Topic: Autonomous Weapon Systems
Country: Kazakhstan
Delegate Name: Gabe Guimond
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Kazakhstan position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
Kazakhstan strongly believes in the continued research and development of autonomous weapon systems (AWS). To understand Kazakhstan’s decision, one must develop a better idea of the nation as a whole. To commence, Kazakhstan was the last soviet republic to declare independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, President Nursultan Nazarbayev has led the new founded country to peace and prosperity in Central Asia. Regarding foreign policy, Kazakhstan maintains strong diplomatic relations with Russia, China, and the U.S.A. On the issue of terrorism, Kazakhstan has assisted the U.S.A with the war on terror and is an active member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, having chaired the board in 2010. In short, Kazakhstan is a country that is highly against terrorism, supports Russia, China, and the U.S.A.
Autonomous weapons have the potential to save millions of lives. They replace people in combat. Idealy, in the future, drones would be on the frontline, not people. For now, Kazakhstan believes drones could greatly benefit the fight against terrorism. AWS have proven to be highly effective when eliminating terrorists, and if autonomous weapons become more advanced, they have the power to wipe out major terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Al Qaeda. AWS could also be used in relief efforts for countries in need. Drones could supply refugees, the ill, and those suffering from natural disasters with care packages. Autonomous weapons could greatly benefit mankind if handled properly. Of course, there are major repercussions to AWS. People fear that the weapons’ artificial intelligence could at some point, surpass human intelligence, becoming a threat to humanity. Invasion of airspace and morality have also been problems that need to be addressed. The benefits of autonomous weapons greatly outweigh the possible risks, and for that reason, Kazakhstan strongly believes in the advancement of AWS.
To solve these technicalities, Kazakhstan proposes the creation of an international committee dedicated to finding the balance between autonomous weapons, politics, and morality. The production of Autonomous weapons will be supervised and strict standards will be set to ensure that the weapons don’t get too advanced. Meaning that autonomous weapons won’t be totally independent from human guidance. A law will be created requiring that countries need to have permission to fly drones through another country’s airspace. For countries that don’t comply with these conditions, the allowance of AWS research and development will be taken away, or be severely limited. Autonomous weapons will be required to aid in relief efforts as well. As way to ensure safety, this board will also decide the quantities of the ambiguous weapons given to approved countries. Countries known for supporting or turning a blind eye to terrorism, or having a violent track record themselves, will not seize much of these highly effective weapons. Ultimately, this global group decides the fate of autonomous weapons, and Kazakhstan respects that. Kazakhstan is a country wants international diplomacy, and sees the advancement of AWS making that goal a reality.
