Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) is happy to announce that we have joined the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, an international coalition of non-governmental organisations that calls for a preemptive and comprehensive ban on fully autonomous weapons.
We believe that this prohibition should be achieved through an international treaty, as well as through national laws and other measures.
AOAV, previously Landmine Action, was one of the first NGOs to draw attention to the need for international action to address fully autonomous weapons in 2008.
Steve Smith, CEO of AOAV, said: “International humanitarian law requires belligerents engaged in armed conflict to distinguish at all times, and under all circumstances, between combatants and civilians. Robots that are capable of automatically selecting and killing their targets do not fulfil this basic requirement.”
AOAV’s research into this area will be led by Sarah Leo.
The Campaign to Stop Killer Robot was launched in April 2013 and is comprised of 39 NGOs in 19 countries, including Human Rights Watch, Article 36, Association for Aid and Relief Japan, International Committee for Robot Arms Control, Mines Action Canada, Nobel Women’s Initiative, IKV Pax Christi, Pugwash Conferences on Science & World Affairs and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
You can support the our work by following the campaign on Twitter and on Facebook.
Did you find this story interesting? Please support AOAV's work and donate.
Donate