UN and ICRC renew call for binding rules on autonomous weapons

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric urged states to begin negotiations on a legally binding instrument with prohibitions and restrictions on autonomous weapon systems, warning that human control over force is eroding.

Why it matters: International humanitarian law applies, but specific rules for systems that select and engage targets remain contested.

Business/technical/strategic impact: Developers and defence contractors should preserve human judgement, traceability, predictable operating limits, testing and deactivation. The statement is a policy position, not evidence that a treaty has been agreed.