Myanmar

Myanmar is not a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). However, it has participated in a number of CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWS) meetings since 2017. Myanmar has described autonomous weapons systems as a security issue that warrants ‘our serious consideration.’^[1]Statement by Myanmar, UN General Assembly First Committee, 10 October 2017, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com17/statements/10Oct_Myanmar.pdf

Myanmar is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, which supports the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems.  At the Sixth Review Conference of the CCW in December 2021, the Non-Aligned Movement stated that ‘there is an urgent need to pursue a legally binding instrument under the Convention that will contain prohibitions and regulations for addressing the humanitarian and international security challenges posed by emerging technologies in the area of LAWS.’^[2]Statement by the Non-Aligned Movement, Sixth review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, 13 December 2021, … Continue reading Myanmar has not spoken independently on the need for a legally binding instrument. At the 2019 United Nations General Assembly First Committee meeting, Myanmar stated that ‘there are growing concerns on new types of weapons such as lethal autonomous weapons systems and their destructive power’, and thanked the members of the GGE on LAWS for their hard work.^[3]Statement by Myanmar, UN General Assembly First Committee, 25 October 2019, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com19/statements/25Oct_Myanmar.pdf