Following the Charter: Evolve norms on drone use, says Pakistan

Pakistani delegate says Autonomous Weapon Systems poses a fundamental challenge to the protection of civilians

UNITED NATIONS: Voicing concern over the deterioration of global security, Pakistan has called for evolving international norms to govern the use of armed drones and other new weapon systems strictly according to the UN Charter and humanitarian law. “Technology must follow the law and not the other way around,” Ambassador Zamir Akram, the Pakistani delegate to the General Assembly’s First Committee, which deals with international security matters. He said Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), “that would choose and fire on pre-programmed targets on their own without any human intervention,” posed a fundamental challenge to the protection of civilians. Akram said the use of this weapon in the territory of another state was contrary to international law.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2014.