States Must Assess Use Of Technology As World Enters Second Drone Age - UN Rapporteur

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2020) The world has entered the so-called Second Drone Age and prompted countries to assess challenges the uncontrolled use of the combat technology poses to international human rights, peace and security, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard told the Human Rights Council on Thursday.

"The world has entered the Second Drone Age in which a vast array of state and non-state actors are deploying ever more advanced drone technology," Callamard said. "The international community must take stock of how the use of drones has evolved and they should openly discuss the challenges it now poses to compliance with international human rights law, as well as to peace and security."

Given the absence of effective oversight, it is almost impossible to establish whether a person killed in a drone strike was a lawful target under international law, Callamard noted.

On Tuesday, Callamard issued a report in which she stated that the United States' drone strike that killed Iran's senior military commander Qasem Soleimani was unlawful and conducted with insufficient evidence of an imminent threat to justify it.

Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike near the Baghdad airport on January 3. President Donald Trump said Iran was planning an attack on four US embassies, including in Baghdad, at the time of the operation to kill Soleimani.

Iran responded to the killing with limited missile strikes - with prior warning - on two bases in Iraq housing US soldiers that resulted in no deaths. H