• Killer Robots

    Fully autonomous weapons, also known as "killer robots," would be able to select and engage targets without human intervention. Fully autonomous weapons do not exist yet, but they are being developed by several countries and precursors to fully autonomous weapons have already been deployed by high-tech militaries. Some experts predict that fully autonomous weapons could be operational in 20 to 30 years. These weapons would be incapable of meeting international humanitarian law standards, including the rules of distinction, proportionality, and military necessity. The weapons would not be constrained by the capacity for compassion, which can provide a key check on the killing of civilians. Fully autonomous weapons also raise serious questions of accountability because it is unclear who should be held responsible for any unlawful actions they commit. Human Rights Watch calls for a preemptive prohibition on the development, production, and use of fully autonomous weapons.

  • The United Kingdom’s Taranis combat aircraft, whose prototype was unveiled in 2010, is designed to strike distant targets, “even in another continent.” While the Ministry of Defence has stated that humans will remain in the loop, the Taranis exemplifies the move toward increased autonomy.
    © 2010 AP Photo
    Ban ‘Killer Robots’ Before It’s Too Late

    Governments should pre-emptively ban fully autonomous weapons because of the danger they pose to civilians in armed conflict.

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Arms

  • Israel/Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Media
    Dec 20, 2012
    Four Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in Gaza during the November 2012 fighting violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations
  • Syria: Incendiary Weapons Used in Populated Areas
    Dec 12, 2012

    The Syrian military has used air-delivered incendiary bombs in at least fourlocations across Syria since mid-November 2012.

  • Landmine Ban: Poland Final EU Member to Join
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    Poland’s announcement on December 5, 2012, that it is about to ratify the international treaty prohibiting landmines means that all 27 European Union countries have banned these unlawful weapons.

  • Syria: Evidence Shows Cluster Bombs Killed Children
    Nov 27, 2012
    Compelling evidence has emerged that an airstrike using cluster bombs on the town of Deir al-`Assafeer near Damascus killed at least 11 children and wounded others on November 25, 2012
  • A Dangerous Future of Killer Robots
    Nov 22, 2012

    The use of drones to kill suspected terrorists is controversial, but so long as a human being decides whether to fire the missile, it is not a radical shift in how humanity wages war. Since the first archer fired the first arrow, warriors have been inventing ways to strike their enemies while removing themselves from harm’s way.

  • The Future of Global Warfare: Killer Robots
    Nov 20, 2012

    Despite a lack of public awareness and public debate a number of governments, including European states, are pushing forward with the development of fully autonomous weapons - also known as killer robots. These are weapon systems that will function without any human intervention.

     

  • The Trouble with Killer Robots
    Nov 19, 2012

    Imagine a mother who sees her children playing with toy guns as a military force approaches their village. Terrified, she sprints toward the scene, yelling at them to hurry home. A human soldier would recognize her fear and realize that her actions are harmless. A robot, unable to understand human intentions, would observe only figures, guns, and rapid movement. While the human soldier would probably hold fire, the robot might shoot the woman and her children.

  • Ban ‘Killer Robots’ Before It’s Too Late
    Nov 19, 2012

    Governments should pre-emptively ban fully autonomous weapons because of the danger they pose to civilians in armed conflict.

  • Statement on the CCW's Protocol III on Incendiary Weapons
    Nov 16, 2012

    Bonnie Docherty, senior researcher in the arms division of Human Rights Watch, delivered a statement on Protocol III on Incendiary Weapons of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) at the CCW Meeting of States Parties in Geneva.

  • Statement on the CCW's Protocol III on Incendiary Weapons
    Nov 15, 2012

    Steve Goose, arms division director at Human Rights Watch, delivered a statement on Protocol III on Incendiary Weapons of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) at the CCW Meeting of States Parties in Geneva.

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