THE EMERGENCE OF AUTONOMOUS WEAPON SYSTEMS: A THREAT TO THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER PEACE FRAMEWORK?
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Abstract
Days are not far when autonomous weapon systems will be deployed on the battlefield soon. Autonomous weapon Systems (AWS) also known as killer robots are weapons that can select and engage targets without human intervention once activated. The advent of autonomous weapons has ignited heated debate amongst the members of the international community about the compatibility of such weapons with the norms of international humanitarian law. The deployment of killer robots raises significant legal, ethical, and strategic concerns that could severely impact the primary purpose of the United Nations (UN). Against this backdrop, this paper explores the threats such weapons pose to the UN Charter Peace Framework. In doing so, it analyses several grounds, including how the prohibition of the use of force becomes ineffective, thereby endangering the UN's primary mission, which is to maintain international peace and security.
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