Geneva Talks on Autonomous Weapons: Momentum Builds, But Challenges Remain
Negotiations in Geneva on the future of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) seem to enter a critical phase. Under the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), states are exploring how to regulate or prohibit machines that can select and engage targets without human intervention. The stakes are high: the decisions made in Geneva could shape the boundaries of warfare in the age of artificial intelligence.
ICT4Peace has published and participated in activities on LAWS at the UN in Geneva and in other organisations since 2014. See a list of ICT4Peace activities here.
Why Geneva, Why Now ?
The CCW, adopted in 1980, has long sought to limit weapons with indiscriminate or excessively injurious effects, such as landmines and blinding lasers. Geneva, home to the UN’s disarmament bodies, has become the natural hub for these discussions.
In recent years, the CCW’s Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) has been tasked with addressing LAWS. The group is working from a “rolling text” first published in 2021 and most recently updated on 12 May 2025. This draft lays out possible elements for an instrument, including definitions, prohibitions, human oversight, risk mitigation, and accountability. Find here a copy of the “GGE on LAWS – Rolling text, status date: 12 May 2025”
A Push for Negotiations
At the September 2025 session of the GGE, 39 High Contracting Parties, led by Brazil, supported by three observer states, delivered a “Joint statement to the September 2025 session of the CCW GGE LAWS”. including the following statement:
“We are therefore ready to move ahead towards negotiations within the CCW on the basis of the rolling text, and we invite all High Contracting Parties to support this goal.”
The statement was signed by states from across regions, including Austria, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Uruguay, among others. The message was clear: there is growing political will to move beyond conceptual discussions and into formal treaty negotiations.
Civil society and humanitarian actors are adding their weight. The International Committee of the Red Cross, along with the UN Secretary-General, has repeatedly called for urgent action, stressing that human judgment and accountability must remain at the core of decisions over life and death.
The Difficult Questions
Yet momentum is tempered by persistent disagreements. The CCW operates by consensus, meaning any one state can block progress. Key challenges include inter alia:
Definitions: What exactly constitutes an “autonomous weapon”? What level of “meaningful human control” is required?
Scope: Should the outcome be an outright ban on certain systems—especially those that target people without oversight—or a framework of restrictions and regulations?
Legal Frameworks: While international humanitarian law is central, some states argue that human rights law and ethical principles must also be explicitly included.
Participation: Civil society and experts want greater transparency, but some states favor keeping talks narrowly intergovernmental.
Urgency vs. Caution: Advocates warn that the rapid pace of AI development demands swift regulation. Others caution against rushing into binding commitments that could hinder legitimate military needs or innovation.
What’s at Stake ?
If states succeed in moving to negotiations, the CCW could deliver a new protocol that establishes binding prohibitions, obligations, and oversight mechanisms. Such a treaty would mark a major step toward ensuring human control and accountability in warfare.
But if talks stall, existing international humanitarian law will remain the only safeguard—leaving many worried that technology will advance faster than the rules designed to contain it.
Looking Ahead
The GGE’s current mandate runs until the end of 2025, with the Seventh Review Conference of the CCW scheduled for 2026. That meeting is likely to be the decisive moment: either states agree to negotiate a new protocol, or the opportunity may slip away.
For now, Geneva remains the place where the future of autonomous weapons is being contested—between urgency and caution, prohibition and regulation, and the enduring question of how much control humans must retain when machines are allowed to make decisions in war.
Daniel Stauffacher, Geneva, 7 October 2025 with the help of ChatGPT.
