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DefenceTalk<\/p>\nDefenceTalk<\/p>\n
The world is entering a military \u201csecond drone age\u201d with uncontrolled proliferation and no standards governing their use, a United Nations expert told the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the global community needed to take stock of how armed drones have evolved, and examine the challenges they posed to compliance with international law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no robust standards governing drones\u2019 development, proliferation, export, or capability for use of force. No transparency. No effective oversight. No accountability,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrone strikes, it seems, are favoured by decision-makers and military alike for their relative efficiency, effectiveness, adaptability, acceptability, deniability, and political gain.\u201d<\/p>\n
The independent rights expert does not speak for the United Nations but reports her findings to it.<\/p>\n
Callamard presented a report into targeted killings through armed drones, in light of the proliferation in drone use and their expanding capability over the last five years.<\/p>\n
The report made recommendations designed to regulate their use and enhance accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world has entered a \u2018second drone age\u2019 in which a vast array of state and non-state actors are deploying ever-more advanced drone technologies,\u201d Callamard said, adding that many countries wanted to join the \u201cdrone power club\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said at least 102 countries had an active military drone inventory, while around 40 possess, or were procuring, armed drones.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 2015, at least 11 countries allegedly have deployed armed drones, including for the purpose of use of force, such as targeted killings,\u201d said Callamard.<\/p>\n
Her report identified the 11 countries as Britain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.<\/p>\n
She said 35 countries were thought to have the largest and deadliest class of drones.<\/p>\n
The expert called on countries to establish a transparent process \u201cfor the development of robust standards and accountability mechanisms for the use and export of armed drones\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said the UN secretary-general should set up international inquiries or fact-finding missions to investigate targeted killings by drones.<\/p>\n
Callamard also called for the UN high commissioner for human rights to produce a yearly report tracking drone strikes and casualties for discussion by the Human Rights Council.<\/p>\n
Callamard\u2019s report concluded that the US drone strike outside Baghdad airport in January that killed Iran\u2019s top general Qasem Soleimani was \u201cunlawful\u201d and an \u201carbitrary killing\u201d that violated the UN charter.<\/p>\n
The United States on Wednesday blasted her findings.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes a special kind of intellectual dishonesty to issue a report condemning the United States for acting in self-defence while whitewashing General Soleimani\u2019s notorious past as one of the world\u2019s deadliest terrorists,\u201d State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.<\/p>\n
Responding Thursday to Callamard\u2019s report, Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh, Iran\u2019s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, told the Human Rights Council that the killing was \u201cviciously immoral and recklessly dangerous\u201d, calling Soleimani \u201ca true defender of human rights and dignity\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is now an inspiring legend and will remain a living nightmare for his killers. You cannot dry up a deeply-earthed pure tree by cutting its branches,\u201d the ambassador insisted.<\/p>\n