On 25 and 26 April 2023, the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence on the initiative of the Minister of Defence is hosting LAWS 2023, an international public conference on Autonomous Weapons Systems.

LAWS 2023 will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss the potential benefits, challenges, ongoing work and risks associated with Autonomous Weapons Systems. The event will take place at the Maison des Arts et des Etudiants in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.

Context and objectives of the conference

Technological advancements in the domain of weapons systems with an increasing number of automated and autonomous features, so-called Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS), presents Governments, Industry, Civil society and Academia with new challenges on ethical, legal and technical level.

The impact this technology could have on human rights, on people’s lives and on our democratic values must be analysed and understood by decision makers.

The LAWS 2023 conference aims to raise public awareness on the topic and offer all stakeholders (governments, industry, civil society, research institutes and academia) a platform to discuss the risks and challenges associated with the use of Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS).

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