Concern Grows Over 'Killer Robots' Absent Human Controls – NGOs

Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) which include drones and other unmanned vehicles must function under strict human control, according to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) members.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) must function under strict human control, campaigners said at a meeting of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) members on Monday.

The CCW Meeting of Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) takes place April 13-17 at the United Nations in Geneva.

LAWS is defined as including drones and other unmanned vehicles.

A wide range of participating countries, including South Korea, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Ireland, are in favor on retaining what CCW defines as "meaningful human control" in the development and use of LAWS.

"Better to take precautionary measures than deal with aftermath," a statement from the Chinese delegation was quoted by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots on its Twitter account.

"Better to take precautionary measures than deal with aftermath" of lethal autonomous weapons systems — #China tells #CCWUN mtg at @UNGeneva

— Stop Killer Robots (@BanKillerRobots) April 13, 2015

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots comprises Human Rights Watch, Article 36 and International Committee for Robot Arms Control, among other NGOs.

According to the international NGO coalition, Mexico said that international humanitarian law should ban the use of LAWS, with possible autonomy retained solely for critical functionality.

The CCW bans or restricts the use of particular types of weapons over fears of unnecessary and unjustifiable suffering that these weapons can inflict. The CCW currently has 119 parties and five signatories.