Box II - Statement by Stop Killer Robots to the GGE on lethal autonomous weapons systems, 1-5 September

The following statement was delivered on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, by Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez to delegates participating in the  meeting of the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), which took place on 1-5 September 2025.

Thank you, Chair.

For Stop Killer Robots, preserving meaningful human control over the use of force is one of the core purposes of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems.

For this reason, we welcome the centrality given to the concept of ‘context-appropriate human control and judgment’ throughout the text, and urge states to maintain their focus on the rules needed for meaningful human control in their current discussions, and in future negotiations on a legal instrument. 

We do not think it would be productive for states to try to restrict the meaning of this term or narrow the wording of ‘context-appropriate human control and judgment’. The substance and operational standards of human control matter more than the name or term that is used to describe human control.” [1]

 Rather, states should focus on moving to negotiate the legal rules that are necessary to build out this concept. They must concentrate on elaborating the kind of human control that is needed in the use of force to uphold ethical and legal principles and ensure responsibility and accountability. 

States should focus on elaborating specific legal rules to give this concept substance. We urge clarification of what “context,” “human judgment,” and “control” entail:

•  “Context” must encompass system characteristics, weapon types, operational environment, mission objectives, and deployment conditions
• “Human judgment” must extend beyond IHL compliance to include broader decision-making responsibilities in the use of force
•  “Control” requires sufficient assurance that weapons systems act predictably, enabling determination that their effects conform with IHL, rules of engagement, and commander intentions – noting this is only possible if systems are predictable, reliable, traceable and explainable.

The dynamic nature of conflict underscores why clear common understandings are essential. As variables shift during AWS deployment, what constitutes “appropriate” control may change from moment to moment. 

In doing the work of defining the elements of “context-appropriate human judgment and control” and on elaborating the kind of human control that is needed in the use of force, states can start from the common ground they are already developing through boxes III, IV and V of the rolling text, on which we will give further comments.

Thank you Chair.

[1] African Group Statement (April 2018) to the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems. Available at http://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmamentfora/ccw/2018/gge/statements/9April_African-Group.pdf.