Ban ‘killer robots’ now Women for peace asks govt

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Ghana, has called on the government to develop a law that will regulate the use of Lethal Autonomous Weapon also known as ‘killer robot’ in the country.

The Lethal autonomous weapon is a type of autonomous military robot that can independently search and engage targets based on programmed controls and descriptions.

WILPF said although the government was one of 26 countries supporting ban of the killer robot, there was the need for a policy or law to regulate its use.

“It is very dangerous for humanity and we must not allow this because the killer robot is unmanned and does not miss its targets.

“We need to nip this in the bud,” the President of WILPF, Ghana, Dr Ayoo Ayoola-Amale said at a press interaction to create awareness of the organisation’s campaign to stop killer robots from entering the country

Awareness

She said the campaign was about creating awareness and to make people understand what a killer robot was and the harm it could cause to humanity,” she said, adding that the campaign was also about dealing with this ‘number one future threat to civilians’.

According to her, the first and second rounds of the awareness campaign had already taken place, leaving the third round which would be carried out from January to March this year.

“We intend to have a talk with Parliament and undertake a rally and a workshop. We want Parliament to make laws that would protect this country because we are not safe with killer robots, considering that anything can come into the country and go out unnoticed.

“We want a regulation, even if the ban would not be in place soon.

But, it should be regulated effectively at least so that people do not bring the robots into the country,” she said.

Peace

The Vice President of WILPF, Ghana, Ms Mercy Osei-Konadu, noted that peace had become an essential commodity across the globe, as such it was prudent that a campaign was carried out carry out to stop the use of machines that could cause so much destruction to human lives.

“Ghana is a haven of peace …but we should not take things for granted.

 We should work hard to sensitise the public to banish anything that can undermine the peace we are enjoying,” she said.

She said WILPF hoped to engage with more people and organisations to deepen actions towards sustaining peace in the country.

The President of WILPF  said, “we are already in league with the Peace Council and we are looking forward to having engagements with other actors to move the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots to the next level”.