US robotic weapons : UN alerted
UN: A proposal was submitted to the United Nations to analyze the
legal and moral implications of so-called robotic weapons, such as the
unmanned planes (drones) used by the United States in Afghanistan.
The initiative suggests the creation of a group of experts on
different subjects, from human rights to science, to study the
challenges posed by these kinds of weapons.
The proposal was made by the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial
executions, Christof Heyns, in his report to the General Assembly.
The expert did not mention the issue of the drones directly, but
warned that the problem had not been analyzed by human rights and
humanitarian law experts.
He also noted the need to establish responsibilities for the civilian
casualties caused by those kinds of weapons.
Four months ago, Heyns's predecessor, Philip Alston, denounced at the
UN Human Rights Council what he described as selective assassinations
committed by U.S. unmanned planes. He said that practice lacks legal
foundation, is a violation of norms against extrajudicial executions,
and violates the people's right to life. United Nations, Prensa Latina |