Open panel: Current and near future developments in weapons technology and their humanitarian impact
This open panel addresses current and near-future developments in weapons technology and their humanitarian impact.
Panelists will engage with humanitarian, human rights, and legal perspectives, alongside tactical and strategic considerations shaping the adoption and use of emerging weapons systems. Furthermore, the panel will discuss how to critically assess the utility of these technologies in contemporary and future conflicts, including how their promised military advantages interact with humanitarian risks and ethical constraints.
By bringing together diverse analytical lenses, the panel aims to foster a nuanced discussion on how evolving weapons technologies are understood, justified, and governed in practice.
Moderator:
Annette Lyth, Lecturer, Department of International Operational Law, Swedish Defence University
Panelists:
Martin Hagström, Deputy Head of Research, Swedish Defence Research Agency
Erik Tollefsen, Head of the Weapon Contamination Unit, International Committee of the Red Cross
Evelyn Salas Alfaro, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Systems Science for Defence and Security, Swedish Defence University
David Turns, Senior Lecturer, Department of International Operational Law, Swedish Defence University
Astrid Sjölin, Research Assistant, Department of Systems Science for Defence and Security, Swedish Defence University