Pakistan

Pakistan has participated in all Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) meetings on autonomous weapons systems. Pakistan has stated that given the various dimensions of autonomous weapons systems, including their ‘potentially devastating and destabilising effects, and the absence of global norms, rules and regulations to limit, regulate or prohibit their development and use’, such systems ‘need to be addressed in a holistic manner.’^[1]Statement by Pakistan, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, 24 September 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/LAWS-24-09-2021-PM_mp3_en.html; please note that this link leads to the full … Continue reading Pakistan has also consistently expressed its concern regarding the potential impact of autonomous weapons systems on ‘regional and international peace, security and stability’^[2]Statement by Pakistan, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, 27 September 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/LAWS-27-09-2021-AM_mp3_en.html; please note that this link leads to the full … Continue reading, and noted at the 2021 UN General Assembly First Committee that ‘the development and potential deployment of autonomous weapons carries serious implications for international humanitarian law’.^[3]Statement by Pakistan, UN General Assembly First Committee, 12 October 2021, https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1d/k1d8072kfx; please note that this link leads to the full recording of the relevant … Continue reading

Pakistan supports the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems. In a lengthy statement on autonomous weapons at the 77th UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2022, Pakistan said that ‘The development of lethal autonomous weapon systems has emerged as perhaps the defining concern on the international arms control agenda along with weapons of mass destruction’, and expressed its dismay that ‘a handful of states continue to stall meaningful progress on the normative track and overtly oppose the development of internationally agreed legal norms, rules or regulations to govern the design, development and use of these weapon systems.’ Pakistan also reiterated its ‘call on such states to lift their opposition to the urgent commencement of negotiations on a legally binding instrument stipulating appropriate prohibitions and restrictions on LAWS.'^[4]Statement by Pakistan, 77th UN General Assembly First Committee, 24 October 2022, https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1s/k1s8hkl4pp; please note that this link leads to the full recording of the relevant … Continue reading At the same meeting, Pakistan also said that ‘We are deeply concerned by attempts to impede progress on development of an international legal framework on lethal autonomous weapons systems. We call for immediate commencement of negotiations to regulate their production, deployment, and use.'^[5]Statement by Pakistan, 77th UN General Assembly First Committee, 20 October 2022, https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1o/k1o8qmabgj; please note that this link leads to the full recording of the relevant … Continue reading

At the Sixth Review Conference of the CCW in December 2021, Pakistan stated that the ‘unique nature and characteristics’ of autonomous weapons systems ‘warrants further development of corresponding, legally binding international rules,’ and that Pakistan favours continuation of the work of CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWS) ‘with a mandate to negotiate a legally binding protocol, governing prohibitions, restrictions, as well as regulations of these weapon systems.’^[6]Statement by Pakistan, 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 … Continue reading In September 2021, Pakistan stated that the ‘destination’ of the work of the GGE on LAWS ‘should remain creating international rules which plug the gaps in regulations surrounding such weapons.’^[7]Statement by Pakistan, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, 01 October 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/LAWS-01-10-2021-PM_mp3_en.html; please note that this link leads to the full … Continue reading Pakistan was the first state to call for a ban on the use of autonomous weapons systems, at a 2013 UN Human Rights Council meeting.^[8]See: Human Rights Watch (2020), Stopping Killer Robots: Country positions on banning fully autonomous weapons and retaining human control, … Continue reading