Finland

Finland has participated in all Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) meetings on autonomous weapons systems.

Finland has not yet declared its position on the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems.

At the 2023 CCW GGE on LAWS, Finland stated that ‘a set of prohibitions and regulations is the best way forward while maintaining the core elements such as full compliance with IHL…humans must make the decisions on the use of force and maintain human involvement throughout the whole life cycle of LAWS and there should be state individual responsibility and accountability.’^[1]Statement by Finland, 2023 CCW GGE on LAWS, 15 May … Continue reading

At the 77th UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2022, Finland stated that ‘We need to be able to respond to the changing security landscape brought by new weapons technologies. We highlight the importance of establishing the necessary normative and operational framework for the use of LAWS anchored to full compliance with IHL.'^[2]Statement by Finland, 77th UN General Assembly First Committee, 19 October 2022, https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1n/k1ndyy6wmw; please note that this link leads to the full recording & transcript … Continue reading

At the Sixth Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in December 2021, Finland said that it ‘promotes a global regulation of lethal autonomous weapons systems’, and said that an ‘international regulatory framework must keep up with our technological development. We need mutually agreed rules.’^[3]Statement by Finland, Sixth Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, 13 December 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/RCHCP6-13-12-2021-AM_mp3_en.html; please note … Continue reading At the 2021 UN General Assembly First Committee meeting, Finland said that its aim is ‘an effective normative framework, adopted by consensus by all parties to the process’, adding that ‘it is an ambitious aim, but one that Finland will fully strive for.’^[4]Statement by Finland, UN General Assembly First Committee, 05 October 2021, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com21/statements/5Oct_Finland.pdf