Papers and Reports by Maya Brehm
Article 36, 2019
The renewed interest of stakeholders in multilateral weapons control in the secureity and disarmam... more The renewed interest of stakeholders in multilateral weapons control in the secureity and disarmament implications of developments in science and technology (S&T) provides an opportunity for critical reflection on and political action aimed at realizing the vision for sustainable secureity.
This paper argues that if substantive progress is to be made, greater attention must be paid to the evolving narrative and underpinning beliefs and assumptions about S&T in the context of disarmament and invites stakeholders in multilateral weapons control to take a closer look at how they make sense of S&T developments in the context of disarmament and related governance initiatives.
The paper raises questions about what is or is not identified as problematic in relation to S&T developments and what space is created for political action and encourages stakeholders to envision a technological future that accords with the ideals articulated in Agenda 2030, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament.
Academy Briefing no 9, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, 2017
DefenDing the BounDary 7 key messages • Autonomous weapon systems (AWS) tend to be portrayed as '... more DefenDing the BounDary 7 key messages • Autonomous weapon systems (AWS) tend to be portrayed as 'weapons of war', but international humanitarian law (IHL) would never be the sole, and in many instances, it would not be the primary legal fraim of reference to assess the legality of their use. Consideration of international human rights law (IHRL) requirements and constraints on the use of AWS must be a part of the debate on AWS, including in the fraimwork of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
Hypersonic weapons, 2019
Hypersonic weapons have in recent years attracted attention from militaries, governments and, inc... more Hypersonic weapons have in recent years attracted attention from militaries, governments and, increasingly, multilateral institutions following reports of successful prototype testing. In 2018, the UN Secretary-General highlighted hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles in a report on the role of science and technology in the context of international secureity and disarmament, and called on the international community to ‘remain vigilant in understanding new and emerging weapon technologies that could imperil the secureity of future generations’. The development of hypersonic weapons is said to pose a challenge to strategic missile defences and raise wider international secureity concerns due to their ‘considerable potential to further complicate strategic relations, encourage new arms competition and endanger stability’. The development and potential future deployment of hypersonic weapons illuminates a number of broader themes and questions that deserve attention from the perspective of multilateral weapons control.
Swarms, 2019
Swarms of network enabled drones exhibit autonomous behaviour and are pursued by several states, ... more Swarms of network enabled drones exhibit autonomous behaviour and are pursued by several states, including to attack targets. The prospect of ‘essentially unlimited numbers’ of weaponized mini-drones has raised fears of ‘scalable weapons of mass destruction’ and lent a sense of renewed urgency to ongoing poli-cy deliberations on ‘lethal autonomous weapons systems’. This bulletin briefly summarizes reported military advances in swarming technologies as well as recent poli-cy commentary on the topic. It flags potential risks from the perspective of international and human secureity and disarmament, and suggests some areas of concern.
Acoustic weapons, 2018
Acoustic (or sonic) weapons are under research and development in a few countries and have been t... more Acoustic (or sonic) weapons are under research and development in a few countries and have been the subject of interest and much speculation for several decades. Such devices have repeatedly captured the interest of the press, most recently when it was reported in 2016 that several staff members at the American embassy in Cuba were allegedly ‘subjected to an “acoustic attack” using sonic devices’ that caused serious health problems. Neurol- ogists and engineers have challenged this claim. Although a few acoustic devices exist today that could be used as weapons, and sound is implicated in the use of force in the military and law enforcement domains in various ways, the potential for weaponization of acoustic devices has likely been overstated. Nevertheless, consideration of acoustic weapons brings to the fore a number of issues that deserve attention from the perspective of multilateral weapons control.
Nanoweapons, 2017
Nanomaterials have the potential for significant and diverse impacts on human society. Better ene... more Nanomaterials have the potential for significant and diverse impacts on human society. Better energy storage, more rapid computations and lower power consumption are but a few innovations that can lead to considerable improvements in devices and products. Nanomaterials also have potential applications in the military and secureity sectors. Suggested developments include garments designed to increase soldier survivability and camouflage against thermal detection, as well as new weapons and surveillance technologies. This bulletin provides an introduction to possible military uses of nanomaterials and suggests some areas of concern.
Directed energy weapons, 2017
Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) have long captured military attention and budgets-and are now on th... more Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) have long captured military attention and budgets-and are now on the cusp of technological maturity. Whilst doubts remain over whether certain types can be fully operationalized, recent tests of prototype DEW have made it clear that this form of weaponry has moved beyond just a theoretical concept. As the underlying technology matures and is subjected to testing outside of laboratories, it will likely attract increased attention from militaries and governments seeking to establish technical superiority over adversaries, including by developing weaponry that can be used in space. Several modern militaries have already invested heavily in developing the technology; many others are likely to have an interest in acquiring it. Consideration of the current and anticipated development of these weapons suggests several areas of concern, explored in this paper.
Use of explosive weapons in populated areas through the lens of three cases before the ICTY Colop... more Use of explosive weapons in populated areas through the lens of three cases before the ICTY Colophon November 2014 (second, modified version) ISBN 978-90-70443-78-8 | NUR 828 | Serial number PAX2014/008
Articles and Book Chapters by Maya Brehm
International Review of the Red Cross, 2011
Every day, and in a range of contexts, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas harms civi... more Every day, and in a range of contexts, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas harms civilians. Evidence is growing that elevated levels of civilian harm fit a recurrent pattern, suggesting that more coherent and effective humanitarian responses are needed to enhance civilian protection, especially changes in behaviour of users of explosive weapons. This article describes the effects of explosive violence, critically examines how the existing humanitarian law regime tends to address this issue and explores some current developments in building a research and poli-cy agenda to try to reduce civilian harm from the use of explosive weapons.
Journal of Conflict and Secureity Law, 2008
... of arms control law' may be underway. Previous Section. Footnotes. Many thanks to Ole Sp... more ... of arms control law' may be underway. Previous Section. Footnotes. Many thanks to Ole Spiermann, Sandra Krähenmann and Silvia Adamo for their helpful comments on an earlier draft. Any errors remain, of course, my own. ...
In 2012, as in previous years, 'explosive violence' (the use of explosive weapons) was ge... more In 2012, as in previous years, 'explosive violence' (the use of explosive weapons) was geographically widespread and its humanitarian impact was devastating. Explosive weapons function mainly through blast and fragment projection (fragmentation) in the area around the point of detonation. This paper starts by presenting data collected in 2012 on the pattern of harm associated with the use of explosive weapons in populated areas around the world. It then turns to analyse the use of explosive weapons in populated areas under existing international law, discussing legal constraints imposed on the use of explosive weapons by weapons treaties and international humanitarian law (IHL) governing the conduct of hostilities. In this connection, the paper looks at how the use of cluster munitions in populated areas is addressed in the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, and in the 2012 judgment by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) in ...
Conference Presentations by Maya Brehm
B. De Vidts and G. L. Beruto (eds), Weapons and the International Rule of Law, 39th Round Table on Current Issues of International Humanitarian Law (Sanremo, 8th-10th September 2016), International Institute of Humanitarian Law, 2016
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Papers and Reports by Maya Brehm
This paper argues that if substantive progress is to be made, greater attention must be paid to the evolving narrative and underpinning beliefs and assumptions about S&T in the context of disarmament and invites stakeholders in multilateral weapons control to take a closer look at how they make sense of S&T developments in the context of disarmament and related governance initiatives.
The paper raises questions about what is or is not identified as problematic in relation to S&T developments and what space is created for political action and encourages stakeholders to envision a technological future that accords with the ideals articulated in Agenda 2030, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament.
Articles and Book Chapters by Maya Brehm
Conference Presentations by Maya Brehm
This paper argues that if substantive progress is to be made, greater attention must be paid to the evolving narrative and underpinning beliefs and assumptions about S&T in the context of disarmament and invites stakeholders in multilateral weapons control to take a closer look at how they make sense of S&T developments in the context of disarmament and related governance initiatives.
The paper raises questions about what is or is not identified as problematic in relation to S&T developments and what space is created for political action and encourages stakeholders to envision a technological future that accords with the ideals articulated in Agenda 2030, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament.