UNA Warwick & District: AGM with Steve Hucklesby on 'drones: targeted killing and international law'

As many as 50 countries are thought to have some form of drone technology and its use is certain to spread.

Three countries (Israel, US and UK) have used armed drones and, at least, seven more are thought to be looking to acquire them. The controversial US drone programme has been stepped up under President Obama’s administration with around 3000 people killed in northern Pakistan since he took office.

The UN has announced an investigation into US and UK use of armed drones to be headed by UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, Ben Emmerson. Steve Hucklesby argues that, as a current user of armed drones, the UK has a key role to play in determining how drones should be controlled as the technology becomes more widely available.

As such, we have invited Mr Steve Hucklesby to give a talk on 'drones: targeted killing and international law' at our Annual General Meeting. Mr Hucklesby is a Policy Adviser for a coalition of UK Churches, comprising the Methodist Church in Britain, The Baptist Union and the United Reformed Church.  He has a background is in international relief and development having worked for 10 years on programmes in conflict and post-conflict settings in Africa and Asia and has an MA from Coventry University School of International Studies.  In his current post he has worked on issues around conflict and ethics.  Over the past year this has involved research on the development and use of drones, working with experts in the field and developing dialogue with Parliamentarians and Ministry of Defence.  He is a director of ECCR an ecumenical body that researches into corporate responsibility and human rights and also of Operation Noah.