156 states support UNGA resolution on autonomous weapons

On 6 November 2025, the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution on autonomous weapons systems for the third year running, concerned by the “consequences and impact of autonomous weapon systems on international peace and security, including the risk of an emerging arms race, of exacerbating conflicts and humanitarian crises, miscalculations, lowering the threshold for and escalation of conflicts and proliferation, including to unauthorized recipients and non-State actors.”

The voting result on Resolution L.41 was 156 states in favour and 5 against, with 8 abstentions.

Tabled by Austria and a group of 30 co-sponsoring states,* the resolution draws attention to the “serious challenges and concerns that new and emerging technological applications in the military domain, including those related to artificial intelligence and autonomy in weapons systems, [raise] from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives” and stresses the “the importance of the role of humans in the use of force to ensure responsibility and accountability and for States to comply with international law.” It also notes “the calls by the [United Nations] Secretary-General to commence negotiations of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems, in line with a two-tier approach of prohibitions and regulations” and adds reference to the Secretary-General’s remark that the work on autonomous weapons in the context of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) is ”moving in the right direction.”

Following informal consultations in May 2025 mandated by last year’s resolution and attended by 96 states, the 2025 resolution underlines that “a comprehensive and inclusive multilateral approach is required to address the full range of challenges and concerns posed by autonomous weapons systems, including consideration of legal, technological, ethical, humanitarian and security perspectives, in order to safeguard international peace and security.” Unfortunately, it stops short of mandating further informal consultations, and rather simply encourages states to “conduct further exchanges” without reference to the form or function of such exchanges. 

Once again, it is extremely disappointing that this resolution does not reflect the clear desire of the majority of the international community to urgently launch negotiations on a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems. As adopted, this year’s resolution is a modest approach which attempts to demonstrate complementarity and support for the current mandate of the Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems (GGE LAWS), without prejudging its outcome. Within the GGE, this year states have developed further common ground, with 42 states delivering a joint statement at the most recent session in September 2025 calling for the group to begin negotiations of an instrument on the basis of its ‘rolling text,’ and stating that they were ready to do this.

Notably, the operative section of Resolution L.41 stresses the urgent need for the CCW to address the challenges and concerns posed by autonomous weapons systems, and calls upon the High Contracting Parties of the CCW to “work towards completing the set of elements for an instrument being developed within the mandate of the Group of Governmental Experts, with a view to future negotiation.”

All eyes must now turn to the remaining sessions of the GGE LAWS, where the current mandate will conclude in 2026 in advance of the CCW Seventh Review Conference. At the Review Conference, states must recognise that the common ground they have developed in international discussions – including on the need for a two-tier approach of prohibitions and regulations, and many of the key elements of meaningful human control – is now a good enough starting point to launch negotiations on a legally binding instrument, and express commitment to start negotiations immediately, with all those who are willing to do so, on this basis.

Stop Killer Robots stands ready to support states committed to preventing this automation of killing and digital dehumanisation, and urges states to act with courage and conviction to launch negotiations to ensure meaningful human control over the use of force.

*Co-sponsoring states: Armenia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Switzerland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, and Venezuela