On the responsible use of armed drones: the prospective moral responsibilities of states
On the responsible use of armed drones: the prospective moral responsibilities of states
In 2016 the United States and 44 other countries issued a Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This arms control agreement, the first to focus specifically on drones, includes a commitment to discuss how these are ‘used responsibly’ by states. However, the exact meaning of responsible use in this context remains uncertain. This article addresses the uncertainty by raising important questions for policymakers: regarding the use of armed drones, to whom does a state have a responsibility? What is the moral basis for that responsibility? What purpose is a state therefore responsible for pursuing? And what could it mean in practice for a state to take prospective moral responsibility for preventing injustice? These questions are discussed by reference to five objects of responsibility that a state committed to using armed drones responsibly should consider: (1) other states; (2) its own citizens; (3) the intended victims of drone use; (4) the unintended victims of drone use; and (5) its military personnel (including drone operators). The intention is to provide a structure according to which policymakers could better understand the meaning of responsible drone use and thereby improve drone-specific arms control.
868-888
Enemark, Christian
004b6521-f1bb-426a-a37b-686c6a8061f6
12 November 2019
Enemark, Christian
004b6521-f1bb-426a-a37b-686c6a8061f6
Enemark, Christian
(2019)
On the responsible use of armed drones: the prospective moral responsibilities of states.
The International Journal of Human Rights, 24 (6), .
(doi:10.1080/13642987.2019.1690464).
Abstract
In 2016 the United States and 44 other countries issued a Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This arms control agreement, the first to focus specifically on drones, includes a commitment to discuss how these are ‘used responsibly’ by states. However, the exact meaning of responsible use in this context remains uncertain. This article addresses the uncertainty by raising important questions for policymakers: regarding the use of armed drones, to whom does a state have a responsibility? What is the moral basis for that responsibility? What purpose is a state therefore responsible for pursuing? And what could it mean in practice for a state to take prospective moral responsibility for preventing injustice? These questions are discussed by reference to five objects of responsibility that a state committed to using armed drones responsibly should consider: (1) other states; (2) its own citizens; (3) the intended victims of drone use; (4) the unintended victims of drone use; and (5) its military personnel (including drone operators). The intention is to provide a structure according to which policymakers could better understand the meaning of responsible drone use and thereby improve drone-specific arms control.
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accepted051119_Enemark_DronesResponsibleUse_IJHR
- Accepted Manuscript
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On the responsible use of armed drones the prospective moral responsibilities of states
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Accepted/In Press date: 5 November 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 November 2019
Published date: 12 November 2019
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 435810
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/435810
ISSN: 1364-2987
PURE UUID: 948ce64e-5245-42d9-971c-05c2029ab550
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Date deposited: 21 Nov 2019 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 05:02
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