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--- gaps:laws_treaty [2026/09/30 17:31] – Reviewed and finalised lfpo
+++ gaps:laws_treaty [2026/10/01 14:09] (current) – Disclaimer reference added lfpo
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 ====== Gap: treaty on autonomous weapons systems ======
-//As of 30 September 2026.//
+//As of 1 October 2026. Information only, not legal advice – see the [[about:disclaimer|disclaimer]].//
 ^ Full title | No treaty on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) |
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 **Status of the CCW process.** According to Human Rights Watch, the final GGE report includes a characterisation of LAWS and affirms requirements for human control and judgment under international law; 76 States (70 of them CCW High Contracting Parties) have expressed support for negotiating a legally binding instrument. The same source reports that the United States and the Russian Federation sought changes to the text. The Preparatory Committee for the Seventh Review Conference met from 7 to 9 September 2026; the Review Conference is scheduled for 16–20 November 2026 in Geneva, where a negotiating mandate may be considered.
-**Positions.** Some States support a two-tier approach of prohibitions and regulations within a legally binding instrument; others consider existing international humanitarian law sufficient or favour non-binding measures. In the 2024 General Assembly vote, Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation voted against resolution 79/62; abstaining States included China, India, Israel and the United States (as reported by Human Rights Watch).
+**Positions.** Some States support a two-tier approach of prohibitions and regulations within a legally binding instrument; others consider existing international humanitarian law sufficient or favour non-binding measures. In the 2024 General Assembly vote, Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation voted against resolution 79/62; abstaining States included China, India, Israel and the United States (as reported by Human Rights Watch). The Holy See, a High Contracting Party to the CCW, requires in the encyclical //Magnifica humanitas// (2026) that the decision to use lethal force "remain under effective, self-aware and responsible human control" (no. 200) (see [[law:statements:magnifica_humanitas]]).
 ===== Recent developments =====
   * 2025-05-12 to 2025-05-13: Open informal consultations on LAWS in New York, pursuant to resolution 79/62 (UNODA).
   * 2025-11-06: UN General Assembly First Committee approves draft resolution L.41 on LAWS (156–5–8), later adopted as resolution 80/57 (Stop Killer Robots; UN Digital Library).
+  * 2026-05-15: Encyclical //Magnifica humanitas// of Pope Leo XIV states that "it is not permissible to entrust lethal or otherwise irreversible decisions to artificial systems" (no. 198) and calls for "a shared framework — also at the international level — in order to curb the technological arms race" (no. 200) (see [[law:statements:magnifica_humanitas]]).
   * 2026-08-25: Renewed joint call by the UN Secretary-General and the ICRC President (UN News).
   * 2026-09-05: CCW GGE on LAWS concludes its final session with adoption of its report (Human Rights Watch).
@@ Line 40: / Line 41: @@
   * [[law:coe:ai_convention]]
   * [[gaps:nc3]]
+  * [[law:un:military_ai]]
+  * [[law:soft:reaim]]
+  * [[law:statements:magnifica_humanitas]]
 ===== Sources =====
@@ Line 59: / Line 63: @@
   * 2026-09-27: Entry created (draft).
   * 2026-09-30: Entry reviewed and finalised.
+  * 2026-10-01: Reference to the encyclical Magnifica humanitas and related entries added.