Fiji

Fiji is not a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Fiji is a member of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), which supports the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapon systems.^[1]Statement by Delegation of the Republic of Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, 77th United Nations General Assembly, 20 October 2022, … Continue reading Fiji has not spoken independently on the need for a legally binding instrument.

In December 2025, Fiji 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, Fiji abstained from voting on 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.’

Fiji made a submission to the UN Secretary-General pursuant to Resolution 78/241 on autonomous weapons systems in May 2024.

At the 77^th session of the UN General Assembly First Committee, in a joint statement with 69 other states, Fiji said that it sees ‘an urgent need for the international community to further their understanding and address these risks and challenges by adopting appropriate rules and measures, such as principles, good practices, limitations and constraints.’ ^[2]Joint Statement on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee, 21 October 2022, … Continue reading