State dossier
Sri Lanka
LKA · SRI LANKA · 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 2023-03-06, stated directly (EXPLICIT)
Sri Lanka told the Geneva expert group in March 2023 that a new treaty with prohibitions and regulations is needed. Its 2024 submission to the UN Secretary-General asks for negotiations on a legally binding instrument that bans some autonomous weapons and strictly regulates the rest, and it said the same in Geneva in 2026. On this site's scale, that is a treaty with bans.
Sri Lanka says a new treaty setting out prohibitions and regulations is necessary.
a new international treaty stipulating the prohibitions and regulations on positive obligations is necessary for legal clarity, certainty and compliance
Sri Lanka general statement, first session of the 2023 CCW GGE on LAWS, 6 March 2023, 2023-03-06 source
Sri Lanka's submission supports negotiating a legally binding instrument.
Sri Lanka strongly supports and advocates the negotiation of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems
Lethal autonomous weapons systems: report of the Secretary-General (A/79/88), 2024-05-25 source
The same submission says the instrument should prohibit some systems and strictly regulate others.
should entail the prohibition of certain autonomous weapons systems that cannot be in compliance with international humanitarian law and the strict regulation of others
Lethal autonomous weapons systems: report of the Secretary-General (A/79/88), 2024-05-25 source
In 2026 Sri Lanka still wants negotiations on a binding instrument that prohibits autonomous weapons.
future negotiation of a legally binding instrument to prohibit lethal autonomous weapons systems
Statement by Sri Lanka, first session of the 2026 CCW GGE on LAWS (Boxes I and III), 2026-03-02 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.
Military policy not yet reviewed by this site, as of 2026-11-04.
The record
The documents on file.
Each mark opens its source