Safeguarding Human Control
over Autonomous Weapons Systems

#LAWSVienna2021

Increasing levels of autonomy in weapon systems pose fundamental legal, ethical and security challenges. The key question remains: how will humans maintain meaningful control over these weapon systems, so as to preserve human dignity and to prevent unintended legal, ethical and security consequences?

The implications of new and emerging technologies on armed conflict and on the use of force require urgent political attention. Since 2017, the Group of Governmental Experts on emerging technologies in the area of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems of the Conventional Weapons Convention (GGE LAWS) has conducted comprehensive deliberations. This process is now entering a decisive phase before submitting recommendations to the Review Conference of the Conventional Weapons Convention later this year.

With a view to contributing to a successful and substantive outcome of the GGE LAWS and to further facilitate common understandings on this pressing issue for human security, Austria is organising a virtual conference with a high-level segment and three expert panels, including Q&A from the audience.

This conference is organised by the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs.