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December 2024 UN General Assembly resolution
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Published by the American Society of International Law in January 2025, this piece provides legal analysis of the landmark UNGA LAWS resolution and the international regulatory landscape, relevant to AI governance and autonomous weapons policy discussions.
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Importance: 62/100organizational reportanalysis
Summary
This ASIL Insight analyzes the December 2024 UN General Assembly resolution on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), which passed 166-3, and examines momentum toward a new international treaty. It outlines the typology of autonomous weapons (semi-, supervised-, and fully autonomous), existing international frameworks, and the debate over prohibiting versus regulating LAWS.
Key Points
- •The December 2, 2024 UNGA resolution on LAWS passed with 166 votes in favor, signaling strong international concern about autonomous weapons in conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza.
- •The resolution proposes a two-tiered approach: prohibiting some LAWS while regulating others under international law.
- •Three categories of autonomy are defined: human-in-the-loop (semi-autonomous), human-on-the-loop (supervised), and human-out-of-the-loop (fully autonomous).
- •The CCW Group of Governmental Experts has worked on LAWS for a decade but faces criticism for slow progress due to its consensus-based model.
- •There is currently no consensus definition of LAWS under international law, complicating treaty negotiations and regulatory frameworks.
Cited by 2 pages
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| AI Misuse Risk Cruxes | Crux | 65.0 |
| Autonomous Weapons | Risk | 56.0 |
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- Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems & International Law: Growing Momentum Towards a New International Treaty
# Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems & International Law: Growing Momentum Towards a New International Treaty
Issue:
1
Volume:
29
By:
Benjamin Perrin
Date:
January 24, 2025
[Tweet](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1%2F&text=New+@asil_org+Insight) [PDF Version](https://www.asil.org/sites/default/files/ASIL_Insights_2025_V29_I1.pdf)
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**Introduction**
On December 2, 2024, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems [\[1\]](https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1#_edn1 "") with overwhelming support: 166 votes in favor, 3 opposed (Belarus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation), and 15 abstentions. [\[2\]](https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1#_edn2 "") The resolution mentions the potential for a two-tiered approach to prohibit some lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) while regulating others under international law. This resolution is the latest in a series of international actions reflecting heightened concern about the development and use of LAWS in recent and ongoing conflicts, including in Ukraine and Gaza.
At the same time, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons’ Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (CCW Group of Experts) [\[3\]](https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1#_edn3 "") has made notable progress on the issue of LAWS over the last decade, but has faced criticism for not moving faster due to its consensus model. [\[4\]](https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1#_edn4 "") The issue of LAWS has become a focal point in international deliberations, with momentum building towards the development of clearer, more robust international legal frameworks.
**Definition and Examples of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems**
The advent of LAWS has occurred due to advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, sensor technologies, and real-time data processing, enabling systems to independently identify, track, and engage targets.
There is presently no consensus definition of LAWS under international law, [\[5\]](https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1#_edn5 "") although some progress has been made towards one. [\[6\]](https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1#_edn6 "") Generally speaking, LAWS are weapons systems that, once activated, “select targets and apply force without human intervention.” [\[7\]](https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/29/issue/1#_edn7 "")
Given the varying degree of automation in weapons systems, different typologies have been developed t
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