Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told a United Nations conference that Sri Lanka would back efforts to outlaw autonomous weapons that use artificial intelligence.
“The rapid development of technology, including the application of artificial intelligence in weapons systems, presents unprecedented challenges to the global disarmament architecture today,” Minister Herath stated at the High Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament.
Sri Lanka firmly supports the early start of negotiations on a legally enforceable instrument to prohibit lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), in line with our stance that upholding the norms of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is a fundamental component of global peace and stability.
“Since 2023, Sri Lanka was one of the primary sponsors of the first-ever UNGA First Committee Resolution on LAWS, which was passed by a resounding majority.”
Sri Lanka has also voiced concern about the increasing risks to space peace brought about by the quick advancement of space technology, which is making it harder to distinguish between military and commercial operations.
According to him, Sri Lanka has continuously supported the negotiation of a legally enforceable instrument to stop an arms race in space and will keep up its active efforts in that direction.
