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	We must come together to protect our shared human rights values and our shared humanity by Volker Turk United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights   On Human Rights Day 2022, we are launching a year-long campaign to mark 75 years since the adoption of the transformative text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.   In the midst of war in Ukraine this week, it was particularly poignant for me to recall that, as the preamble of the Universal Declaration states, it is the “disregard and contempt for human rights” that “have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind”.   In the many crises and calamities our human family is experiencing around the world, we are seeing these truths play out. But even where the challenges seem intractable, if the leaders in politics and society would only centre their responses on human rights, the solutions will be always within sight.   This is what the Universal Declaration states, it is what I believe, and it is what I hear from human rights defenders I have met from around the world.   I heard it in Sudan last month – where civil society, led particularly by women and young people - have changed the equation on the ground, challenged society to move and evolve for the better, with more liberties.   I heard it in Ukraine this week. And I hear it resound every day through the work of the Office for Human Rights on the ground in 104 field presences globally.   Human rights violations anywhere concern all of us, everywhere. As journalists, every day, you play an incredibly important role in ensuring that large-scale human suffering does not go unreported and that the demands of the people are amplified so that those with the power, influence and the funds hear it to make a difference.   Today I want to highlight situations that have serious effects, and somehow have been forgotten. But don’t make the headlines.   Among these is Haiti. A crisis that has now actually forced its way back into the headlines. It cannot be ignored. This is a country where armed gangs, reportedly supported by economic and political elites, control more than 60% of the capital. Where some 4.7 million face acute hunger. Since the beginning of this year, a staggering 1,448 people have been killed, 1,145 injured and 1,005 kidnapped by gangs.   And remember that behind each of these numbers are entire families and communities that are torn apart by the violence. Gang members are also using sexual violence to instill fear and exert control over the population, as a report issued in October by the Human Rights Service of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) highlighted.   This is a multifaceted and protracted crisis. But solutions exist. They require political courage and responsibility at a national and international level. The root causes of the crisis, especially social inequalities, rampant corruption, collusion between powerful elites and gang leaders, and endemic impunity, must be addressed.   It is unconscionable that there are people benefiting from this endemic insecurity and the suffering of Haitians. I hope the recent Security Council sanctions regime and the targeted arms embargo against members of Haiti’s economic and political elites who reportedly support these gangs financially and operationally sends a strong message to those threatening Haiti’s peace, security and stability.   I call for on States to ensure that all those who wish to seek asylum have access to fair and efficient asylum procedures.   Yemen. This seemingly interminable conflict must be brought to an end. The truce needs to be renewed and expanded to enable discussions on a path toward a more comprehensive settlement.   While large-scale hostilities and airstrikes have generally subsided, we continue receiving reports of civilian casualties, especially of children near the frontlines due to landmines and other Explosive Remnants of War. Also of concern are allegations of gross human rights violations, including torture, arbitrary detention, trafficking, extortion and sexual abuse of people fleeing to other countries. The work of humanitarian actors must continue unhindered, and their freedom of movement ensured.   And Afghanistan, where the continued systematic exclusion of women and girls from virtually all aspects of life is unparalleled in this world. It deprives the country as a whole of the benefit of the significant contributions that women and girls make.   I also deplore the continued use of corporal and capital punishment, including the most recent instances of lashings and executions carried out in public this month – in flagrant violation of Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations. I urge the de facto authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on future executions and to abolish the death penalty.   Five years after the start of the conflict in Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique, civilians continue to be killed, and subjected to sexual violence, abductions, enforced disappearances, with ongoing destruction of property including schools, health centres and places of worship. Almost one million people have been displaced, more than half of them children.   Addressing the root causes of the conflict will require protecting economic and social rights, preserving civic space, ensuring access to justice and prioritising young people and women in socio-economic development and decision-making, including – and that’s very important in this context - on the use of natural resources that directly affect their lives.   There is also Somalia which faces a humanitarian catastrophe amid the longest and most severe drought in recent history. We have documented a steep rise in civilian casualties – 76 % of which are attributed to Al-Shabab. The recorded casualties from January to November 2022 – 672 people killed and 1,082 injured - are 51% higher than those during the same period last year.   Serious human rights concerns also include the arrest and detention of journalists, hindering freedom of expression, fostering self-censorship and aggravating preexisting human rights vulnerabilities. Protecting human rights is a key component of humanitarian action.   These – and many other crisis situations that have faded from the headlines – not only have severe consequences for the people directly affected, but are likely to have ripple effects across borders, and risk further de-stabilizing their regions.   One thing they – and so many other crises – have in common is disregard for human rights. They are marked – and sometimes triggered – by interlocking human rights violations. To name only a few: persistent racial and other forms of discrimination; violent crackdowns on dissent; violations of the right to an adequate standard of living – and as we are seeing now across each region a cost-of-living crisis that is leaving many not knowing how they will survive from one day to the next.   Hate speech, including in unregulated digital environments, is only further contributing to setting back rights, such as gender equality, and there we have seen a big pushback.   The brunt of the impact of these crises is always borne by the most marginalized, the most excluded, among those particularly: women, children, migrants, indigenous peoples, internally displaced people, people with disabilities, older people, ethnic and racial minorities and LGBTIQ+ people.   And globally, we are also seeing a crisis of trust. The rise in social movements and protests, across all regions, is a clear sign of the corrosiveness of institutions that are supposed to serve people. The world cannot afford for its leaders to consider human rights only as an afterthought or – worse – an instrument of geopolitics.   What greater lesson did we glean from COVID-19 – and the climate emergency - than just how interdependent we truly are? That’s really a big lesson. That we must come together to protect our shared human rights values and our shared humanity.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2023/03/global-update-high-commissioner-outlines-concerns-over-40-countries Visit the related web page
	The Future of Artificial Intelligence by Mary Wareham Advocacy Director, Arms Division - Human Rights Watch   Oct. 2023   In a joint appeal today, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, are calling on political leaders to urgently establish new international rules on autonomous weapon systems, to protect humanity.   Today we are joining our voices to address an urgent humanitarian priority. The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) call on States to establish specific prohibitions and restrictions on autonomous weapon systems, to shield present and future generations from the consequences of their use. In the current security landscape, setting clear international red lines will benefit all States.   Autonomous weapon systems – generally understood as weapon systems that select targets and apply force without human intervention – pose serious humanitarian, legal, ethical and security concerns.   Their development and proliferation have the potential to significantly change the way wars are fought and contribute to global instability and heightened international tensions. By creating a perception of reduced risk to military forces and to civilians, they may lower the threshold for engaging in conflicts, inadvertently escalating violence.   We must act now to preserve human control over the use of force. Human control must be retained in life and death decisions. The autonomous targeting of humans by machines is a moral line that we must not cross. Machines with the power and discretion to take lives without human involvement should be prohibited by international law.   Our concerns have only been heightened by the increasing availability and accessibility of sophisticated new and emerging technologies, such as in robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies, that could be integrated into autonomous weapons.   The very scientists and industry leaders responsible for such technological advances have also been sounding the alarm. If we are to harness new technologies for the good of humanity, we must first address the most urgent risks and avoid irreparable consequences.   This means prohibiting autonomous weapon systems which function in such a way that their effects cannot be predicted. For example, allowing autonomous weapons to be controlled by machine learning algorithms – fundamentally unpredictable software which writes itself – is an unacceptably dangerous proposition.   In addition, clear restrictions are needed for all other types of autonomous weapons, to ensure compliance with international law and ethical acceptability. These include limiting where, when and for how long they are used, the types of targets they strike and the scale of force used, as well as ensuring the ability for effective human supervision, and timely intervention and deactivation.   Despite the increasing reports of testing and use of various types of autonomous weapon systems, it is not too late to take action. After more than a decade of discussions within the United Nations, including in the Human Rights Council, under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and at the General Assembly, the foundation has been laid for the adoption of explicit prohibitions and restrictions. Now, States must build on this groundwork, and come together constructively to negotiate new rules that address the tangible threats posed by these weapon technologies.   International law, particularly international humanitarian law, prohibits certain weapons and sets general restrictions on the use of all others, and States and individuals remain accountable for any violations. However, without a specific international agreement governing autonomous weapon systems, States can hold different views about how these general rules apply. New international rules on autonomous weapons are therefore needed to clarify and strengthen existing law. They will be a preventive measure, an opportunity to protect those that may be affected by such weapons and essential to avoiding terrible consequences for humanity.   We call on world leaders to launch negotiations of a new legally binding instrument to set clear prohibitions and restrictions on autonomous weapon systems and to conclude such negotiations by 2026. We urge Members States to take decisive action now to protect humanity.   Feb. 2023   More than 30 countries call for international legal controls on killer robots. (Amnesty)   Reacting to the signing of a communique by more than 30 countries in Costa Rica today calling for international law including prohibitions and regulations in relation to the development and use of autonomous weapons systems, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard said:   “The development of autonomy in weapons is accelerating, and the growing application of new Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technologies is a deeply worrying development. These machines risk automating killing, treating it as a technical undertaking which raises human rights risks as well as humanitarian, legal and ethical concerns. Autonomous machines will make life and death decisions without empathy or compassion.   “Autonomous weapon systems lack the ability to analyse the intentions behind people’s actions. They cannot make complex decisions about distinction and proportionality, determine the necessity of an attack, refuse an illegal order, or potentially recognize an attempt to surrender, which are vital for compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.   “These new weapons technologies are at risk of further endangering civilians and civilian infrastructure in conflict. Amnesty International remains concerned about the potential human rights risks that increasing autonomy in policing and security equipment poses too, such as systems which use data and algorithms to predict crime.   “It has never been more urgent to draw legal red lines around the production and use of autonomous weapons systems to ensure we maintain meaningful human control over the use of force.   “Amnesty International supports the call made by governments from Latin American and Caribbean countries today for binding international legal controls on these weapons and welcomes the decision to work in alternative forums, beyond the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) where talks have stalled, to advance this new law.”   http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/02/more-than-30-countries-call-for-international-legal-controls-on-killer-robots/   Dec. 2022   The Future of Artificial Intelligence, by Mary Wareham. (Human Rights Watch)   Ten years ago, Human Rights Watch united with other civil society groups to co-found the Stop Killer Robots campaign in response to emerging military technologies in which machines would replace human control in the use of armed force.   There is now widespread recognition that weapons systems that select and attack targets without meaningful human control represent a dangerous development in warfare, with equally disastrous implications for policing. At the United Nations in October, 70 countries, acknowledged that autonomy in weapons systems raises “serious concerns from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives.”   Delegating life-and-death decisions to machines crosses a moral line, as they would be incapable of appreciating the value of human life and respecting human dignity. Fully autonomous weapons would reduce humans to objects or data points to be processed, sorted and potentially targeted for lethal action.   A U.N. Human Rights Council resolution adopted Oct. 7 stresses the central importance of human decision-making in the use of force. It warns against relying on nonrepresentative data sets, algorithm-based programming and machine-learning processes. Such technologies can reproduce and exacerbate existing patterns of discrimination, marginalization, social inequalities, stereotypes and bias — with unpredictable outcomes.   The only way to safeguard humanity from these weapons is by negotiating new international law. Such an agreement is feasible and achievable. More than 70 countries see an urgent need for “internationally agreed rules and limits” on autonomous weapons systems. This objective has strong support from scientists, faith leaders, military veterans, industry and Nobel Peace laureates.   On Oct. 6, Boston Dynamics and five other robotics companies pledged to not weaponize their advanced mobile robots or the software they develop — and called on the robotics community to follow suit.   There's now much greater understanding among governments of the essential elements of the legal framework needed to address this issue. There is strong recognition that a new international treaty should prohibit autonomous weapons systems that inherently lack meaningful human control or that target people. The treaty should also ensure that other weapons systems can never be used without meaningful human control.   The inability of the current discussion forum to progress to negotiations — due to opposition from some major military powers, such as Russa and the United States — shows its limitations. A new path is urgently needed to negotiate new law. The United States should realize that it is in its interest to participate in drafting new law on killer robots.   Without a dedicated international legal standard on killer robots, the world faces an increasingly uncertain and dangerous future.   http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/03/digital-dehumanization-paves-way-killer-robots http://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/28/future-artificial-intelligence http://www.hrw.org/report/2022/11/10/agenda-action/alternative-processes-negotiating-killer-robots-treaty http://www.stopkillerrobots.org/ Visit the related web page
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