In a joint statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric warned that the world is on the verge of crossing moral boundaries and urged states to begin negotiations on the issue.

They also noted that November is a crucial month, as the Seventh Review Conference of the Convention on Conventional Weapons will take place, an event that offers a way to formally begin talks.

They reiterated that in the current context, the gap between t

echnological advances and countries’ capacity to regulate them has increased considerably. “Today we renew this call with even greater urgency.

The fundamental concerns have not changed, but the risks have intensified.

We are dangerously close to crossing a moral red line: machines autonomously selecting human beings as targets,” the joint statement points out.

In this regard, it warns that one of the main issues to analyze is how much control people will retain over the use of force as weapons acquire greater levels of autonomy.

It also notes that advanced technologies employed on battlefields are already increasing risks to civilians and infrastructure.

“States must show political courage and move from incremental discussions to decisive action,” it asserts.

Furthermore, the text argues that it is necessary to define who is responsible when a mistake is made or international law is violated.

Without clear prohibitions and restrictions, it will become increasingly difficult to establish accountability, and the protections guaranteed by law could be eroded. A lack of swift and decisive action will cost lives, it states.

“Future generations will ask whether leaders acted when there was still a chance to set limits before these weapons proliferated out of control. The path is clear.

The need is urgent. Innovation must serve humanity, not endanger it,” it adds.

abo/arm/ocs/gas