PP Disec Indonesia

Committee: Disarmament and International Security Committee
Country: Indonesia
Topic: Proliferation of unmanned Vehicles/drone and weapons systems
POSITION PAPER
Submitted by Indonesia
In the past few years, with the advent and progress of technologies like AI (Artificial
Intelligence), the mechanism of warfare has also developed and evolved. There has been great
research in the field of development and use of Unmanned Vehicles and Weapons. These
weapon systems are very different from conventional forms of weapons where the human
commander exercises direct control over the weapon. Our position on this matter is as follows:
1) Indonesia believes that use of Unmanned Vehicles and Drones (UVADs) raise a number of
ethical, legal, moral questions. It also raises concerns over global security and peace. We
believe that the use of such unmanned systems should be thoroughly debated and examined in
the context of conformity to international humanitarian law.
2) We support reaching a consensus on the precise definition on what constitutes Unmanned
Weapon Systems. Thus, we agree and support to discussions to decide on the technical and
legal characteristics of UVADs, thereby seeking a clear definition
3) We look forward to the development of a robust policy including elements of a legally
binding instrument stipulating prohibitions and regulations on UVADs.
4) We believe that risk assessments and mitigation measures should be part of the design,
development, testing and deployment cycle of unmanned weapons systems.
5) We are of the opinion that the CCW offers an appropriate and useful framework for dealing
with the issue of new and untested technologies.
6) Indonesia holds that in the past intelligent technologies have performed lifesaving and
essential purposes. Hence, discussions and any potential policy measures taken within the
context of the CCW should not be prejudicial in nature and should not hamper progress in or
access to peaceful uses of intelligent autonomous technologies.
The development of drones in Indonesia first started in 1994 during a reunion of Institute of
Bandung graduates who had a vision to build an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) indigenously.
The government has since then passed legislation for the self-reliance of the national military
industry. Since then, Indonesia has indigenously developed 14 drones. The government’s
agreement with the use of drone technology has been expressed in the Ministry of
Transportation Regulation No. PM 90/2015. Drones and unmanned vehicles have also been
inducted into the military to modernize the military. In 2015, new military drone projects were
set into motion by the Department of Defense in Indonesia. However, developing defense
power is not intended to fuel an arms race; it is an effort to gain standard professionalism of
defense forces by referring to vision, mission, and Indonesia’s policy (Nawacita) and the Global
Maritime Fulcrum (GMF) policy.
Committee: Disarmament and International Security Committee
Country: Indonesia
Topic: Proliferation of unmanned Vehicles/drone and weapons systems
United Nations bodies are in the appropriate place to judge the matter of UVADs, as they have
long been concerned with the regulation of technologies for international peace. As with the
development of unmanned systems, there also has been a lot of discussion in multilateral
summits like the UN about the concerns of proliferation of unmanned vehicles and drone
systems. These technologies challenge the humanitarian principles enshrined in the
International Humanitarian Law. The Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of
Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems met at the United Nations (UN)
from August 27-31, 2018 in Geneva. The Convention sets new standards on what weapons are
deemed ethical to use in warfare and the consequences of the use of unmanned vehicles and
weapon systems in warfare.
We believe that this problem can be addressed by the following appropriate solutions –
1) Encourages organizations and local stakeholders to collaboratively work together to pursue a
legally-binding instrument on unmanned vehicles and drones.
2) Calls upon governments to assess the impacts of unchecked proliferation of unmanned
vehicles and drones
3) Recommends governments the concept of meaningful human control is where efforts must
be focused.
4) Urges governments to crack down on proliferation of unmanned weapon systems with non-
state terrorist actors.
References
 https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/reports/world-drones/who-has-
what-countries-that-have-conducted-drone-strikes/
 https://www.kemhan.go.id/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2015-INDONESIA-DEFENCE-
WHITE-PAPER-ENGLISH-VERSION.pdf
 https://unoda-web.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/wp-
content/uploads/assets/publications/more/drones-study/drones-study.pdf
 https://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/statement-by-indonesia-nw-
oct-21-19.pdf
 https://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/statement-by-indonesia-on-
behalf-of-nam-nw-oct-22-19.pdf
 https://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/statement-by-indonesia-full-
gd-oct-10-19.pdf

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Committee: Disarmament and International Security Committee

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