Symposia within the Festival of European Culture in Karlsruhe (EKT) 2014

 

Prof Dr Robin Geiß 

New Military Technologies: Is International Law Keeping Up?

Curriculum Vitae

Prof. Dr. Robin Geiß, LL.M. (NYU), ist Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Internationales Recht und Sicherheit an der Universität Glasgow. Zuvor war er Professor (W1) für Völker- und Europarecht an der Universität Potsdam und Rechtsberater für das Internationale Komitee vom Roten Kreuz (IKRK) in Genf und New York.

Robin Geiß ist Managing Editor des Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law und Rapporteur der Arbeitsgruppe der International Law Association zu den Herausforderungen asymmetrischer bewaffneter Konflikte. Seine Forschungsinteressen und -schwerpunkte liegen im Bereich des Friedenssicherungsrechts, der Menschenrechte und des humanitären Völkerrechts.


Abstract

New Military Technologies:
Is International Law Keeping Up?

International Law throughout its long life-time has always been accompanied by continuous technological evolution. In the beginning 20th century lawyers were concerned with so-called dum-dum bullets and the launching of explosives from balloons, in the beginning 21st century we are faced with questions pertaining to the legal regulation of remote-controlled and increasingly autonomous weapons systems, cyber-warfare and the regulation of hostilities in outer-space. Clearly, the emergence of novel weaponry is nothing unorthodox to the humanitarian legal framework, but it is a constant challenge nevertheless. In this presentation I will track the evolution of international (humanitarian) law and assess whether the law is keeping pace with this rapid technological evolution in particular in light of contemporary challenges posed by autonomous weapons systems and cyber-warfare.