Lusófona University students take part in UN meeting

On March 4, 2024, students from the Bachelor in Political Science and International Relations (CPRI) at Lusophone University, Eva Marise Cruzeiro Alexandre and Luís Cláudio Barnech Campani Farias, were part of the Civil Society Delegation to the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, held in Geneva from March 4 to 8.

Luís Campani's participation in his own original advocacy for the second time demonstrates how much youth are involved in the international environment with proficiency in relevant agendas for peacebuilding, such as the regulation of autonomous weapons.

The meeting, centered on the "Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects," addressed crucial issues related to the development and regulation of advanced technologies, with a special focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomous weapons systems (AWS).

The event aims to chart the course of AWS regulations, with a particular focus on the voices and concerns of the Indo-Pacific region, often underrepresented in global debates on this issue. Organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, the meeting in Geneva emerges as an effort to include and amplify Indo-Pacific perspectives on the challenges and implications of autonomy in weapon systems.

The Philippines has been leading initiatives to elevate the voices of this region, as evidenced by the Manila Meeting on Indo-Pacific Perspectives on Autonomous Weapon Systems held in December 2023. In this regard, the event in Geneva focused on crucial issues, including potential environmental effects in the marine environment and the need for specific prohibitions and regulations.

The participation of students from Lusophone University in this event reinforces the university's commitment to training engaged and capable professionals to actively contribute to debates and actions shaping the international landscape in critical areas such as security and global politics.