World Parliament Act on the Global Regulation of Autonomous Weapons Systems Development and Use

World Parliament Act on the Global Regulation of Autonomous Weapons Systems Development and Use

Preamble

The World Parliament,

* Recognizing the rapid and transformative advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, and related technologies, and their potential implications for international peace, security, and stability;
* Acknowledging the profound ethical, legal, and humanitarian concerns raised by the development and potential deployment of Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS) that operate without meaningful human control;
* Affirming the imperative to uphold and strengthen international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law, and to maintain human responsibility and accountability for decisions concerning the use of force;
* Recalling the fundamental principles of humanity and the dictates of public conscience, which prohibit weapons that are by nature indiscriminate or cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering;
* Emphasizing the need for a comprehensive, legally binding, and globally applicable framework to address the challenges posed by AWS, ensuring that human control remains paramount in the application of force;
* Determined to prevent an arms race in AWS and to mitigate the risks of unintended escalation, instability, and the erosion of human dignity;

Hereby enacts the following Act:

Chapter I: General Provisions

Article 1: Objectives

This Act aims to:

1. Prohibit Autonomous Weapons Systems that lack meaningful human control over critical functions.
2. Regulate the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, transfer, and use of all other Autonomous Weapons Systems to ensure meaningful human control and compliance with international law.
3. Establish a framework for accountability, transparency, and international cooperation regarding AWS.
4. Promote responsible research and development of artificial intelligence and robotics for peaceful purposes.

Article 2: Definitions

For the purposes of this Act:

1. "Autonomous Weapons System" (AWS) means a weapon system that, once activated, can select and engage targets without human intervention. This definition encompasses systems with varying degrees of autonomy, including those capable of independent decision-making regarding target selection and engagement.
2. "Critical Functions" refer to the functions of a weapon system related to target selection, target engagement, and the decision to apply force.
3. "Meaningful Human Control (MHC)" means a sufficient degree of human interaction, oversight, and judgment to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and ethical considerations, and to enable human accountability for decisions concerning the use of force. MHC includes, but is not limited to, the ability to intervene, override, or deactivate the system in a timely and effective manner.
4. "Human-out-of-the-Loop AWS" refers to an AWS that, once activated, operates without any human intervention or oversight in its critical functions.
5. "State Party" means a State for which this Act has entered into force.

Chapter II: Prohibitions and Regulations

Article 3: General Prohibition of Human-Out-of-the-Loop AWS

1. Each State Party shall prohibit the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, transfer, and use of Autonomous Weapons Systems that are Human-out-of-the-Loop and are capable of selecting and engaging targets without meaningful human control.
2. This prohibition specifically includes AWS designed:
a. To target human beings directly, without human intervention in the decision to kill or injure;
b. Whose effects cannot be sufficiently understood, predicted, and explained, thereby rendering compliance with International Humanitarian Law inherently impossible or unreliable;
c. That are incapable of complying with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution under International Humanitarian Law due to inherent technological limitations or unpredictability.

Article 4: Regulation of Other Autonomous Weapons Systems

1. Each State Party shall ensure that all other Autonomous Weapons Systems, not subject to outright prohibition under Article 3, are designed, developed, and used with meaningful human control.
2. Such systems shall require human operators to maintain the ability to:
a. Intervene, override, or terminate any operation of the AWS at any time;
b. Exercise contextual judgment over the application of force;
c. Ensure compliance with all applicable principles of International Humanitarian Law, including distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
3. States Parties shall mandate rigorous testing, validation, and verification protocols for all regulated AWS prior to their deployment, and throughout their operational lifecycle, to ensure their reliability, predictability, and adherence to legal and ethical standards.
4. States Parties shall promote transparency in the development and deployment of regulated AWS, to the extent consistent with legitimate national security interests, to foster international trust and confidence.

Article 5: Accountability

1. Each State Party shall bear ultimate responsibility for the actions of Autonomous Weapons Systems under its control or jurisdiction.
2. States Parties shall establish clear lines of responsibility and accountability for individuals involved in the development, deployment, or use of AWS, ensuring that violations of International Humanitarian Law or international criminal law can be investigated and prosecuted.
3. States Parties shall ensure that mechanisms are in place to investigate incidents involving AWS and to attribute responsibility for any harm caused.

Article 6: Ethical Principles

1. The development and use of Autonomous Weapons Systems shall at all times adhere to the fundamental ethical principles of human dignity, the principle of humanity, and the dictates of public conscience.
2. States Parties shall prohibit the development or use of AWS designed to exploit vulnerabilities of individuals or groups, or to make decisions based on protected characteristics.

Chapter III: Implementation and Verification

Article 7: International Cooperation and Assistance

1. States Parties shall cooperate to facilitate the effective implementation of this Act, including through the exchange of best practices, technical expertise, and joint research on the safety, ethics, and control mechanisms of artificial intelligence and robotics for peaceful purposes.
2. A mechanism for international assistance shall be established to support States Parties requiring technical or financial aid to comply with the provisions of this Act.

Article 8: National Implementation Measures

Each State Party shall take all necessary legislative, administrative, and other measures to implement its obligations under this Act, including establishing national regulatory frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, and penalties for violations.

Article 9: Verification and Compliance

1. An international oversight body, hereinafter referred to as the "World Parliament Committee on AWS Oversight" (the Committee), is hereby established to monitor compliance with this Act.
2. States Parties shall submit regular reports to the Committee on their activities related to AWS development, production, acquisition, transfer, and use, including measures taken to ensure meaningful human control.
3. The Committee shall be empowered to conduct investigations into alleged violations of this Act, including through fact-finding missions, and to make recommendations for corrective actions.

Chapter IV: Final Provisions

Article 10: Entry into Force

1. This Act shall enter into force for each State Party on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession with the Secretary-General of the World Parliament.
2. This Act shall enter into force generally on the thirtieth day following the date on which twenty States have expressed their consent to be bound by it.

Article 11: Review Conferences

1. A Review Conference of the States Parties shall be convened every five years, or earlier if deemed necessary by a majority of States Parties, to assess the operation and effectiveness of this Act.
2. Review Conferences shall consider any necessary amendments to this Act in light of technological advancements, evolving legal interpretations, and practical experiences.

Article 12: Amendments

1. Any State Party may propose amendments to this Act.
2. Amendments shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the States Parties present and voting at a Review Conference or a special conference convened for that purpose.
3. An amendment shall enter into force for those States Parties that have ratified, accepted, or approved it on the thirtieth day after the deposit of instruments of ratification, acceptance, or approval by two-thirds of the States Parties.

Article 13: Reservations

No reservations may be made to this Act.