INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REGULATION OF THE USE OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES IN MODERN ARMED CONFLICTS

Abstract

This study addresses one of the pressing challenges facing contemporary international humanitarian law in the context of rapid scientific and technological advancement –namely, the integration of cutting-edge technologies into the development and use of weaponry, as well as into methods of conducting armed conflicts. Scientific and technological progress significantly influences all spheres of public life, including the military industry, which actively adopts its achievements. The introduction of high-tech weapons with advanced capabilities into state arsenals poses considerable challenges for the legal regulation of armed conflicts under international law. Particularly relevant is the question of regulating new domains of warfare, such as cyberspace. Nonetheless, international humanitarian law retains effective mechanisms for influencing states that employ next-generation weapons. These mechanisms include both the codified principles of humanitarian law and customary international legal norms, which possess a universal character and can effectively regulate the law of armed conflict both now and in the future. To explore this topic, the study draws on international legal instruments that have formed the foundation of modern international humanitarian law as the law governing armed conflict. The aim of the research is to analyze the current situation concerning the use of advanced technologies in contemporary military conflicts and to assess the potential of international humanitarian law to regulate them. Special attention is given to the universal principles of warfare, which all states involved in armed confrontations are obliged to observe, primarily to ensure the protection of civilian populations and the preservation of civilian infrastructure.