Background
Under the law of armed conflict (international humanitarian law), the right of parties to an armed conflict to choose means and methods of warfare is not unlimited. States have placed constraints on this choice by agreeing to prohibit or limit the use of particular categories of weapons, and by developing general rules that prohibit the use of weapons, means and methods of warfare that have certain effects.
An important mechanism for implementing these rules at the national level is the review of new weapons, means or methods of warfare to determine whether they can be used in compliance with States’ obligations under international law – ‘legal review’ for short. These legal reviews can be part of a State’s general efforts to ensure the effective implementation of its law of armed conflict obligations. States party to Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions have a specific obligation to undertake legal reviews under Article 36 of that Protocol:
In the study, development, acquisition or adoption of a new weapon, means or method of warfare, a High Contracting Party is under an obligation to determine whether its employment would, in some or all circumstances, be prohibited by this Protocol or by any other rule of international law applicable to the High Contracting Party.
Information Portal Project
Approximately 20 States have shared publicly details about their national legal review procedures and practices. Currently, that information cannot be found in one place, which makes it harder for States wishing to develop their procedures to rely on the experiences of others. Also, the piecemeal nature in which the information is presented undermines the value of legal reviews as a confidence-building and transparency measure in the development of military technology.
The United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs, in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Institute for Law and Security, is working to establish an online portal on legal reviews (‘the Portal’). The purpose of the Portal is to provide transparency of national policies and strategies, share information of existing practice and lessons learned with a focus on new and emerging technologies.
Interim Resource
During this process, we are making available a list of official documents that relates to national legal review practices. This page lists those States that have either (a) published the documents(s) that mandate, establish or guide the legal review process; and/or (b) have otherwise publicly stated that they undertake legal reviews. Links to relevant documents are provided where those are available.
This list was last updated on 6 November 2024. Comments or corrections are welcome and may be sent to Dr Natalia Jevglevskaja (gro.slipa@ailatan) and Dr Rain Liivoja (gro.slipa@niar).
Overview of National Practice
The following States have published documents governing the legal review of weapons, means and methods of warfare, or have otherwise released details about the review process.
| State | Governing document(s) | Review authority | Source / further information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Australia | Department of Defence, Australia’s Guide to the Legal Review of New Weapons, Means or Methods of Warfare (10 April 2024) | Directorate of Operations and International Law, Defence Legal, Department of Defence | The Australian Article 36 Review Process, CCW/GGE.2/2018/WP.6 (30 August 2018) AF172: Article 36 Legal Review Report (16 November 2023) |
 | Belgium | Belgian Armed Forces, Directorate-General for Legal Support, Procedure specifique = Specifieke procedure, DGJUR-SPS-CJBCEJ-CXX-001/LEGAD-Int, Ed 001/Rév 000 (21 November 2018) | La Commission d’Evaluation Juridique des nouvelles armes, des nouveaux moyens et des nouvelles méthodes de guerre = Commissie voor de Juridische Beoordeling van nieuwe wapens en nieuwe middelen of methodes van oorlogvoering [Committee for the Legal Review of New Weapons, New Means and New Methods of Warfare] | |
 | Brazil | Regulamento de Produtos Controlados [Regulation of Controlled Products], Decreto nº 10.030 (30 September 2019) | ||
 | Canada | Department of National Defence, Project Approval Directive (2015) s B.14.2.6 Canadian Armed Forces, Ammunition and Explosives = Munitions et explosifs, DAOD 3002-0 (24 August 2016) | Directorate of International and Operational Law, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Department of National Defence | Office of the Judge Advocate General, Law of Armed Conflict at the Operational and Tactical Levels, B-GJ-005-104/FP-021 (13 August 2001) ¶ 530 Statement on Agenda Item 5(a) (GGE LAWS, 26 March 2019) Commentary by Canada on the Operationalization of the Guiding Principles Affirmed by the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE LAWS, 2021) s 2(e) |
 | Denmark | Ministry of Defence, Cirkulære om folkeretlig vurdering i forbindelse med udforskning, udvikling, erhvervelse eller valget af et nyt våben og af metoder eller midler i krigsførelse [Service Regulation on the international legal evaluation in connection to the study, development, acquisition, or adoption of a new weapon, means, or method of warfare], CIR1H nr 9494 (29 May 2018) | Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Defence, Militærmanual om folkeret i internationale militære operationer [Military Manual on International Law Relevant to Danish Armed Forces in International Operations] (2016) ¶ 9.19 |
 | Estonia | Minister of Defence, Sõjaväerelvade, nende laskemoona ja lahingumoona käitlemise ning üleandmise kord [Procedure for the handling and transfer of weapons of the armed forces, their ammunition and munitions], Regulation no 9 (9 July 2018) s 7 | Estonian Defence Forces | |
 | Finland | Defense Command of Finland Decree | no information | Statement (GGE LAWS, 25 March 2019) CCW National Annual Report on Compliance (31 March 2020) form C |
 | France | Instruction ministérielle n°6255/ARM/CAB du 31 octobre 2019, relative à l’examen de licéité des nouvelles armes et des nouveaux moyens et méthodes de guerre, en application de l’article 36 du Protocole I aux Conventions de Genève du 12 août 1949 | La direction générale de l’armement (DGA) [Directorate-General of Armaments]; L’état-major des armées (EMA) [General Staff of the Armed Forces] | Direction des affaires juridiques—Etat-major des armées, Manuel de droit des opérations militaires (2022) 164-167 Commission de la défense nationale et des forces armées, Rapport d’information déposé en application de l’article 145 du Règlement par la commission de la défense nationale et des forces armées en conclusion des travaux d’une mission d’information sur les systèmes d’armes létaux autonomes (Assemblée Nationale, 22 juillet 2020) 46–47 |
 | Germany | Federal Ministry of Defence, Zentrale Dienstvorschrift: Prüfung neuer Waffen, Mittel und Methoden der Kriegführung [Joint Service Regulation: Review of New Weapons, Means and Methods of Warfare] ZDv A-2146/1 (13 June 2016) | Steering Group for the Legal Review of New Weapons and Methods of Warfare, Federal Ministry of Defence | |
 | Israel | no information | Military Advocate General Corps, Israel Defence Forces | Statement (GGE LAWS, 11 April 2016) |
 | Netherlands | Minister of Defence, Besluit houdende instelling van de Adviescommissie Internationaal Recht en Conventioneel Wapengebruik [Decision Establishing an Advisory Committee on International Law and the Use of Conventional Weapons] (5 June 2014) | Adviescommissie Internationaal Recht en Conventioneel Wapengebruik [Advisory Committee on International Law and the Use of Conventional Weapons] | Weapons Review Mechanisms, CCW/GGE.1/2017/WP.5 (7 November 2017) |
 | New Zealand | New Zealand Defence Force, Manual of Armed Forces Law – Volume 4: Law of Armed Conflict, DM 69 (2nd edn, 2018) ¶¶ 7.4.1–7.4.5 | Defence Legal Services, New Zealand Defence Force | |
 | Norway | Ministry of Defence, Retningslinjer om folkerettslig vurdering av nye våpen, krigføringsmetoder og krigføringsvirkemidler i forsvarssektoren [Guidelines on the International Law Review of New Weapons, Methods of Warfare and Means of Warfare in the Defense Sector] (1 May 2023) | Chief of Defence International Law Committee | Ministry of Defence, Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict (2013) ¶¶ 8.9–8.13 |
 | Sweden | Ministry of Defence, Förordning om folkrättslig granskning av vapenprojekt [Ordinance on the International Law Review of Arms Projects] SFS 2007:936 (15 November 2007) | Delegationen för folkrättslig granskning av vapenprojekt [Commission for the International Law Review of Arms Projects] | |
 | Switzerland | Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Ordonnance du DDPS sur l’acquisition, l’utilisation et la mise hors service du matériel = Verordnung des VBS über die Beschaffung, die Nutzung und die Ausserdienststellung von Material [Directive on the Material of the Armed Forces] AS 2018 1391 (26 March 2018) | Law of Armed Conflict Section, Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport | Weapons Review Mechanisms, CCW/GGE.1/2017/WP.5 (7 November 2017) |
 | United Kingdom | Ministry of Defence Instruction on Article 36 Weapon Reviews | Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC), Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Defence, UK Weapon Reviews (2016) |
 | United States | Department of the Air Force Instruction 51-401: The Law of War (3 August 2018) pt 2 Department of the Army Regulation 27-53: Legal Review of Weapons and Weapon Systems (23 September 2019) Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5000.2F: Defense Acquisition System and Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System Implementation (26 March 2019) encl 3, ss 10–11 | Office of the Judge Advocate General of the respective service | Department of Defense, Law of War Program, DoDD 2311.01 (2 July 2020) s 1.4(a) Department of Defense, Law of War Manual (2016) ¶ 6.2 See also Department of Defense, Implementation of, and Compliance with, Arms Control Agreements, DoDD 2060.01 (23 June 2020) See also Department of Defense, Autonomy in Weapon Systems, DoDD 3000.09 (25 January 2023) |
The following States have indicated publicly that they have in place a process for the legal review of weapons, means and methods of warfare, but the details released are insufficient to form a view as to the nature of the process.
| State | Statement(s) confirming review practice | Documents mentioned | Authorities mentioned | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Argentina | CCW/GGE/XI/WG.1/WP.10 (2 August 2005) | ||
 | Austria | CCW/GGE/XI/WG.1/WP.14 (4 August 2005) | Direct application of Additional Protocol I | International Law Section, Federal Ministry of Defence |
 | China | CCW/GGE/XIII/WG.1/WP.9 (3 March 2006) Statement (GGE LAWS, 15 November 2017) Statement (GGE LAWS, 9 March 2023) Statement (GGE LAWS, 6 March 2024) | ||
 | Colombia | Statement (MX LAWS, 17 April 2015) | ||
 | Italy | Statement (GGE LAWS, 9 April 2018) | Codice dell’ordinamento militare [Code of Military Organization], Decreto Legislativo No. 66 (March 2010) | Ministry of Defense, and the Defense Committees of the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies |
 | Russian Federation | CCW/GGE.1/2019/WP.1 (15 March 2019) Working Paper (GGE LAWS, September 2020) CCW/GGE.1/2021/WP.1 (27 September 2021) | ||
 | South Africa | CCW/GGE/XIII/WG.1/WP.4 (10 February 2006) | National Conventional Arms Control Act (41 of 2002) | National Conventional Arms Control Committee |
 | Türkiye | Statement (GGE LAWS, 27 July 2022) |
Sources
In addition to the documents specifically cited, this page draws on the following sources:
- documents submitted and statements made by States at meetings held under the auspices of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
- discussions at the 2023 and 2024 Sydney Expert Meetings on the Legal Review of Autonomous Weapon Systems
- direct communications with States
- Vincent Boulanin and Maaike Verbruggen, SIPRI Compendium on Article 36 Reviews (SIPRI, December 2017)
- International Committee of the Red Cross, ‘A Guide to the Legal Review of New Weapons, Means and Methods of Warfare: Measures to Implement Article 36 of Additional Protocol I of 1977’ (2006) 88 International Review of the Red Cross 931, especially 934, fn 8
- Natalia Jevglevskaja, International Law and Weapons Review: Emerging Military Technology under the Law of Armed Conflict (Cambridge University Press, 2022)
