Secretary-General Welcomes Consensus on Possible Guiding Principles Relating to Use of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the recommendation by consensus of a set of possible guiding principles on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems by the Group of Governmental Experts within the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.  He is also encouraged by the recommendation for the High Contracting Parties to continue the work of the Group in 2019.  The Secretary-General hopes the High Contracting Parties can build upon this achievement.  In this connection, he recalls his commitment, as articulated in his agenda for disarmament, to support the efforts of Member States to elaborate new measures to ensure that human remain at all times in control over the use of force.