CCW Meeting of the High Contracting Parties

Mr. Chair,

My Delegation wishes to congratulate you on your election and to thank you for all the work you have carried out in preparation for this meeting.

As conflicts and divisions continue to have an impact on humanity, with the total global military expenditure exceeding 2,4 trillion US dollars in 2023 – representing a 6.8 per cent increase in real terms from the previous year[1], it is evident that “there can be no escaping serious ethical questions related to the armaments sector”^[2].

The legitimate right and duty of States to defend the security and peace of their peoples must be fully respected. At the same time, genuine global security needs negotiations. In this sense States should consider embracing the appeal of Pope Francis and create a global fund with the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures to finally put an end to hunger and promote integral development in the most impoverished countries.[3]

With regard to explosive weapons, the dramatic reality on the ground leaves no doubt about the catastrophic consequences of their escalating use in densely populated areas^[4]: increasing displacement and extensive destruction of inhabited areas, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and infrastructure vital to the civilian population.

The CCW and its Protocols are intended to be an important part of the fabric of international humanitarian law (IHL), which is a means of protecting innocent civilians, limiting, and, as far as possible, preventing the human suffering caused by armed conflicts, the negative consequences of which reverberate for generations.

Given the new realities of conflict and emerging technologies, the Holy See believes that there is an urgent need to continue the “codification and progressive development of the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict”[5] as called for in the Preamble of the CCW, through a human-centered approach.

This is particularly important in light of technological advancements and the use of artificial intelligence in the military sphere, which is rapidly becoming a central element in the conduct of hostilities. While the benefits and opportunities of new technologies are many, so too are the potential prospective harms. That is why transparency and legal reviews of weapons involving new and emerging technologies are essential and, even more importantly, that is why it is fundamental to keep ethical considerations and references to the inviolability and sacredness of human dignity at the core of our deliberations.

Speaking to the G7 leaders gathered in Italy last June, Pope Francis urged them to “reconsider the development and use of devices like the so-called ‘lethal autonomous weapons’ and ultimately ban their use. This starts from an effective and concrete commitment to introduce ever greater and proper human control. No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being.”^[6] For the Holy See, it is of the utmost urgency to achieve concrete results in this field by agreeing on a solid legally binding instrument and, in the meantime, by establishing an immediate moratorium on the development and use of lethal autonomous weapons systems. In this regard, we thank the Chair of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE)  for his update and leadership during the negotiating process.

Mr. Chair,

Current and past conflicts are a tragic reminder of our responsibilities with regard to explosive remnants of war and abandoned or unexploded ordnances. In this regard, the efforts to universalize the CCW and its Protocols should be intensified, together with enhanced international cooperation to assist affected countries in a true spirit of fraternity.

Indeed, in an increasingly interconnected world, it is a deceptive and self-defeating logic to assume that the security and peace of some individuals can be separated from the collective security and peace of others.

In conclusion, allow me to renew Pope Francis’ appeal that “not weapons, not terrorism, not war, but compassion, justice and dialogue [be] the fitting means for building peace”.^[7]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.