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.
2015
Statement by the Netherlands
On the question of legality of weapon systems we are guided by international law and in particular by International Humanitarian Law. All weapon systems (and their eventual use in armed conflicts) should meet the rules and regulations of international law. Part of that is Art. …
Statement by the Netherlands
… we also see value to further discuss the idea of a peer review process on Article 36.