In response to Resolution 78/241 “Lethal autonomous weapon systems”, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 22 December 2023, Amnesty International would like to submit its views for consideration by the UN Secretary-General. The Resolution requests the Secretary-General to seek views on “ways to address the related challenges and concerns [that autonomous weapon systems] raise from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives and on the role of humans in the use of force”. While recognizing that much of this debate has focused on the use of AWS by the military in conflict settings, primarily using the international humanitarian law framework, this submission will highlight the intractable challenges related to the use of AWS in law enforcement contexts in relation to compliance with international human rights law and standards on the use of force.
