Costa Rica Regional Conference on the Social and Humanitarian Impact of Autonomous Weapons

Philippine Statement for the High-Level Segment

I wish to congratulate Minister Solano and the Government of Costa Rica for this initiative. 

We Filipinos have always considered our Latin American compatriots as our kindred siblings. Not only are we drawn to your region by our common heritage, we are also proud of our shared values. One of them is our commitment to our common humanity, to the inviolability of the dignity of man, and to the humanitarian cause. 

These shared values are informing this conference. We all understand that advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence could solve many of our old problems and transform human life and experience. But they also come with risks and challenges. In particular, the development of autonomous weapon systems poses profound legal, ethical, strategic, and humanitarian risks; 

It is in this context that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has challenged the international community to develop legal rules to prevent the weaponization of artificial intelligence. We are pleased that the Latin American region, under the leadership of Costa Rica, is leading global efforts in this regard. We are proud to have been invited as observers in this conference. 

The Philippines holds the conviction that humans must always retain the sole prerogative in undertaking the use of force, which should always be the last resort in resolving differences. Human lives must never be reduced to mere data sets for machines and algorithms to interpret. 

In this regard, the retention of meaningful human control over any weapon system, including in all their critical functions and throughout their life cycles, is crucial. All weapon systems must retain sufficient predictability, reliability, and explainability. They must also be developed and used in compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law.

Autonomous weapon systems that cannot pass these two tests must never be developed, while systems that incorporate autonomous technologies must be sufficiently regulated to address relevant risks and challenges. 

Together with Latin American partners, the Philippines has proposed a legally binding protocol in this regard. We continue to believe that binding legal norms and principles are the most enduring method of future-proofing the global governance architecture on this issue. We are open to voluntary norms and political commitments only to the extent that they help bring us closer to legally binding frameworks. 

We are confident that under Costa Rica’s leadership, Latin American states will adopt a resounding declaration that will catalyze global action on this issue. The Philippines will continue to work constructively with Latin American partners to advance this cause in a vision for a rules-based, people-centered international community that is governed by international law and informed by the principles of equity and justice. 

Muchas gracias, maraming salamat.

END