Read as well: Deux députés français appellent à développer des «robots tueurs»
30 countries, as well as the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, called for a ban on “killer robots”, which he called “morally repugnant and politically unacceptable.” As for the NGOs, one of the most involved is Human Rights Watch, which launched in 2013 its Stop Killer Robots campaign. On 10 August 2020, the NGO published a report reviewing the policies on LAWS of 97 countries.
Issues raised. Questions of political, military, and ethical nature are brought up by LAWS. The ability for killer robots to truly respect the principles of distinction, proportionality, and humanity — essential in international humanitarian law — is one of the main legal challenges raised by fully autonomous weapons. Another is defining principles guiding accountability for the actions of killer robots.
Mary Wareham, arms division advocacy director at Human Rights Watch and coordinator of the campaign, says:
“An international ban treaty is the only effective way to deal with the serious challenges raised by fully autonomous weapons.”
For the NGO, a “Meaningful Human Control” of weapons should be a key concept in such a treaty.