Armenia places strong emphasis on responsibility of states in international transfer of conventional arms – Mirzoyan

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan participated and delivered remarks at the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

“International humanitarian law applies fully and without exception to all weapon systems, including those incorporating artificial intelligence and autonomous functions. With regard to Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, where compliance with the core principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution cannot be reliably ensured, appropriate regulatory measures, including restrictions, are required.

Ensuring meaningful human control in the development, deployment, and use of military AI systems is therefore of critical importance. Decisions related to the use of force, as well as responsibility and accountability for their consequences, must remain firmly with humans and cannot be delegated to machines. Armenia emphasizes that human judgment remains indispensable for lawful, responsible, and ethical conduct in armed conflict.

Armenia places strong emphasis on the responsibility of states in the international transfer of conventional arms. Weapons must not be supplied where there is a risk that they could be used to commit or facilitate violations of international humanitarian law or international human rights law, or to cause harm to civilians in a deliberate manner. Armenia underscores the importance of thorough, evidence-based risk assessments in arms transfer decisions, with a view to ensuring that weapons do not end up reinforcing instability or fueling violence beyond state control,” he said.