Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United Nations has been examining a ban on lethal robots, including combat unmanned aerial vehicles.

On May 16, the UN concluded a four-day convention on lethal autonomous weapons systems used by such countries as Israel and the United States.

The parley in Geneva, Switzerland marked the first formal effort to examine a ban on unmanned combat systems.

“There is now widespread recognition that killer robots need to be urgently addressed,” said Mary Wareham, arms advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons brought together representatives from 87 countries. The meetings reviewed a range of weapons and whether their use was legal or ethical.

Some of the representatives raised the prospect that militaries would develop fully autonomous weapons to kill people. They cited frequent Predator UAV strikes on Al Qaida by the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Yemen.

“The call for a pre-emptive ban on fully autonomous weapons systems has become a central feature of the debate,” Ms. Wareham said.

The UN plans to host a larger meeting in November 2014. Organizers said
117 nations would discuss whether action should be taken to ban unmanned
combat platforms.

“Autonomous weapons are a complex issue,” French ambassador Jean-Hugues
Simon Michel, who chaired the parley, said. “The discussions held during
the meeting took place in very constructive atmosphere and showed that there
is a real interest in continuing to explore the issue at the CCW.”

  combat UAVs, Human Rights Watch, In first, Predator drone, UN debates ‘pre-emptive ban’ on killer robots