On the invitation of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane participated as a panellist at the “Humanity at the Crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Challenge of Regulation” Conference held from 29-30 April 2024 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria.
Organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs with a view to addressing concerns and challenges related to the use of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), the Conference was attended by more than 1000 participants from 144 countries. The attendees included high-level representations from several States, the United Nations, international and regional organisations, academia, think tanks, industry and civil society.
Speaking at its high-level panel discussion on “Geopolitics and machine politics: How to move forward on LAWS?” Foreign Secretary Wijewardane reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s long-standing policy on advocacy for conventional and WMD disarmament and application of humanitarian principles in warfare, including supporting a legally-binding instrument regulating and prohibiting the use of LAWS . The Panellists included Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania Igli Hasani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of the Republic of Sierra Leone Timothy Musa Kabba, and United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu. Sri Lanka was a main sponsor of the first ever UNGA resolution on LAWS adopted last year.
In her bilateral engagements which followed the Conference, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane held discussions with Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chancellor of Austria Peter Launsky and also with her Austrian counterpart Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria. The meetings took place at an important juncture as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. Foreign Secretary Wijewardane apprised Secretary General Marschik of the recent progress made by Sri Lanka in the economic front and covered a wide range of bilateral matters including of investment, energy transition, migration & mobility, visa and tourism promotion.
The Foreign Secretary also met Chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Professor Daniel Froschauer and exchanged views on the proposed musical collaboration between the two countries.
The Foreign Secretary was accompanied by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Austria and officials of the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Vienna.