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128 Countries Agree Definition for Autonomous Weapons Treaty Talks

9/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.N. Commissioner Volker Turk called for a ban on weapons that kill without human control.
Russian fully autonomous drones killed three Ukrainians on July 6 in Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine has field-tested fully autonomous weapons.
On Sept 5, 128 countries agreed on a definition of autonomous weapons.
States must decide by November whether to start treaty negotiations on autonomous weapons.

History

Historical Context

The United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, concluded in Geneva on 10 October 1980 and in force since December 1983, now counts 128 state parties (July 2024). In the 2010s the CCW opened talks on lethal autonomous weapons, though most major powers still oppose a ban. German expert Volker Türk now urges a new ban after Russian drones killed three Ukrainians in Zaporizhzhia.

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Story summary

U.N. Commissioner Volker Turk called for a ban on weapons that kill without human control.
Russian fully autonomous drones killed three Ukrainians on July 6 in Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine has field-tested fully autonomous weapons.
On Sept 5, 128 countries agreed on a definition of autonomous weapons.
States must decide by November whether to start treaty negotiations on autonomous weapons.

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