Topic: Autonomous Weapon Systems
Country: Nigeria
Delegate Name: Raphael Bahlbi
School: Grand Rapids City High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Nigeria position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
The Federal Republic of Nigeria knows that autonomous weapon systems are machines made with only one intent in mind: to kill any enemy in sight with no human control. Advances are being exponentially made in Artificial Intelligence, with large portions of these going towards building autonomous weapons. The United Kingdom, Germany, and South Korea are busy developing autonomous robotic weapons that do not have the human instinct to limit civilian casualties, or the ability to not be held accountable for war crimes. Autonomous weapons raise ethical, legal, moral and technical issues in relation to international humanitarian and international human rights laws, in no situation can autonomous weapon comply with humanitarian laws. When autonomous weapons are left to do the killing, who can be held accountable? Will the A.I be advanced enough to make a clear cut decision that a trained soldier could? There are too many instances where technology cannot replace a trained soldier on the battlefield, therefore it is of utmost importance that we enact a resolution to restrict autonomous weapon systems.
Early last year the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva determined that autonomous weapon systems should be regulated by International Humanitarian law. Due to an absence of any standard methods for evaluating autonomous systems regulations cannot be made. Nigeria is in strong support of regulations regarding the morality and safety of these weapons. As President Muhammadu Buhari has stated, “We commend the efforts of States Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons to broadly address this issue and urge Member States to remain seized with this matter.” Autonomous weapons are a very risky technology, thus making the issue of a coming to a resolution even more needed as advancement in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Weapons become exceedingly prevalent. The Federal Republic of Nigeria recommends a resolution that would curtail all development on autonomous weapons until a standard ethical code is developed.
