The Review Conference
The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (the CCW) is the Geneva treaty under which states have discussed autonomous weapons in an expert group since 2017. Its parties review the treaty every five years. The Seventh Review Conference meets at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 16 to 20 November 2026, presided over by Ambassador Julien Thöni of Switzerland. Statements will be posted on the official conference page.
This page lists the documents the conference starts from, then what happens each day, each linked to the official record. It records what was said and decided. It does not change any state's position during the week: a new reading goes through the same review as every other one on this site.
What the conference starts from
2026-09-04
The expert group adopts its final report
The expert group on lethal autonomous weapons systems adopted its final report. The report sets out "a set of elements of an instrument, without prejudging its nature, and other possible measures". It says international humanitarian law "applies fully" and that "control and human judgement" are needed. It recommends that the Review Conference consider and endorse the elements, and decide by consensus on the group's future work.
Source: Final report, CCW/GGE.1/2026/3 (advance copy, 14 September 2026), paras 23, 29, 34, 45 and 46 · Expert group 2026 session documents and statements
2026-09-17
The conference agenda and program of work
The preparatory committee endorsed the conference's provisional agenda. The expert group's report is item 10, proposals for additional protocols are item 14, and the final document is item 20. Under the program of work, the committee that covers autonomous weapons meets on 17, 18 and 19 November, and the final document is due on Friday 20 November.
Source: Provisional agenda, CCW/CONF.VII/1 · Provisional programme of work, CCW/CONF.VII/2 · Preparatory committee final report, CCW/CONF.VII/PC/3 (advance copy)
2026-10-05
The cost of an expert group in 2027
A conference document sets out what a 2027 session of the expert group would cost, so the conference can decide how long it meets: about 348,700 US dollars for 10 days, 477,000 for 15 days and 607,500 for 20 days.
Source: Estimated costs, 2027 expert group on autonomous weapons, CCW/CONF.VII/7
2026-10-23
A proposal to negotiate a new protocol
A proposal, listed by UNODA as submitted by the "Chair-designate" on 23 October, asks the conference to have the expert group "negotiate a new Protocol to the Convention" on autonomous weapons, building on the elements adopted in 2026. The group would meet 15 days a year, work by consensus, and send a draft protocol to the 2028 meeting of the parties.
Source: Proposal on the mandate and modalities of the future work of the expert group, paras 2 and 5 · Conference document list, UNODA Meetings Place (submit date and author columns)
2026-10-28
The draft final declaration
A draft final declaration, listed by UNODA as submitted by the "President-designate" on 28 October, welcomes the expert group's work, but its paragraph and its first decision on autonomous weapons are placeholders, left for the conference to fill.
Source: Elements for the final declaration of the Review Conference, draft, para 17, para 50 and Decision 1 · Conference document list, UNODA Meetings Place (submit date and author columns)
2026-11-04
United States The United States proposes a non-binding instrument
In a working paper, the United States proposed that the expert group keep working by consensus and draft "a non-binding instrument" based on the elements it adopted, while states exchange their legal views and practice. It argues against a new protocol as the next step.
Source: Working paper submitted by the United States, CCW/CONF.VII/WP.2, paras 4 and 5
During the conference
Daily entries begin on 16 November, the first day of the conference.