THE SNP have called for the UK to “be at the forefront of negotiations to create the legal framework” around the use of killer robots in warfare.
Alyn Smith, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesperson, also accused the Tory Government of "burying its head in the sand" and hiding “behind ‘no comment’ policies” while weapons it sells are used.
He said the Tories were ignoring the moral and legal questions brought by the dawn of the age of remote warfare.
Smith introduced a motion in the House of Commons this afternoon which asked: “That leave be given to bring in a bill to make provision about enabling arms exports oversight by the United Kingdom Parliament and the devolved Parliaments and Assemblies; to prohibit the use of lethal autonomous weapons; to make requirements about transparency in arms exports and the use of drones and other remote weapons; and for connected purposes.”
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As such, this bill would introduce a regulatory framework for the use of drones and ban the development, production, and use of lethal autonomous weapons. The legislation would also create a statutory requirement on the UK government to consult with the devolved governments on arms export policy.
The SNP stressed that the Tory Government has come under repeated criticism over its role in arms exports to other countries - with the Court of Appeal earlier ruling that its actions in selling arms to Saudi Arabia were unlawful.
Smith said the development of “lethal autonomous weapons” was a “very dangerous evolution in warfare”.
The SNP representative for Stirling went on: "The Tory Government's approach to arms export controls and the use of drones is one that has been shamefully shrouded in secrecy and with little or no oversight.
"From arms exports to drone use, the UK Government has clearly shown itself unwilling or unable to create transparent and accountable frameworks around policies which, more than many others, are matters of life and death.
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“The UK Government is asleep at the wheel while the character of international warfare is transformed before us. If Boris Johnson is serious about ‘Global Britain’ being an influential player on the international stage, he must leap at the opportunity to be at the forefront of negotiations to create the legal framework that is being created around their use.
“The dawn of the nuclear age made it possible to end thousands of lives with the push of a button. The development of lethal autonomous weapons would take this one step further, removing human beings from the chain of decision-making and forever transforming the character of war.
“So, in addition to finally introducing an ethical and accountable arms export policy, it is vital that the UK Government must join with the diverse coalition formed by the UN Secretary General and 30 UN Member states and work towards an international treaty which would ban the development, production and use of lethal autonomous weapons.”
The UK Government has been contacted for comment.
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