Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg Named "Arms Control Person of the Year"

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been awarded the prestigious "Arms Control Person of the Year" prize for 2024. They were honored for their commitment to regulating autonomous weapons systems and for hosting the Vienna Conference, "Humanity at the Crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Challenge of Regulation."

The "Arms Control Person of the Year" award is presented annually by the U.S.-based “Arms Control Association” to individuals or institutions that have made significant contributions to disarmament. Among the 2024 nominees were the governments of the United States, Argentina, and Japan, opinion editors of The New York Times, the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as well as U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, and Chris Van Hollen.

“I am delighted that this critical issue is receiving the attention it deserves through this award. It is the 'Oppenheimer moment' of our generation: to proactively establish rules that uphold our security and human dignity through human control over the use of these weapons. We cannot let this moment pass without action. I thank the Foreign Ministry team for their tireless commitment to disarmament,” emphasized Schallenberg.

In late April 2024, the Vienna Conference took place at the Hofburg Palace, with over 1,000 participants from 144 countries. The conference focused on the serious legal, ethical, and security concerns surrounding autonomous weapons systems (AWS). The dialogue highlighted the need for clear regulations on AWS in armed conflicts—not just a code of conduct, but a legally binding international treaty. Austria, alongside a cross-regional group of states, has taken the lead on this issue at the United Nations (UN), driving momentum for the start of international negotiations on binding rules for autonomous weapons systems. In 2024, 166 states supported an Austrian-initiated UN General Assembly resolution on autonomous weapons systems.

“The decision over life and death must not be left to an algorithm. While we cannot prevent the development of autonomous weapons systems, we must work together to establish binding rules. We accept this award on behalf of all stakeholders who join us in advocating for the regulation of autonomous weapons systems,” concluded Foreign Minister Schallenberg.

According to the Arms Control Association, several thousand individuals from dozens of countries participated in the vote.