Special Report: Autonomous weapons talks advance, but verification obstacles remain

Granta Autonomy's X-Wing loitering munition being exhibited during Lithuanian Drone Days event in early October 2025. (Granta Autonomy)

Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) have rapidly grown as a military focus since 2022, with significant implications for global battlefields. Under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), states around the globe are discussing the potential for a legally binding instrument that could govern use of fully and partially unmanned systems on land, at sea, and in the air.

Continuing advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other supporting technologies have increased the focus on autonomous systems. While these have implications across military applications – in logistics, for instance – their potential lethal use has long been a concern.

The CCW is a multilateral arms-control treaty (not a body or agency) adopted in 1980 under UN auspices, which entered into force in 1983. A Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) under the CCW has held a series of meetings aimed at developing measures to address the impact of emerging technologies related to LAWS. Most recently, the GGE met in Geneva, Switzerland from 31 August to 4 September 2026, where it agreed by consensus on a set of elements that could be used as the foundation for an instrument governing the application of LAWS. The September agreement followed a negotiating process extending back to 2023.

The Seventh Review Conference of the CCW will take place from 16–20 November 2026, and will decide on future steps for the process, including the possibility of launching negotiations on a legally binding instrument.

Starting line

Speaking to Janes in October 2026,