UN General Assembly
2023

But while our region is confronting the threats to our security, arising from illegal traditional weapons, we are even more alarmed at the potential for autonomous weapons to fall into the hands of organized criminals. Let us consider a drone, meticulously programmed with facial recognition technology, set to target an individual. It scans, identifies and eliminates its target, all while operating undetected. That is not the plot of a dystopian novel, but a looming reality. Just a month ago. under the theme of A New Agenda for Peace, the Secretary- General sounded the alarm bell. He has urged nations to formulate a legally binding instrument by 2026 to prohibit lethal autonomous weapon systems. Antigua and Barbuda fully support that recommendation, and we will work with other nations to successfully conclude an international treaty that shields our societies and safeguards our national security from this threat.