UN Talks on Autonomous Weapons: What to watch on 12–13 May
After a decade of talks, will the UN provide a path toward a treaty to ban machines that kill without human control?
The biggest question, as the UN meets on 12–13 May to debate autonomous weapons systems, is whether states will show the moral courage needed to bring the most radical shift in technologies of violence since the invention of gunpowder and the nuclear bomb under regulatory control.
This is not a technical debate. It is a defining moment for international law — and for the future of warfare. At its core, it is about our capacity as a species to master the technologies we create. Machines that kill without human intervention are no longer a hypothetical risk — they are being developed and deployed. Will UN member states rise to the occasion and support the start of negotiations on a new treaty on autonomous weapons?
Convened under General Assembly resolution 79/62 — adopted by 166 states in December 2024 — the UN meeting marks a turning point after nearly a decade of talks under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) in Geneva. It builds on the UN chief António Guterres’ landmark 2024 report on the topic and reflects a growing recognition that further progress requires political leadership and engagement beyond the limited and consensus-bound CCW process.
Both the UN Secretary-General and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have made clear that the only credible path forward is a legally binding treaty. The challenge now falls to states and their representatives: will they take the obvious next step — and begin negotiations to finally bring autonomous weapons under international control?
This is what we’ll be watching as the meeting begins in New York.
1. Who shows up — and at what level?
The meeting opens with statements from the UN Secretary-General and high-level representatives from participating states. This is more than ceremonial — it is an early test of political will. Who speaks, who listens, and who shows up at the ministerial level will indicate whether states are ready to match words with leadership.
Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Musa Kabba, has confirmed his participation, reinforcing the country’s growing diplomatic stature on this issue. In April 2023, Sierra Leone hosted the first-ever African regional conference on autonomous weapons, which concluded with the adoption of the Freetown Communiqué — a call for a legally binding treaty with clear prohibitions and regulations on autonomous weapons systems.
Costa Rica’s Ambassador Maritza Chan — a prominent voice in the General Assembly — will also deliver a statement, reflecting continued leadership from the Global South.
2. Will states name the problem?
The Chair of the CCW Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) will brief the meeting on Monday morning — offering a formal update on nearly a decade of Geneva-based talks. But few expect the Chair to acknowledge the obvious: that despite broad alignment around core treaty elements, the CCW — constrained by the consensus rule — offers no credible political path towards a negotiation mandate.
This session offers a chance for states to speak with clarity — not only about the CCW’s limitations, but about the need to move forward and ensure that procedural constraints do not continue to block substantive progress.
3. A clear path forward — or more delay?
The Secretary-General’s report, released in 2024, leaves little room for ambiguity. It finds that existing mechanisms are not sufficient to address the complexity and risks of autonomous weapons and urges the General Assembly to assume responsibility for the issue. It calls on states to negotiate a legally binding instrument by 2026.
This meeting is a test of whether that call will be met with procedural clarity and political resolve. Will states propose a roadmap? A declaration? A follow-up process under the General Assembly? Or will the outcome remain vague, deferring real decisions to another day?
4. Urgency in the room?
The two-day programme will explore the humanitarian, legal, technological, security, and ethical dimensions of autonomous weapons, guided by the Secretary-General’s report and aimed at identifying areas of convergence.
These discussions come amid growing evidence of real-world risks. A recent Human Rights Watch report warns that autonomous weapons could violate fundamental rights — including life, privacy, and non-discrimination — and erode human dignity due to the opacity and bias of machine learning systems.
This is no longer a hypothetical threat. Military investments are accelerating, and systems capable of using force without meaningful human control are already emerging. The question now is whether states will treat this not only as a disarmament issue, but as a humanitarian imperative — and act accordingly.
5. Who leads the way forward?
The final session on Tuesday will feature briefings from states leading regional and global initiatives, including those that have hosted national consultations or supported recent political declarations.
The Humanity at a Crossroads conference in Vienna (April 2024) helped consolidate a growing bloc of states in support of a treaty. 40 states have endorsed the Vienna Chair’s summary. This closing segment will show whether any of these frontrunner states are prepared to take the next step — and call for a formal negotiation process.
This meeting is not just another diplomatic checkpoint. It is a moment of reckoning — with the failures of past processes, the dangers of delay, and the real possibility of progress. As the Secretary-General has made clear: if we do not act now, we risk ceding life-and-death decisions to machines — with consequences humanity may not be able to reverse.
Follow @FLI_org, @RCW_, and @BanKillerRobots for live updates from the talks. If you’re in New York, don’t miss FLI’s reception on Monday — and Lex International’s “good vibe” drinks on Tuesday.