Italy

Italy has participated in all Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) meetings on autonomous weapons systems since 2014.

Italy has not yet declared its position on the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems. Italy believes that there is ‘general consensus about the idea that states must establish limits on autonomy in weapons systems to ensure compliance with IHL and other applicable international law, and also to satisfy ethical concerns as well.’^[1]Statement by Italy, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, 22 September 2020, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/CCW-GGE-20200922-PM_mp3.html; please note that this link leads to the full … Continue reading At the Sixth Review Conference of the CCW in December 2021, Italy stated that it hoped that a mandate for the Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS would be agreed which included ‘the development of an instrument related to weapons systems based on emerging technologies in the area of LAWS.’^[2]Statement by Italy, Sixth Review Conference of the CCW, 13 December 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/RCHCP6-13-12-2021-AM_mp3_en.html; please note that this link leads to the full recording … Continue reading In a joint statement to the Sixth Review Conference, Italy stated that ‘we must ensure that the human element in the use of force remains central’.^[3]Statement by Switzerland on behalf of Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, and … Continue reading It has also said that it is ‘necessary for the decisions to use lethal force and to produce lethal effects to remain in the hands of human beings.’^[4]Comments by Italy on the CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS Eleven Guiding Principles, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/ccw/2020/gge/documents/Italy_2020.pdf

At the 77th UN General Assembly First Committee meeting in October 2022, Italy stated that given ‘the importance of applying international humanitarian law to all weapon systems, we believe it is crucial to reach consensus on the possible elements of a normative and operational framework.'^[5]Statement by Italy, 77th UN General Assembly First Committee meeting, 04 October 2022, https://media.un.org/en/asset/k11/k11cb8lhld; please note that this link leads to the full recording & … Continue reading In a subsequent statement at the same forum, Italy said that ‘In our view, it is the human being who must make decisions concerning the use of force, and remain accountable for those decisions.'^[6]Statement by Italy, 77th UN General Assembly First Committee meeting, 20 October 2022, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com22/statements/20Oct_Italy.pdf