Vanuatu

Vanuatu is not a state party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).

During the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, Vanuatu stated that the development of autonomous weapons challenge ‘current norms relating to international human rights and humanitarian standards’, the use of which can ‘blur the roles of human choice and accountability.’ Vanuatu called for ‘an international framework to ensure that International Humanitarian and Human Rights Laws are respected.'^[1]Statement by Vanuatu, UN General Assembly First Committee, 10 October 2023, https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com23/statements/10Oct_Vanuatu.pdf

At the 78th UN General Assembly First Committee in 2023, Vanuatu voted in favour of resolution L.56 on autonomous weapons systems, 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.