Resolution by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on lethal autonomous weapons systems
Date: 2017-11-01
Institutions: Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
Subjects: civilian victim, drone, human rights, international humanitarian law, law of war, military aircraft, war








C_2018099EN.01000301.xml










15.3.2018   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 99/3





RESOLUTION
by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on lethal autonomous weapons systems
(2018/C 99/02)
THE EURONEST PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY,






—


having regard to the reports on the use of armed drones of 28 May 2010 and 13 September 2013 by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and of 18 September 2013 by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism,










—


having regard to the statement made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 13 August 2013 on the use of armed drones,










—


having regard to the hearing of 25 April 2013 on the human rights implications of the use of drones, organised by the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights jointly with its Subcommittee on Security and Defence,










—


having regard to the European Parliament study of 3 May 2013 on the ‘Human rights implications of the usage of drones and unmanned robots in warfare’,










—


having regard to the Council conclusions of 19 and 20 December 2013 on preparations for a programme of next-generation European Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS),










—


having regard to the decision of the UN Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) to establish a Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems,










—


having regard to the open letter by leaders of robotics and AI companies released at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI 2017) in Melbourne,










A.


whereas lethal autonomous weapons (hereinafter ‘killer robots’) have become widely used in conflict areas over the past decades;










B.


whereas in lowering the potential loss of combatants' lives the use of killer robots thus lowers the barriers to war;










C.


whereas the use of killer robots leads to arbitrary executions among peaceful civil populations living in extraterritorial zones of lethal operations;










D.


whereas large numbers of peaceful civilians are being killed by killer robots, particularly in conflict areas; whereas Article 51(2) of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions states that ‘acts or threats of violence the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population are prohibited’;










E.


whereas the use of drones directly violates the principles of international human rights law;










F.


whereas 116 founders of robotics and artificial intelligence companies from 26 countries have signed an open letter urging the UN to urgently address the challenge of lethal autonomous weapons and to ban their use internationally;










G.


whereas the Israeli Defence Ministry has temporarily suspended the marketing and export licence of an Israeli weapons manufacturer for staging drone attacks on targets in Nagorno Karabakh at the urging of Azerbaijan;




The Assembly:






1.


Stresses the importance of the development, production and use of fully autonomous weapons within the international legal framework;










2.


Emphasises the importance of policy development in EaP fora aimed at devising responsive mechanisms for the assurance of human rights and international humanitarian law in the EU Member States and in the Eastern Partner countries;










3.


Condemns the perpetration of targeted killings among peaceful populations in conflict zones;










4.


Calls on the EaP countries to contribute towards a more transparent and accountable policy regarding the use of killer robots in extraterritorial zones;










5.


Highlights the importance of setting up investigative mechanisms in the conflict zones of EaP countries with the aim of detecting and preventing mechanisms that allow arbitrary attacks on peaceful populations living in nearby areas;










6.


Urges the EaP countries to support the activities of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems.