State dossier
France
FRA · FRANCE · on the world map
What does it want?
Position: wants a treaty with bans (LBI-BAN). Supports a legally binding treaty that prohibits some systems.
Wants a treaty with bans (LBI-BAN), since 2024-05-24, stated directly (EXPLICIT)
France's submission to the UN Secretary-General says plainly what it wants: a new treaty, possibly as an additional protocol to the Geneva convention, that bans fully autonomous systems and regulates partially autonomous ones. The ban covers fully autonomous systems only, and this page says so, so France is not misread as backing a blanket ban.
France states in its UN submission that it supports negotiating and adopting a new CCW Additional Protocol on LAWS.
France supports the negotiation and adoption of an Additional Protocol to the CCW
Resolution 78/241 Lethal autonomous weapons systems: Submission of France, 2024-05-24 source
France's preferred instrument follows a two-tier prohibit-and-regulate structure.
structuring this future instrument — which could take the form of an Additional Protocol to the CCW
Resolution 78/241 Lethal autonomous weapons systems: Submission of France, 2024-05-24 source
The instrument France describes follows the two-tier prohibit-and-regulate structure.
according to a two-tier approach
Resolution 78/241 Lethal autonomous weapons systems: Submission of France, 2024-05-24 source
France attached its own draft instrument as an annex to the submission.
Detailed proposal for such an instrument can be found in Annex of the present submission
Resolution 78/241 Lethal autonomous weapons systems: Submission of France, 2024-05-24 source
France wants the Review Conference to give the Group a negotiating mandate built on the agreed elements.
France would like it to adopt a new negotiating mandate for the Group of Experts, based on all the elements agreed last week. [fr]
International organizations: Meeting of the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (communiqué), 2026-09-10 source
France's stated goal is an instrument that bans fully autonomous systems and regulates others.
to begin discussions for establishing a future international instrument, which bans completely autonomous weapons systems and regulates systems with autonomous functions. [fr]
International organizations: Meeting of the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (communiqué), 2026-09-10 source
Shown large among its peers · hover a mark for its position
How did it vote?
Yes on all three UN votes on autonomous weapons.
Hover a legend chip to light those votes · each resolution links to its record
What has it signed?
Being on a list is a fact. Not being on one is not opposition.
Hover a column heading to light its signings · click a seal to open the document
When has it spoken?
Every time it went on the record, dated.
Hover a mark for what it was · a legend chip lights that type
What rules has it written at home?
Its own military policy.
- 2021-04-29 · Avis sur l'intégration de l'autonomie dans les systèmes d'armes létaux (Defence Ethics Committee opinion on autonomy in lethal weapon systems)core policy, filled marker · source · archived
Avis sur l'intégration de l'autonomie dans les systèmes d'armes létaux (Defence Ethics Committee opinion on autonomy in lethal weapon systems)
An opinion of the French Ministry of Armed Forces' Defence Ethics Committee, dated 29 April 2021, requested by the Minister in January 2020. Quotes are from the Ministry's own official English version. Formally it is advice; in practice it is the government's standing framework, and a 2025 parliamentary answer cites it as exactly that. The opinion sets out six principles and 25 guidelines. It rules fully autonomous lethal weapons unacceptable, extends that refusal from use to manufacturing and export, and traces the government's renunciation back to a ministerial speech in April 2019.
The French government has renounced the use of lethal autonomous weapon systems, and the Defence Ethics Committee endorsed that decision.
The French government has declared that it renounces the use of LAWS.
Avis sur l'integration de l'autonomie dans les systemes d'armes letaux (Opinion on integrating autonomy into lethal weapon systems), 2021-04-29 source
The Committee judged the renunciation unquestionably sound in light of the principles governing the French armed forces.
The Committee regards this decision as unquestionably sound
Avis sur l'integration de l'autonomie dans les systemes d'armes letaux (Opinion on integrating autonomy into lethal weapon systems), 2021-04-29 source
The refusal extends beyond use to the manufacturing and export of fully autonomous lethal systems.
Such use, as well as manufacturing and exporting, should be refused.
Avis sur l'integration de l'autonomie dans les systemes d'armes letaux (Opinion on integrating autonomy into lethal weapon systems), 2021-04-29 source
Partially autonomous systems are acceptable only if all five guarantees (the "5 Cs" - command, risk control, compliance, competence, confidence) are met.
The design and implementation of PALWS should therefore only be contemplated if all the guarantees of their correct use are met
Avis sur l'integration de l'autonomie dans les systemes d'armes letaux (Opinion on integrating autonomy into lethal weapon systems), 2021-04-29 source
The record
The documents on file.
Each mark opens its source