(Geneva, November 12, 2026) – The failure of states to take decisive action on autonomous weapons next week at the Review Conference of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) would leave civilians dangerously exposed to rapidly advancing military technologies, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Stop Killer Robots said today.
The CCW is an international treaty prohibiting or restricting the use of weapons considered excessively injurious or whose effects are indiscriminate. Governments should use the upcoming meeting to begin time-bound negotiations for a new protocol to the CCW on autonomous weapons systems, also known as killer robots. Such a protocol should impose legally binding prohibitions and controls on these fast-evolving, potentially catastrophic technologies.
“Autonomous weapons systems are no longer a hypothetical future threat, with reports growing that they are already being tested, integrated, and deployed,” said Carolyn Horn, Programme Director for Law and Policy at Amnesty International. “Meaningful constraints need to be put in place now. Countries should seize this moment to open negotiations on new international law before these systems become entrenched in military practice, with potential to lead to devastating consequences for humanity.”
From November 16 to 20, 2026, states parties to the CCW will meet in Geneva for one of the most consequential Review Conferences of the era, the three organizations said. After more than a decade of expert discussions, states have clarified the core issues and identified the elements needed for a new international treaty. The Review Conference, held only every five years, is a critical opportunity to convert that work into concrete action.
Autonomous weapons systems select and engage targets based on sensor processing rather than human input. Their use raises profound ethical, legal, humanitarian, and security concerns, including the risk of unlawful killings, indiscriminate attacks, algorithmic bias, and erosion of accountability for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The organizations warned that widespread deployment could weaken long‑standing legal restraints designed to protect civilians and limit harm during armed conflict.
The Review Conference will consider the final report of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, a United Nations body set up under the CCW, which sets out “elements for an instrument” that could serve as the basis for negotiations. This provides a clear pathway for states to adopt a one‑year mandate to negotiate a new protocol prohibiting certain autonomous weapons systems and regulating others, the organizations said.
“After years of stalemate largely due to some states weaponizing the consensus-based decision-making under the CCW against meaningful progress, states parties finally have an opportunity to move from discussion to action,” said Verity Coyle, deputy crisis, conflict and arms director at Human Rights Watch. “A time‑bound treaty negotiation process is the only credible way to ensure UN member states effectively respond to the existential dangers posed by autonomous weapons systems.”
Geopolitical instability and accelerating military investment in artificial intelligence make action at this Review Conference imperative, the groups said. Without a mandate to negotiate a treaty, discussions would continue to stall even as research, development, and subsequent operational deployment are expanding.
The organizations also urged states to ensure meaningful civil society participation throughout the Review Conference, noting that independent expertise has been essential to clarifying risks, shaping policy options, and keeping humanitarian concerns at the center of discussions.
“The Convention on Conventional Weapons was created to address emerging threats, and this Review Conference should show that it still can,” said Nicole van Rooijen, Executive Director of Stop Killer Robots. “States parties to the convention have a responsibility to act before autonomous weapons systems reshape warfare in ways that undermine human dignity and civilian protection.”
