Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones and lethal autonomous robotics, are seen by governments and companies as a great technological advantage to society. Drones are accurate means to gather intelligence and information, reconnaissance, and surveillance without putting the lives of soldiers and officials in danger.
[1] Currently, there are seventy-five states that possess some type of unmanned aerial vehicles.
[2] Additionally, eleven states, including the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, India, Iran, and Israel,
[3] have armed military drones.
[4] Soon after the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001 on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon, the government of the United States recognized that drone weapons can successfully eliminate high profile terrorists while minimizing civilian casualties. Since 2002, the U.S. government has employed lethal drone strikes most noticeably in Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
[5] Moreover, it is certain that high Al-Qaeda and Talibancommanders are hiding in Tribal Areas in Pakistan and is constantly patrolling the skies over the areas and frequently targeting suspects with lethal drone strikes. The government of the United States justifies its actions with the “authority under international law to use lethal force outside of clearly defined war zones because it is engaged in a global armed conflict with al-Qaeda and associated forces.
[6] While the government of the United States asserts that drones are efficient and effective weapons for targeted killing of suspected terrorists, the government tends to ignore the human cost of drones. The U.S. drone attacks have not only deprived Pakistani civilians of their fundamental human right to not be arbitrarily killed by the state but also inflicted psychological and economic harms to survivors. The United Nations should impose a moratorium on drone targeted killing until states strengthen the transparency and accountability of drone operations.