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March and September 2025

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Official UN UNODA page for the 2025 CCW GGE LAWS sessions; essential reference for tracking international diplomatic progress (or stagnation) on autonomous weapons regulation, directly relevant to AI governance and safety researchers monitoring military AI policy.

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Importance: 55/100otherprimary source

Summary

This page covers the 2025 meeting sessions of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS). These intergovernmental meetings are the primary multilateral forum for debating international norms, regulations, and potential prohibitions on autonomous weapons. They represent the current state of international diplomacy on AI-driven military systems.

Key Points

  • The CCW GGE on LAWS is the main UN-level forum for international negotiations on regulating or banning lethal autonomous weapons systems.
  • Two sessions are scheduled in 2025 (March and September), reflecting ongoing but slow-moving multilateral diplomacy on autonomous weapons governance.
  • Discussions typically cover human control requirements, legal compliance under IHL, and whether new binding instruments are needed.
  • Progress has been hampered by disagreements between major powers (US, Russia, China) resistant to binding prohibitions and states pushing for a ban treaty.
  • Outcomes from these sessions can shape national policies and signal the trajectory of international AI governance in the military domain.

Cited by 2 pages

PageTypeQuality
AI Misuse Risk CruxesCrux65.0
Autonomous WeaponsRisk56.0

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Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons -Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (2025) | United Nations 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
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 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
 — Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
 

 
 
 (2025)
 

 
 
 
 
 Documents 
 Statements 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 Overview

 The 2024 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) decided to organize " the Group of Governmental Experts of the High Contracting Parties related to emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), for a duration of 10 days, from 3-7 March 2025 and from 1-5 September 2025 " (CCW/MSP/2024/7, paragraph 27 (c)). The Meeting also adopted the relevant cost estimates for 2025 as contained in CCW/MSP/2024/5 .

 The 2024 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the CCW recalled the following decision taken by the 2023 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the CCW: " (...) the work of the open-ended Group of Governmental Experts related to emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapon systems established by Decision 1 of the Fifth Review Conference as contained in document CCW/CONF.V/10, adhering to the agreed recommendations contained in document CCW/CONF.V/2, is to continue, to strengthen the Convention. In the context of the objectives and purpose of the Convention, the Group is to further consider and formulate, by consensus, a set of elements of an instrument, without prejudging its nature, and other possible measures to address emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapon systems, taking into account the example of existing Protocols within the Convention, proposals presented by High Contracting Parties and other options related to the normative and operational framework on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapon systems, building upon the recommendations and conclusions of the Group, and bringing in expertise on legal, military, and technological aspects. " (CCW/MSP/2024/7, paragraph 22).

 On 28 January 2025, the CCW Implementation Support Unit circulated an aide-mémoire providing information on attending the first 2025 session of the GGE on LAWS.

 On 02 June 2025, the CCW Implementation Support Unit circulated an aide-mémoire providing information on attending the second 2025 session of the GGE on LAWS.

 

 Documents 

 CCW/GGE.1/2025/1 - Provisional agenda

 CCW/GGE.1/2025/2 - Provisional programme of work

 CCW/GGE.1/2025/INF.1 - List of participants

 Revised rolling text as of 12 May 2025 

 Additional suggestions from the Chair regarding Box I of the rolling text 

 Additional thoughts from the Chair on the critical functions of LAWS 

 Working Paper

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