Libya

Libya is not currently a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Although Libya has not spoken on the issue of autonomous weapons at the CCW, it has participated in a number of CCW meetings on autonomous weapons systems since 2014. At the October 2019 UN General Assembly First Committee meeting, Libya said that it is ‘concerned about the speed at which autonomous weapons systems are being developed…these weapons are a threat to peace and security’.^[1]Statement by Libya, UN General Assembly First Committee, 14 October 2019, https://media.un.org/en/asset/k13/k13o80t707; please note that this link leads to the full recording of the relevant meeting.

Libya 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. Libya has not spoken independently on the need for a legally binding instrument. At the 2020 UN General Assembly First Committee meeting, the NAM stated that there is an ‘urgent need to pursue a legally binding instrument’ on autonomous weapons systems.’^[2]Statement by Indonesia on behalf of theNon-Aligned Movement, UN General Assembly First Committee, 9 October 2020, … Continue reading