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After deliberating for two years on questions relating to "lethal autonomous weapons systems," the time has come for states to commit to a more substantive process aimed at achieving an outcome that addresses the multiple concerns raised over the weapons. Nations are due to decide on 13 November 2015 if talks on this topic should continue next year at the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in Geneva. An ambitious mandate is needed now if states are to act with the urgency this issue demands. The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is calling for a new international instrument to preemptively ban the development, production, and use of fully autonomous weapons, achieved through a new CCW protocol or another process. It urges nations to agree to a mandate in November that steps up the discussions by establishing a Group of Governmental Experts (GGE).

This week at the Convention on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, states have held their deepest and richest deliberations to date on the concerns over autonomous weapons systems. 

A second round of multilateral talks on concerns over weapons systems that would select and attack targets without further human intervention opened on Monday morning at the United Nations (UN) in Geneva. The meeting of experts on “lethal autonomous weapons systems” is considering questions relating to the emerging technology of these weapons, but there is not yet a negotiating mandate. Based in large part on this week’s talks, states will decide at the CCW’s annual meeting on 13 November 2015 on whether and how to continue the talks which saw the first experts meeting held in May 2014.

13 April 2015 Geneva PRESS RELEASE: Time to Move From Talk to Action on Killer Robots – Second United Nations meeting on the subject opens in Geneva Concerns about the prospect of weapons systems that would select…

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots acknowledges the contributions made by Ms. Angela Kane of Germany, United Nations (UN) High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, in leading efforts to address the emerging issue of fully autonomous weapons systems.

The second multilateral meeting on “lethal autonomous weapons systems” by members of the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) will be held at the United Nations (UN) Palais des Nations in Geneva on 13-17 April 2015. On Monday, 13 April, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots will hold a side event briefing for all CCW delegations, featuring the following representatives:

Concerns over fully autonomous weapons or "killer robots" have been raised at the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland with various publications and speakers addressing the matter. This is the first time that the annual meeting of world leaders from government, business, and civil society has considered the challenges posed by weapons systems that select targets and use force without further human intervention.

Prominent scientists and researchers from industry and academia have signed an open letter calling for artificial intelligence (AI) and smart machine research to focus on developing systems that are "robust and beneficial" to humanity. The letter links to a document outlining "research directions that can help maximize the societal benefit of AI" that includes a list of legal, ethical, and other questions relating to 'lethal autonomous weapons systems,' also known as fully autonomous weapons or killer robots.

The first-ever multilateral meeting held earlier this year on “lethal autonomous weapons systems” marked a key milestone for the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, while the consensus agreement by nations to hold another meeting at the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) on 13-17 April 2015 confirms the matter is now firmly on the international agenda and unlikely to disappear anytime soon.