Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has participated in Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) meetings on autonomous weapons systems since 2014. Sierra Leone supports the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems. Sierra Leone is a member of the African Group within the United Nations, and is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), both of which support the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems.

At the March 2026 session of the CCW Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems (GGE on LAWS) Sierra Leone stated it ‘welcomes the Chair’s revised rolling text, and appreciates the inclusive approach taken to incorporate constructive contributions from states. As it currently stands, the text contains the structure and substance of a set of elements that we view as a good basis for negotiations on a legally binding instrument to regulate autonomous weapons systems. As we work to complete the GGE mandate this year, we believe states have now advanced their common understandings sufficiently enough. Despite some loss of useful texts from previous texts versions, the rolling text remains a good basis for formulating by consensus, as called for in our mandate, elements that can serve as a foundation for future negotiations on a legally binding instrument.’ ^[1]Statement by Sierra Leone, CCW GGE on LAWS, 2 March 2026, … Continue reading

At the same meeting, Sierra Leone delivered a joint statement on behalf of African States that are High Contracting Parties to CCW, including Sierra Leone, stating that ‘the African Group is ready and committed to completing [the GGE] mandate’s work and supports moving forward toward negotiations on the basis of the rolling text.’^[2]Statement by Sierra Leone on behalf of African States that are High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, CCW GGE on LAWS, 4 March 2026, … Continue reading

In December 2025, Sierra Leone co-sponsored and 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.’

At the CCW GGE on LAWS in September 2025, Sierra Leone joined a group of 42 states delivering a joint statement calling for the group to begin negotiations of an instrument on the basis of its ‘rolling text,’ and stating that they were ready to do this.

At the 79th UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2024, Sierra Leone 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, Sierra Leone reiterated its support for ‘a legally binding instrument to address concerns raised in the deployment of lethal autonomous weapons systems.'^[3]Statement by Sierra Leone, 79th UNGA First Committee, 24 October 2024, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com24/statements/24Oct_SierraLeone.pdf

Sierra Leone is also a member of ECOWAS. On 17-18 April 2024, representatives of ECOWAS Member States gathered for a Regional Conference on the Peace and Security Aspect of Autonomous Weapons Systems in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This conference concluded in the adoption of the Freetown Communiqué, which recognises that existing governance mechanisms including international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international criminal law should be strengthened ‘by establishing new legally binding rules, with prohibitions and regulations that effectively address the threats and challenges posed by autonomous weapons systems.’ ^[4]Communiqué of the Regional Conference on The Peace And Security Aspects of Autonomous Weapons Systems: An ECOWAS Perspective, 18 April 2024, … Continue reading

At the November 2023 CCW Meeting of High Contracting Parties, the African Group, of which Sierra Leone is a member, reiterated that ‘lethal autonomous weapons systems ‘raise ethical, legal, moral and technical questions, as well as international peace and security-related questions which should be thoroughly deliberated and examined in the context of conformity to international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.’ The African Group further stated that autonomous weapons ‘must remain under the direct, meaningful control and supervision of humans at all times. These key principles must, therefore form the essential elements of any normative and operational framework to address ethical considerations as well as moral responsibility and accountability of these weapons systems.’ The African Group also noted its support for a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons.^[5]Statement delivered by Nigeria on behalf of the African Group, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Meeting of High Contracting Parties, November 2023, … Continue reading

At the 78th UN General Assembly First Committee in 2023, Sierra Leone co-sponsored resolution L.56 on autonomous weapons systems, and voted in favour of the resolution along with 163 other states. Resolution L.56 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. In the same meeting, it expressed concern ‘about the possible negative consequences and impact of new technological applications in the military domain, including those related to artificial intelligence and autonomy in weapons systems, on global peace and security.^[6]Statement by Sierra Leone, 09 October, 78th UN General Assembly First Committee, https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com23/statements/9Oct_SierraLeone.pdf

In a joint statement delivered by Sierra Leone on behalf of a group of eleven states at the 2021 CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWS), Sierra Leone called for ‘an all-inclusive approach to adopt a legally binding instrument to ensure the prohibition of autonomous weapons systems with a view to upholding human dignity and avoiding further international instability.'^[7]Statement by Sierra Leone on behalf of Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Peru, Sierra Leone, Palestine and Uruguay, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on … Continue reading

During the third session of the 2021 GGE on LAWS, the African Group said that ‘autonomous weapons systems raise a number of ‘ethical, legal, moral and technical questions’, and that it looks forward to ‘concrete policy recommendations including elements of a legally binding instrument, stipulating prohibitions and regulations’ on autonomous weapons systems.^[8]Statement by the African Group, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, 3 December 2021, http://149.202.215.129:8080/s2t/UNOG/LAWS3-03-12-2021-AM_mp3_en.html; please note that this link leads to … Continue reading