Sri Lanka backs global disarmament, warns against AI weaponization
February 27, 2025 06:32 am
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath says that Sri Lanka supports legally binding Negative Security Assurances for non-nuclear states and advocates for the establishment of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones, particularly in the Middle East.
He made these remarks while participating in the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament at the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Highlighting the current threats to International Humanitarian Law, the Minister also emphasized the need to restore trust in multilateral processes amid geopolitical tensions.
Reaffirming Sri Lanka’s longstanding commitment to disarmament, he cited the country’s accession to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 2023.
Raising concerns over emerging threats, such as artificial intelligence in weaponry and the militarization of outer space, he added that Sri Lanka supports negotiations for a legally binding instrument to ban lethal autonomous weapons systems and to prevent an arms race in outer space.
