact an easily understandable formula; it is characterized by a dialogue-facilitating constructive ambiguity; it enables one to sidestep recalcitrant definitional problems regarding the distinction between autonomy and automation. However, there are still many substantive issues to address in order to clarify what is normatively demanded to make human control over weapon systems truly “meaningful”. The present ICRAC Report contributes to move forward the AWS debate on MHC (i) by filling the MHC placeholder with more precise contents, and (ii) by identifying on this basis some key aspects of any legal instrument enshrining the MHC requirement (such as, e.g., a Protocol VI to the CCW).