Malaysia

Malaysia is not a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Malaysia supports the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems. Malaysia is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), both of which support the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems.

In December 2025, Malaysia 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.’

During the 80th Session of the UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security in October 2025, ASEAN, of which Malaysia is a member, delivered a joint statement expressing concern ‘about the possible negative consequences and impacts of autonomous weapon systems on global security, as well as regional and international stability, including the risk of an emerging arms race, lowering the threshold for conflict and proliferation, including to non-state actors.’ The statement went on to underscore ‘the importance of continued inclusive dialogue to address these challenges, including the development of a robust, future-proof, and legally-binding instrument to address these challenges.’ ^[1]Statement by ASEAN, delivered by Cambodia, UNGA First Committee, 23 October 2025, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com25/statements/23Oct_ASEAN.pdf

At the 79th UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2024, Malaysia voted in favour of Draft Resolution L.77 on lethal autonomous weapons systems. Draft 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.’

Speaking at the UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2024, Malaysia said that ‘the evolving discourse on lethal autonomous weapons systems has also highlighted the urgency of addressing the legal, ethical, moral, humanitarian and technological issues relating to these systems, and their implications for international peace and security.'^[2]Statement by Malaysia, 79th UNGA First Committee, 24 October 2024

At the ‘Humanity at Crossroads: Autonomous Weapon Systems and the Challenge of Regulation’ conference, hosted by Austria in April 2024, Malaysia said that ‘autonomous weapon systems may significantly reduce human control in military operations and therefore generating adverse impacts and unintended consequences.’ It also urged the international community to ‘maintain focus and sense of urgency on this fundamental issue, including by continuing to explore the possibility of developing an appropriate international legal and normative framework that would regulate the emerging AWS technologies.'^[3]Statement by Malaysia, Humanity at crossroads: autonomous weapon systems and the challenge of regulation, 30 April 2024, https://www.youtube.com/live/A1DyH7N3ppE?si=B_jklUtFMDi26btq (Timestamp … Continue reading

In December 2023, Malaysia 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.