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Why?

The increased autonomy of weapons through the introduction

of artificial intelligence will fundamentally transform the

future of armed conflict. Autonomous weapons systems

(AWS) therefore raise profound questions from a legal, ethical,

humanitarian and security perspective. Humanity finds itself

at a crossroads and needs to come together to face the

challenge of regulations for these weapons. An overwhelming

majority of states have stressed the urgent need for the

international community to address the challenges and

concerns raised by AWS in the first-ever UN General Assembly

First Committee resolution on Lethal Autonomous Weapons

Systems.

International efforts to regulate AWS have been ongoing

for 11 years in a Group of Governmental Experts as part of

the Certain Conventional Weapons Convention. Although

discussions have been substantive and productive, they have

not yet progressed from multilateral discussions to a mandate

to negotiate international norms and rules. However, the

urgency for such a step continues to increase due to rapid

technological progress and the window to create a (still)

preventive legal and normative framework is closing.

The aim of the conference is, thus, to increase international

awareness of the topic of AWS and their legal, moral,

ethical and security policy challenges, as well as to build

momentum and underscore the urgency for the creation of

an international legal and normative framework.

Moreover, the above-mentioned resolution requested the UN

Secretary General to seek the views of Member States and

observer States on lethal autonomous weapons systems and

to submit a substantive report to the General Assembly at its

seventy-ninth session for further discussion. The conference

also aims to provide substantive input that could be useful

for States’ submissions to this report.

What, when, where?

Two-day conference organised by the Austrian Federal

Ministry for European and International Affairs on 29-30 April

2024 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. It will start with a high-

level political segment (opening speakers, as well as political

discussion with invited ministers, high-ranking representatives

of international organisations and tech experts). This will

be followed by one and a half days of expert discussions

with panel presentations and Q&A sessions, followed by

an opportunity for statements from states, international

organisations (IOs) and non-governmental organisations.

Outcome: A Chair’s Summary document outlining the main

points made during the presentations and discussions. The

Conference Summary will be submitted by Austria as input

for the UN Secretary General’s report.

Who?

All UN member and observer states, relevant IOs, especially

from the UN system, the ICRC, regional organisations, the

tech community, industry and civil society organisations are

invited to participate.

Humanity at the Crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Challenge of Regulation

Vienna Conference 2024

FAQs

www.aws2024.at

Why Austria?

Austria is an active contributor to the discussions of AWS in

the Group of Governmental Experts with a particular focus

on the need to safeguard meaningful human control over

AWS. Austria supports the so-called two-tier approach of a

combination of prohibitions and regulations of AWS.

In addition,

• Austria hosted an AWS Virtual/Hybrid Conference in

September 2021 “Safeguarding Human Control over

Autonomous Weapons Systems”.

• Austria initiated and coordinated a cross-regional

statement on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems

developed at the 2022 First Committee of the UN

General Assembly, which was supported by 70 states.

• In October 2022, Austria together with Panama

co-authored a resolution adopted by consensus in the

Human Rights Council on the human rights implications

of new and emerging technologies.

• At the UN General Assembly 2023, Austria initiated

and submitted the first ever UN General Assembly

resolution on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems.

The resolution was adopted with a large majority.

All further information about the conference, including the

program, as well as information on visa requirements the

sponsorship programme and other logistical details are

available at www.AWS2024.at

Humanity at the Crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Challenge of Regulation

Vienna Conference 2024

Information Package

Thank you for your interest in the international conference

“Humanity at the Crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems

and the Challenge of Regulation”, taking place on 29-30 April

2024 in the Hofburg Palace.    

All the updated information on the agenda, visa application

and practical information can be found on the website

http://www.aws2024.at/.

Registration

State Delegates/IOs:

To register, please fill out this form: https://bmeia.liland.cloud/

app/registration/form/event/33430161/client/bmeia/lang/en

Please make sure to fill out all the mandatory fields (marked

with *). Dates have to be put in in the format DD.MM.YYYY.

After you submit the registration form, you will receive a

notification that your application is pending.

Please note that the Note Verbale of your State /International

Organisation must be uploaded AND sent through the usual

diplomatic channels in order to complete your application.

Please ensure that the Note Verbale includes the names of

all delegates wishing to attend. 

After your application has been processed, you will receive

another email informing whether your participation has been

confirmed. Attached to the confirmation mail you will receive

a ticket with a QR-Code. Please bring your ticket and a photo

ID/passport to be able to enter the premises and receive a

badge. The ticket is non-transferable.

The registration period ends on 8 April 2024.

International Organizations include UN-Organizations and

the ICRC.

Civil Society:

To register, please fill out this form: https://bmeia.liland.cloud/

app/registration/form/event/33429789/client/bmeia/lang/en

Please make sure to fill out all the mandatory fields (marked

with *). Dates have to be put in in the format DD.MM.YYYY.

After you submit the registration form, you will receive a

notification that your application is pending. After your

application has been processed you will receive another email

informing whether your participation has been confirmed. 

Attached to the confirmation mail you will receive a ticket

with a QR-Code. Please bring your ticket and a photo ID/

passport to be able to enter the premises and get issued a

badge. The ticket is non-transferable.

The Registration Period ends on 8 April 2024.

Civil Society includes Parliamentarians, Industry, NGOs and

Academics/Scientists.

www.aws2024.at

Media:

To register, please fill out this form: https://bmeia.liland.cloud/

app/registration/form/event/33621977/client/bmeia/lang/en

Please make sure to fill out all the mandatory fields (marked

with *). Dates have to be put in in the format DD.MM.YYYY.

After you submit the registration form, you will receive a

notification that your application is pending. After your

application has been processed, you will receive another email

informing whether your participation has been confirmed.

Attached to the confirmation mail you will receive a ticket

with a QR-Code. Please bring your ticket, a photo ID/passport

and a valid press card to be able to enter the premises and

receive a badge. The ticket is non-transferable.

The registration period ends on 8 April 2024.

Visa Requirements

Please note that nationals of certain countries require a

Schengen Visa to enter Austria.

You can find relevant information and practical references

concerning entry to Austria or the Schengen Area, as well as

information about the application process, here:

Entrance and Residence in Austria – BMEIA - Außenministerium

Österreich

You can find the Austrian representation for your country here: 

Search for Austrian Representations – BMEIA, Außenministerium

Österreich.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior provides a list of countries

with visa requirements under the following link:

Visumpflichtige Länder (bmi.gv.at)

Sponsorships

A limited sponsorship programme is available. States with no

representation in Austria are particularly invited to apply for

sponsorships and will be preferred in the application process

(only 1 delegate per country).

The sponsorship will cover the travelling expenses to and

from Austria as well as accommodation during the time of

the workshop.

Participants wishing to apply for sponsorship are kindly

requested to also contact aws2024@bmeia.gv.at as soon as

possible.

Applicants should note that there is no entitlement to

receiving a sponsorship.

29 April 2024

Registration open

Coffee available

High-level opening

Welcome and introduction

H.E. Alexander Schallenberg

Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria

H.E. Izumi Nakamitsu

United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs

H.E. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger

President of the International Committee of the Red Cross

Further speakers to be confirmed.

High-level panel – “The need for regulation – action – partnership”

A high-level panel of invited guests will assess the need for regulation of autonomous weapons

systems (AWS) and of partnerships to move this objective forward in a moderated discussion.

Several ministers and other high-level participants have already confirmed their participation,

others are still pending. The final set-up for the high-level panel will be communicated as

soon as possible.

Lunch

Side events and ‘stalls’ provide opportunities for interaction.

08:30

08:30 – 10:00

10:00 – 11:00

11:00 – 12:30

12:30 – 14:15

Humanity at the Crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Challenge of Regulation

Vienna Conference 2024

Provisional Conference Programme

www.aws2024.at

Panel 1 – Emerging technologies, AWS and the (future) shape of conflict

Panel presentations – followed by moderated Q&A

The panel will set the scene for the conference, discussing where technological development

in the field of AWS is going and how the issue of AWS relates to wider questions around

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the military domain and large-scale data processing. It will address

implications of ‘autonomy’ on international security and society in general and introduce the

specific humanitarian, legal, ethical, security and technological challenges of AWS.

Dr Agnes Callamard

Secretary General, Amnesty International

Dr Beyza Unal

Head of Science and Technology Unit, Science and Technology Unit, UNODA

Jimena Viveros

Member of the United Nations High-level Advisory Body on AI

Chief of Staff and Head Legal Advisor, Mexican Supreme Court

Elina Noor

Senior Fellow, Asia Programme, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Further speaker to be confirmed.

Coffee Break

Panel 2 – Human control and accountability under the law

Panel presentations – followed by moderated Q&A

The panel will consider the role of humans in the use of force regarding AWS. It will pro-

vide the basis to discuss the necessary positive obligations that would allow for adequate

human judgement and control. It will also assess to what extent human decision-making is

indispensable to make moral and legal judgements ahead of the use of force and to hold

people accountable as required by international law. The panel will further address design,

development and training aspects related to AWS.

Dr Cordula Dröge

Chief Legal Officer and Head of the Legal Division,

International Committee of the Red Cross

Prof Harold Hongju Koh

Sterling Professor of International Law, Yale Law School

14:15 – 15:45

15:45 – 16:15

16:15 – 17:45

Prof Arthur Mutambara

Director, Institute for the Future of Knowledge, University of Johannesburg

PD Dr Frank Sauer

Head of Research, Metis Institute for Strategy and Foresight,

University of the Bundeswehr Munich

Richard Moyes

Director, Article 36

End of Day 1

30 April 2024

Coffee available and presentation / interactive stalls open

Panel 3 – Human dignity and the ethics of algorithms

Panel presentations – followed by moderated Q&A

The panel will consider the range of ethical and human rights aspects that are of key relevance

in relation to AWS and their regulation. This includes the question of processing people as data

through sensors and algorithms to make decisions about subjecting them to physical force, the

targeting of people and the wider risks including the role of bias in data sets and algorithms.

Peggy Hicks

Director, Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division,

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Hon. Dr Solomon Ayele Dersso

Commissioner, African Commission on Human and Peoples‘ Rights

Dr Neil Renic

Researcher at the Centre for Military Studies, University of Copenhagen

Dr Fan Yang

Assistant Professor of International Law, Law School of Xiamen University

Anja Kaspersen

Director for Global Markets Development and Frontier Technologies,

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Coffee Break

08:30 – 09:30

09:30 – 11:00

11:00 – 11:30

17:45

Panel 4 – How dealing with AWS will shape future human-technology relations

Panel presentation – followed by moderated Q&A

This panel will focus on the wider questions of why action is necessary for society as a whole

and the future of armed conflict. Lessons learnt from autonomy and AI in civil applications

will be discussed. The risk of an ‘autonomy’ arms race, lowering the threshold for military

confrontation and proliferation to non-state armed groups and terrorists demonstrate the

urgency to take action.

Dr Patricia Lewis

Research Director, International Security, Chatham House

Prof Mary Ellen O‘Connell

Robert & Marion Short Professor of Law and Professor of International Peace Studies,

Kroc Institute at University of Notre Dame

Dr Thompson Chengeta

Reader in Law, Liverpool John Moores University, and Board Member,

UN Secretary General Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters

Prof Kenneth Payne

Professor of Strategy, King’s College London

Emilia Javorsky MD, MPH

Director of the Futures Programme, The Future of Life Institute

Lunch

Side events and ‘stalls’ provide opportunities for interaction.

Session 1 for statements by attending states and other stakeholders

Coffee Break

Session 2 for statements by attending states and other stakeholders

Closing session

This session presents the conference chair’s outcome document outlining the main points

made during the presentations and discussions. The Conference Summary will be submitted by

Austria as input for the UN GS report pursuant to UN General Assembly resolution A/78/409.

Conference Ends

11:30 – 13:00

13:00 – 14:30

14:30 – 16:00

16:00 – 16:30

16:30 – 17:30

17:30 – 18:00

18:00

The Conference will also be livestreamed on the Conference website (www.aws2024.at).