Zambia

Zambia has participated in a number of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) meetings on autonomous weapons systems since 2015.

Zambia supports the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems. On 11 April 2016, Zambia articulated its position at an informal CCW meeting of experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS). Zambia expressed that ‘the current debate is unable to justify a legal basis under the International Humanitarian Law or indeed the CCW protocols over the humane application of Autonomous Weapons in armed conflict. A prohibition on the use of (LAWS)… and their proliferation by member states, should be on the CCW agenda as a preliminary measure to a conclusive endpoint where a basis shall be developed which should be capable of mitigating our current fears of releasing Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems in armed conflict’.^[1]Statement by Zambia at the informal meeting of experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) during the general exchange of views on 11th April 2016, … Continue reading

Zambia is a member of the African Group within the United Nations, and is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Both the African Group and the NAM support the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapon systems. In July 2021, a working paper on behalf of the NAM and other States Parties to the CCW was submitted to the Group of Governmental Experts on LAWS, which stated that ‘a strengthened and reinforced multilateral approach, with new legally-binding provisions for addressing the humanitarian and international security challenges posed by emerging technologies in the area of LAWS, is vital. There is an urgent need to pursue a legally-binding instrument on LAWS’.^[2]Non-Aligned Movement Geneva Chapter Coordination of the group of NAM and other states to the CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons … Continue reading