Governments Reach Non-Binding Agreement on Autonomous Weapons Regulations

After more than a decade of debate, governments have reached an agreement on regulating lethal autonomous weapons. The Group of Governmental Experts under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons has drafted a non-binding document outlining key elements for controlling AI-powered systems that can select and engage targets without human intervention.

The 128 High Contracting Parties' consensus came after three years of discussion, which began in 2024. However, the agreement was watered down due to pressure from the US and Russia, who pushed for a focus on national approaches over international standards.

Over 70 states had initially backed the GGE's recommendations as a foundation for binding regulations. But instead, they got a framework document that establishes principles without creating any legal obligations.

The CCW's Seventh Review Conference in November will be the real test for these regulations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the International Committee of the Red Cross have called on states to use this conference as a starting point for negotiating a binding instrument.