Topic: Autonomous Weapon Systems
Country: Palestine
Delegate Name: Samuel Frishman
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Palestine position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
Autonomous Weapons are a system of machines designed to target and kill any opponent it detects with no human help. AWS are the results of centuries of weapons technology advancement and while we are in the early stages of autonomous weapons being a game-changing weapon, it is still currently a grave danger. Autonomous weapons have the potential to unleash mayhem like never before; the dangers that come with the advancement of autonomous weapons cannot be taken lightly. First, we must take into account humanitarian law: allowing robots to become killing machines crosses the lines of moral and just warfare. Who is left accountable for deaths when robots are doing the killing? Should deadly force always be executed fully by living beings? Second, we are faced with understanding just how deadly these weapons can be – eventually, they will wipe out societies to the point of non-existence. With this knowledge, we are then tasked with creating a resolution for the restriction of autonomous weapons. These are questions that can no longer be ignored.
In the 1970s, the UN become increasingly aware of the incoming danger of new weapons and weapons system that may pose threats to humanitarian law. Because of this, The International Committee of the Red Cross brought together government officials to have a conference entitled the Conference of Government Experts on Weapons that may Cause Unnecessary Suffering or Have Indiscriminate Effects in Switzerland from 24 September to 18 October in 1974. At the conference, prolonged debate and analysis of different weapons, including incendiary and treacherous weapons, occurred. This meeting the birthed Resolution 32/152 in 19 December 1977. This convening merged into the first Conference on Certain Conventional Weapons (as well as adopting the first three protocols) on 10 October 1980. These protocols came to be in 1983. The conference has continued on, and in conjunction with Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, and others, we, the State of Palestine, at the 2014 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, have stated our stance against autonomous weapons. Our representative, Adel Atieh, spoke on the issue of Palestinians being killed with autonomous weapons there: “Drones with lethal autonomous munitions have been extensively used to target Palestinians.” Atieh references that local farmers are being killed by these weapons. The Israeli Defense Forces, as expected, declined the request for comment. As of 5 January 2015, The State of Palestine has signed protocol I and III, thus consenting to be bound to the two protocols.
Despite some countries’ claims that they do no exist, Autonomous Weapons are real and they are killing our people. The high-tech militaries of the USA, Russia, China, and Israel, among others, are using a system of weapons we will not stand for. These weapons go against world-wide moral principles as well as current treaties and international laws (like the CCW.) As such, Humanitarian law should prohibit the use of weapons that scientists across the globe, like Stephen Hawking, have strongly spoke out against. We believe a ban on autonomous weapons should be taken into strong consideration by the United Nations and hope a resolution can come to fruition soon.
