Overview

The 2023 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 15 to 17 November 2023, in Room XIX of the Palais des Nations. It was chaired by H.E. Mr. Federico Villegas, Permanent Representative of the Argentine Republic to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

On 11 October 2023, the CCW Implementation Support Unit circulated an aide-mémoire providing information on attending the 2023 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention.

Documents

CCW/MSP/2023/1 - Provisional agenda of the 2023 MHCP

CCW/MSP/2023/2 - Provisional programme of work and annotations

CCW/MSP/2023/3 - Report of the CCW Sponsorship Programme

CCW/MSP/2023/4 - Report of the Implementation Support Unit

CCW/MSP/2023/5 - Estimated Costs 2024 Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS)

CCW/MSP/2023/6 - Estimated Costs 2024 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention

CCW/MSP/2023/7 - Final report

CCW/MSP/2023/INF.1 - List of participants

CCW/MSP/2023/CRP.2 - Compliance Annual Reports Analysis

Working papers

States wishing to submit a working paper must send the document to ccw@un.org in Word format. States are kindly asked to submit working papers at least one week before the start of the meeting, to allow enough time to format and circulate the document.

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.1 - Working paper submitted by the Russian Federation

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.2 - Working paper submitted by Austria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.3 - Working paper submitted by Australia

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.4 - Working paper submitted by the State of Palestine on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) Group, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, South Africa, Namibia, Nicaragua and Venezuela

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.5 - Working paper submitted by Ukraine

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.6 - Working paper submitted by Iraq on behalf of the Arab States Parties and Signatories to the Convention

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.7 - Working paper submitted by Australia on behalf of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Uruguay

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.8 - Working paper submitted by the European Union and the following States: Albania, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Ukraine

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.9 - Working paper submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.10 - Working paper submitted by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.11 - Working paper submitted by Albania, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Moldova, the Principality of Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and the European Union

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.12 - Working paper submitted by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Other States Parties to the CCW

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.13 - Working paper submitted by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Other States Parties to the CCW

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.14 - Working paper submitted by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Other States Parties to the CCW

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.15 - Working paper submitted by Israel

CCW/MSP/2023/WP.16 - Working paper submitted by the Chairperson

Presentations

Presentation of the CCW ISU on the Compliance Reports

Presentation by the CCW ISU on the financial situation of the Convention and its Protocols

Presentation by the CCW ISU on the ISU report

Side Events

15
November2023
Exploring Directed Energy Weapons and the Implications of Their Use Under International LawDirected Energy Weapons (DEWs) are weapons which function by concentrated electromagnetic energy, and include lasers, high-powered microwaves, and particle beam weapons. Research and development of DEWs has experienced a recent worldwide surge, stemming in part from advances in technology and a desire to maintain competitiveness on the battlefield. As a result, there have been investments in the technology by multiple Member States.

Since the entry into force of the CCW, High Contracting Parties have continuously discussed emerging technologies, and in some instances, adopted protocols on specific conventional weapons issues they have identified as particularly in need of regulation. One type of DEW, namely blinding laser weapons, has been banned as a means or method of warfare since the 1995 Protocol IV to the CCW on Blinding Laser Weapons. However, to date, there has not been any further structured debate among the HCPs on DEWs more broadly.

This side event will introduce participants to DEWs, the technology behind them, and the legal implications of their use, explored in the context of the CCW and international law more generally.

Link to register: https://tinyurl.com/yck9tzvd

Invitation to attend the side-event
13:15-14:45 CETAuditorium of the H-Building (Palais des Nations) and online
16
November2023
Risks associated with the integration of AI into autonomous weapons systemsDiscussions over the past seven years at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWS) have helped raise awareness of the risks posed by emerging technologies in the area of LAWS, including as regards civilian casualties, unintended engagements, risk of loss of control of the system, risk of proliferation, risk of acquisition by terrorist groups, among others.

One issue that has been gaining visibility relates to the possible risks of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into autonomous weapons systems. As noted by the United Nations Secretary-General in his New Agenda for Peace, “[th]e increasing ubiquity of artificial intelligence, combined with its rapid scalability, lack of transparency and pace of innovation, poses potential risks to international peace and security and presents governance challenges.”
At present, several technical challenges exist around the reliability, explainability and predictability of AI technologies. Among other things, it has not yet been demonstrated that AI can reliably make the human-like decisions and judgments required to comply with international law. If such AI is integrated into weapons-related functions, such as for targeting and attack, this can pose serious risks in the absence of human control and oversight. Despite these risks, States have yet to develop the necessary frameworks to prevent and manage them effectively, particularly in relation to LAWS.

In this event, a panel of experts will discuss the risks associated with the integration of AI technologies into autonomous weapons systems.

Link to register: https://tinyurl.com/3jsxx5ay

Invitation to attend the side-event
13:15-14:45 CETOnline (Microsoft Teams)
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