Algeria

Algeria is a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) and supports the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems. Algeria is a member of the African Group and Arab Group within the United Nations, and is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The African Group, the Arab Group and the NAM support the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems.

During the March 2026 session of the CCW Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems, Algeria stated it considers ‘the ‘rolling text’ a solid basis for the GGE’s deliberations including the future possibility of developing a legally binding instrument to regulate LAWS.’ ^[1]Statement by Algeria, CCW GGE on LAWS, 2 March 2026, … Continue reading Also at the March 2026 session GGE on LAWS, a joint statement was delivered on behalf of African States that are High Contracting Parties to CCW, including Algeria, stating that ‘the African Group is ready and committed to completing [the GGE] mandate’s work and supports moving forward toward negotiations on the basis of the rolling text.’^[2]Statement by Sierra Leone on behalf of African States that are High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, CCW GGE on LAWS, 4 March 2026, … Continue reading

In December 2025, Algeria voted in favour of UN General Assembly Resolution 80/57 on lethal autonomous weapons systems. Mindful of the challenges and concerns autonomous weapons systems raise from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives, Resolution 80/57 stresses the urgent need for the CCW to address the challenges and concerns posed by autonomous weapons systems, and calls upon the High Contracting Parties of the CCW to ‘work towards completing the set of elements for an instrument being developed within the mandate of the Group of Governmental Experts, with a view to future negotiation.’

At the 79th UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2024, Algeria voted in favour of Resolution L.77 on lethal autonomous weapons systems. Resolution L.77 raises concerns about the ‘negative consequences and impact of autonomous weapon systems on global security and regional and international stability’ and stresses ‘the importance of the role of humans in the use of force to ensure responsibility and accountability and for States to comply with international law.’ It also notes ‘the repeated calls by the Secretary-General to urgently conclude negotiations of a legally binding instrument with prohibitions and regulations for autonomous weapons systems, in line with a two-tier approach.’ The Resolution will convene open informal consultations in 2025 over two days in New York, ‘to consider the report of the Secretary-General in full complementarity with and in a manner that supports the fulfilment of the mandate of the Group of Governmental Experts in order to further the international community’s understanding of the issues involved by discussing the full range of views received, including proposals and relevant aspects raised in the report that may thus far not have been discussed in detail in the Group of Governmental Experts.’

At the November 2023 CCW Meeting of High Contracting Parties, the African Group, of which Algeria is a member, reiterated that ‘lethal autonomous weapons systems ‘raise ethical, legal, moral and technical questions, as well as international peace and security-related questions which should be thoroughly deliberated and examined in the context of conformity to international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.’ The African Group further stated that autonomous weapons ‘must remain under the direct, meaningful control and supervision of humans at all times. These key principles must, therefore form the essential elements of any normative and operational framework to address ethical considerations as well as moral responsibility and accountability of these weapons systems.’ The African Group also noted its support for a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons.^[3]Statement delivered by Nigeria on behalf of the African Group, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Meeting of High Contracting Parties, November 2023, … Continue reading

In December 2023, Algeria voted in support of UN General Assembly Resolution 78/241 on lethal autonomous weapons systems. Resolution 78/241 stressed the ‘urgent need for the international community to address the challenges and concerns raised by autonomous weapons systems’, and mandated the UN Secretary-General to prepare a report, reflecting the views of member and observer states on autonomous weapons systems and ways to address the related challenges and concerns they raise from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives and on the role of humans in the use of force.

At the 2023 meetings of the CCW GGE on LAWS, Algeria underscored the need for ‘new legally binding provisions to meet the humanitarian, ethical and international security challenges’ posed by autonomous weapons, and said that a legally binding instrument ‘seems to be the only way to crystallise the expectations, common understandings and commitments’ that have arisen through the work of the GGE.^[4]Statement by Algeria, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, 6 March 2023,  … Continue reading

At the 77th UN General Assembly First Committee meeting in October 2022, Algeria stated that ‘the rapid technological development and possible use of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) in armed conflict is deeply alarming. Algeria supports the work of the GGE LAWS and looks forward to strengthening its mandate, in the context of the objectives and purposes of the CCW, to pursue a legally-binding instrument on LAWS for addressing the humanitarian and international security challenges posed by the emerging technologies in the area of LAWS.'^[5]Statement by Algeria, 77th UN General Assembly First Committee meeting, 21 October 2022, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com22/statements/21Oct_Algeria.pdf

At the third session of the 2021 CCW GGE on LAWS, Algeria said that ‘the aim of negotiations is to adopt a legally binding instrument’.^[6]Statement by Algeria, CCW Group of Government Experts on LAWS, 03 December 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/LAWS3-02-12-2021-AM_mp3_en.html; please note that this link leads to the full … Continue reading Algeria further stated that ‘autonomous weapons must remain under the control, direct control of humans in line with international law, including international humanitarian law as well international human rights law. In addition, human control of weapons systems must be permanent during the entire life cycle. We need to identify the criteria which will allow us to improve the quality of the interaction between humans and machine and set down the basic ground rules which have to be part of a international legal binding instrument’.^[7]Statement by Algeria, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, 6 December 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/LAWS3-06-12-2021-AM_mp3_en.html; please note that this link leads to the full … Continue reading

During the 76th session of the UN General Assembly First Committee, Algeria stated ‘As far as the rapid technological development and possible use of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) in armed conflict is deeply alarming… and stresses the urgent need to pursue a legally-binding instrument on LAWS for addressing the humanitarian and international security challenges posed by the emerging technologies in the area of LAWS’.^[8]Statement by Algeria,  UN General Assembly First Committee, 12 October 2021, https://documents.unoda.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ga-76-fc-td-algeria-fr.pdf

Algeria participated in the first debate on autonomous weapons systems at the UN Human Rights Council in May 2013 and has participated in all Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) meetings on autonomous weapon systems.^[9]Statement by Algeria, UN Human Rights Council, 30 May 2013, http://stopkillerrobots.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/03/KRC_ReportHeynsUN_Jul2013.pdf