The second 2025 session of the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE LAWS), established under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), opened in Geneva on 1 September.
The Group’s mandate is to formulate and adopt by consensus elements of a future instrument on LAWS by the end of 2026.
Italy has been actively engaged in the international debate on these weapon systems since 2013, contributing to the development of definitions and characterizations, as well as to clarifying the application of existing international humanitarian law. In its interventions during this session, Italy focused on the operational aspects and critical functions of these systems, highlighting the importance of ensuring appropriate human control throughout the entire life cycle of LAWS. The human element was also the subject of a specific working paper presented by Italy together with a group of States: (https://docs-library.unoda.org/Convention_on_Certain_Conventional_Weapons_-Group_of_Governmental_Experts_on_Lethal_Autonomous_Weapons_Systems_(2025)/CCW-GGE.1-2025-WP.4.pdf
The full application of international humanitarian law and the development of norms towards an Additional Protocol to the CCW remain at the core of Italy’s position.
The session will conclude on Friday, 5 September.
