Fourteen New Drafts, Including on Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Military Domain, Approved in First Committee by 34 Votes
Mindful of the possible international security implications of artificial intelligence in the military domain, including the risks of an arms race, miscalculation, lowering the threshold for conflict and escalation of conflict, and proliferation to non-State actors, States would be encouraged to pursue efforts at all levels to address related opportunities and challenges, including from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives, by one of 14 drafts passed today in the First Committee.
By a recorded vote of 165 in favour to 2 against (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Russian Federation), with 6 abstentions (Belarus, Ethiopia, Iran, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Syria), the General Assembly, further to the text (document A/C.1/79/L.43), would resolve to bridge the divides between countries with regard to responsible artificial intelligence in the military domain and call upon States to take action to cooperate on a voluntary basis in providing assistance to and sharing knowledge with developing countries by exchanging good practices and lessons learned.
The Secretary-General would be asked to seek the views of Member States and observer States on the matter, with a specific focus on areas other than lethal autonomous weapons systems, and to submit a substantive report summarizing those views and cataloging existing and emerging normative proposals to the Assembly at its next session, for further discussion.
Requiring 14 separate recorded votes was a draft resolution on women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control (document A/C.1/79/L.69), which would have the Assembly call on all States to empower women to participate in the design and implementation of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control efforts.
It would encourage Member States to better understand the impact of armed violence, in particular the impact of the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition on women and girls, such as exacerbating sexual and gender-based violence, through the development of national action plans on women and peace and security.
The draft also calls on Member States to take account of the differing impacts of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and of the safety and security aspects of conventional ammunition on women, men, girls and boys and to strengthen or develop, where they do not exist, response mechanisms to address such impacts.
By the terms of a draft resolution on effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium (document A/C.1/79/L.52), approved by a recorded vote of 143 in favour to 4 against (France, Israel, United Kingdom, United States), with 33 abstentions, the Assembly would invite Member States that have used armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium in armed conflicts to provide the relevant authorities of affected States, upon request, with information, as detailed as possible, about the location of the areas of use and the amounts used, with the objective of facilitating the assessment and clearance of such areas.
It would encourage Member States in a position to do so to provide assistance to affected States, in particular in identifying and managing contaminated sites and material. And it would request the Secretary-General to request relevant international organizations to update and complete their studies and research on the effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium on human health and the environment.
Also approved, by a recorded vote of 129 in favour to 5 against (Argentina, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United Kingdom, United States), with 50 abstentions, was a draft resolution on promotion of multilateralism in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation (document A/C.1/79/L.48). It reaffirms multilateralism as the core principle in negotiations in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation and underlines the importance of preserving the existing agreements on arms regulation and disarmament and the multilateral disarmament forums.
Expressing grave concern at the continuous and progressive erosion of multilateralism in the field of arms regulation, non-proliferation and disarmament, the Assembly would request the States parties to the relevant instruments on weapons of mass destruction to consult and cooperate among themselves in resolving their concerns with regard to cases of non-compliance as well as on implementation, and to refrain from resorting or threatening to resort to unilateral actions or directing unverified non-compliance accusations against one another to resolve their concerns.
Also, the Assembly is convinced that, in the globalization era and with the information revolution, arms regulation, non-proliferation and disarmament problems are more than ever the concern of all countries in the world, and those countries should therefore have the possibility to participate in the negotiations that arise to tackle them.
Four more drafts required recorded votes in the Committee’s cluster on other disarmament measures and international security: Relationship between disarmament and development, preambular paragraph 4 (document A/C.1/79/L.45); Compliance with non-proliferation, arms limitation and disarmament agreements and commitments (document A/C.1/79/L.70), by 166 in favour to 3 against (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Syria), with 8 abstentions (Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Egypt, Fiji, Nicaragua, Russian Federation, Zimbabwe); Promoting international cooperation on peaceful uses in the context of international security (document A/C.1/79/L.53/Rev.1), by 102 in favour to 53 against, with 25 abstentions; and Strengthening and developing the system of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and agreements (document A/C.1/79/L.76/Rev.1), by 109 in favour to 53 against, with 14 abstentions.
Acting without a vote, the Committee approved 6 more draft texts: Open-ended working group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021-2025 (document A/C.1/79/L.13); United Nations study on disarmament and non-proliferation education (document A/C.1/79/L.15); United Nations disarmament fellowship, training and advisory services (document A/C.1/79/L.20); Role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament (document A/C.1/79/L.29); United Nations Disarmament Information Programme (document A/C.1/79/L.33); and Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of disarmament and arms control agreements (document A/C.1/79/L.47).
Prior to taking action on the 14 draft texts, several delegations made general statements on the cluster. The Netherlands’ representative, introducing “L.43”, tabled by his country and the Republic of Korea, called for a balanced and inclusive approach that takes into consideration as many positions and views as possible. He added that more than 60 delegations co-sponsored the draft, which highlights the importance of international cooperation and capacity-building on the topic of artificial intelligence in the military domain. Moreover, the group is confident that the Secretary-General’s report with States’ views, as requested by the text, will offer a foundation for further and more detailed work in this critical area, he said.
The delegate for the Republic of Korea, also speaking on “L.43”, said that among the emerging technologies, “artificial intelligence has arguably the most sweeping impact on our lives”. Noting that discussions are already under way at the UN, he deemed it crucial to advance this momentum and ensure the inclusivity of further action. The UN, particularly the First Committee, has a role to play in this shared endeavour. His country and the Netherlands introduced the resolution to bring many countries into the dialogue on the implications of artificial intelligence on global peace and security.
Developing countries face “considerable obstacles” for legitimate access to and uses of and exchanges in science and technology for peaceful purposes, said Pakistan’s speaker. Derogation from non-proliferation norms and discriminatory exceptions for political and strategic interests have undermined the credibility and legitimacy of existing export control regimes. “These troubling developments underscore the need for a change in the status quo so that the growing technological gap between States can be bridged.”
China’s representative said that undue restrictions on international cooperation on peaceful uses have long existed. Some countries claim that export controls apply to less than 1 per cent of all global trade, however, which can very well be cutting-edge equipment and technologies, which are key to bridging the North-South technology and development gaps. There are also claims that less than 10 per cent of export license applications have been denied, mostly from developing countries. “Such a practice seriously damages international production and supply chains,” he added.
The representative of the United States, speaking on “L.70”, said that since his country last sponsored it in 2021, the issue of compliance, regrettably, has grown in prominence in the face of challenges to the international arms control regime by States who have chosen to violate, selectively implement or walk away from their arms control obligations. He cited as examples actions by the Russian Federation and Syria. He nonetheless continues to believe there is broad consensus by Member States on the necessity of compliance with arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament obligations and commitments, as well as an understanding that achieving future progress requires full compliance by States.
Presenting “L.69”, the delegate for Trinidad and Tobago said that, since 2010, her country and the draft’s co-sponsors have invited the First Committee to recognize in a comprehensive manner the need to facilitate and promote the participation, representation and leadership of women in policymaking, planning and implementation processes related to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. The text is based on the premise that women are not mere spectators of peace, but architects of it, she stressed.
Cuba’s speaker encouraged full support of the draft resolutions submitted by the Non-Aligned Movement, namely “L.45”, “L.47” and “L.48”. She also urged the support of “L.53/Rev.1”, whose text remains relevant in a context where restrictions on international cooperation for peaceful purposes persist, in contravention of the obligations and commitments under multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control instruments. “The provisions on international cooperation for peaceful purposes contained in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions must be fully complied with, without discrimination,” she emphasized.
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