UN disarmament debate focuses on human control of autonomous weapons

Delegates at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee called for human control over the use of force during a disarmament debate on 12 October 2026, according to United Nations Press (UN Press). UN Press described the emphasis on human control as a point of convergence across geopolitical divides, but its meeting coverage does not establish a committee decision on autonomous weapons. [1]

Sri Lanka’s delegate called lethal autonomous weapons an emerging threat and said human judgement and control should remain clear throughout a weapon’s life cycle. Italy’s representative said people must remain responsible for decisions to use force and that international humanitarian law must apply regardless of the technology involved. [1]

The United Kingdom’s representative said a group of government experts had agreed in September on elements for a possible future instrument to regulate lethal autonomous weapons. The meeting coverage does not establish that an instrument was adopted. Colombia’s delegate placed the discussion in a wider context of what he described as strategic mistrust and a growing gap between the ability to use force and the controls governing it. [1]