As Members of Parliament worldwide, we strongly endorse and support the negotiation of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Fully Autonomous Weapons.

We are deeply concerned at the possibility of relinquishing human control from weapons systems and the devastating consequences that would follow.

We believe firmly that humans should always bear ultimate responsibility on matters concerning life and death.

We are encouraged by the growing number of States, Regional and International Organizations, individuals engaged in the Artificial Intelligence sector as well as civil society organizations now actively calling for the negotiation of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Fully Autonomous Weapons.

We commend the UN Secretary-General as well as the Under-Secretary-General and UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs for their repeated calls for a prohibition of lethal autonomous weapons systems.

We urge all UN Member States to engage earnestly in substantive ongoing discussions with a view to launching negotiation of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Fully Autonomous Weapons by the end of 2021 and adopting the Treaty by the end of 2022.

As Parliamentarians, we are not only supporters of the negotiation of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Fully Autonomous Weapons – we also recognize, and embrace, our role and responsibility in making this Treaty a meaningful reality.

As Advocates, we will continue to actively engage with, and outreach to, our colleagues in Parliament as well as the executive branches of government in our respective countries to promote the negotiation of this Treaty.

We are cognizant of the need to incorporate gender and social considerations into the negotiation of this Treaty and the subsequent development of national legislation, given the devastating potential for the use of Fully Autonomous Weapons to exasperate existing inequalities for women, people of colour, and other marginalized groups.

As Lawmakers, we undertake to draft, implement and enforce legislation which can give full effect to this Treaty, once negotiated.

As Elected officials, and through the exercise of our parliamentary prerogatives of oversight and accountability, we will use every opportunity at our disposal to support processes initiated by our respective Governments that seek to move forward the negotiation of this Treaty.

As Custodians of the Peoples’ Trust, we urge all concerned stakeholders worldwide to join us now, without delay, in seeking the negotiation of this Treaty, in order to make our world a fundamentally safer place.

Countries Calling for a Ban on Fully Autonomous Weapons:

As of May 2020, 30 countries have endorsed the call for a prohibition on fully autonomous weapons:

Who Can Endorse: The Global Parliamentary Declaration is open for endorsement by all Members of National and Provincial/State Parliaments as well as Members of Regional Parliament.

How To Endorse: Please send confirmation of your endorsement by email to banfaws@pgaction.org , from your official parliamentary email account.