Ishmael Bhila, who was a research fellow at Paderborn University looking at Global South conceptualisation of Meaningful Human Control, accountability and responsibility, has published a paper on the diplomatic challenges and opportunities of small states from the Global South in the discussions on autonomous weapons systems (AWS). Bhila discusses the significant threats that autonomous weapons systems pose to small states, especially in the Global South. Despite these threats, these states find it difficult to participate in international discussions about regulating these weapons, which have been ongoing since 2017 under the United Nations framework. The paper examines the challenges diplomats from these countries face, such as limited resources, expertise, and the complexities of international politics and legal systems. Despite these difficulties, the paper argues, these diplomats strive to address these issues and decolonize the diplomatic spaces they operate within.

The paper can be found here open access.