States and some organisations have expressed their views about the utility, purpose, scope and process of the legal review of weapons in various different contexts. Some of these views have been recorded domestic documents, such as military manuals on the law of armed conflict. Increasingly, however, States and organisations have articulated their positions in a range of international fora, either through written submissions or oral interventions.
This database compiles and organises publicly expressed views in relation to legal reviews, without prejudice to their relative significance or effect (for example, in terms of the development of customary international law). The database aims to comprehensively reflect the views of states but only covers the positions of a small number of selected organisations.
This database currently contains 379 positions and is continuously updated. Any corrections, or suggestions to add material, are welcome.
2019
Statement by the European Union
We recall that national legal weapons reviews must be conducted, pursuant to Article 36 of [AP I], in the study, development, acquisition or adoption of a new weapon, means or method of warfare, in order to determine whether its employment would, in some or all …
Statement of the European Union
All States must ensure that emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence that could be used in [LAWS] are developed and used in compliance with international law, in particular [IHL]. National legal weapons reviews in compliance with IHL remain a relevant tool in this context. Humans need …