ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Autonomous weapons pose a clear and present danger to the Caribbean. Action to ban them should be seriously considered now.
This is one of four recommendations I made in an address to a September 5 conference organized by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security on “The Human Impacts of Autonomous Weapons .”This article is a shortened version of my address to law enforcement officers, lawyers, and diplomats.
Autonomous weapons are weapon systems that can identify, target, and eliminate a person, a group of persons, or an area without human intervention. Unlike remotely piloted drones or other systems that require a human to decide to engage a target, autonomous weapons can carry out these actions on their own once they are activated.
So, why should the Caribbean region be alarmed at this phenomenon? There are several reasons. Our communities are already under stress due to increasing crime and violence. The illegal firearms contributing to violent crime and homicides are a precursor to a more profound threat.
Can you imagine the impact of autonomous weapons being added to the arsenal of weapons now deployed in criminal activity? Consider a drone, meticulously programmed with facial recognition technology, set to target an individual. It scans, identifies, and eliminates its target, all while operating undetected.
Potential Targets:
Autonomous weapons are diverse. They consist of drones but also of covert city devices and lethal robots. They can be precise, targeting key figures such as political leaders, judges, law enforcement officers -or anyone who opposes those who benefit from drug trafficking or other criminal activity.
Beyond individuals, our critical infrastructure is also at risk, including energy facilities that provide electricity to towns and cities, ports, and water supplies.
The Global Context:
There is an increasing chorus within the international community advocating for a robust treaty to govern these autonomous weapons. Prominent international figures, including the Pope and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, have voiced their concerns.
Last October, a joint statement was issued in the First Committee of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, drawing grave concerns about lethal autonomous weapons systems.
The statement said, among other things: “… the introduction of new technological applications, such as those related to autonomy in weapon systems, also raise serious concerns from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives. We therefore see an urgent need for the international community to further their understanding and address these risks and challenges by adopting appropriate rules and measures, such as principles, good practices, limitations, and constraints”.
Also, on July 20 this year, under the theme of “A New Agenda for Peace,” the UN Secretary-General recommended that all countries “conclude, by 2026, a legally binding instrument to prohibit lethal autonomous weapon systems that function without human control or oversight.” The government of Costa Rica has also been proactive in galvanizing nations to address this problematic issue.
The calls for international cooperation to curb autonomous weapons is a crucial step, but not all governments in the international community support this position. Indeed, some of them, which are already extensively using drones and other lethal machines in war-torn areas and for targeting enemies, resist any binding treaties that limit their use of autonomous weapons. The Stop Killer Robots Movement has pointed out that this year’s Group of Governmental Experts meeting on autonomous weapons systems, from May 15 to 19, ended without substantive progress.
Big countries that see benefits in these weapons are resisting strict rules. These nations are investing heavily in military applications of autonomous weapons, weaving them into the fabric of their defense strategies. They argue that these weapons can reduce human casualties in conflict or be more precise in targeting.
Anyone who doubts the capacity of these weapons need only look at television coverage of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to see the death and destruction they inflict. Minor States Vulnerability and Caribbean Unity
How long before these weapons find their way into the wrong hands, unchecked and unregulated? While international negotiations grind slowly, the Caribbean cannot afford the luxury of waiting. Caribbean vulnerabilities are immediate and tangible.
Caribbean borders are vast stretches of open sea, posing substantial challenges. Policing these expenses for inter-state trafficking, especially for high-tech, compact autonomous weaponry, is daunting. Moreover, Caribbean governments would be burdened with an unaffordable increase in costs.
For instance, law enforcement agencies must be revamped, counter-terrorism units established, and intelligence networks enhanced. Our vast maritime borders are conduits for trafficking, and introducing autonomous weapons into this mix is a nightmare scenario. Given the high stakes, Caribbean nations need not, and should not, wait for global consensus.
Their Unity can be their strength. A regional approach, where Caribbean nations enact stringent legislation, can set a powerful precedent.
Proposed Regional Actions:
Here are four ideas for collective regional action:
First, an immediate step should be the introduction of laws strictly banning the importation of autonomous weapons. We minimize the immediate threat by ensuring they don’t enter our shores.
Second, those found breaching these laws should face severe repercussions. From heavy fines to lengthy prison sentences, the message must be clear: the Caribbean will not tolerate the proliferation of these weapons.
Third, beyond possession and trafficking, using such weapons should carry even more substantial penalties, potentially maximum terms. This deterrence will underscore the gravity of the act.
Fourth, with the United Nations General Assembly gathering in October 2023, Caribbean States can take leadership in pushing for meaningful progress toward a new legally binding instrument. Every Caribbean leader at the General Assembly should include this call in their statements. Also, with the same vigor that small states at the UN fight against the existential threat of Climate Change, they should fight against the fatal danger of our police forces being overwhelmed by criminals armed with autonomous weapons.
Conclusion
To conclude, with its unique vulnerabilities, the Caribbean region stands at a crossroads.
Our States can be proactive, adapting our laws and bolstering our defenses, or we can risk being overpowered.
*(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College at the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.)
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