Unmanned aerial vehicles

International law continues to be preoccupied with questions surrounding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or, as UAVs are colloquially referred to, drones. This entry in the Encyclopedia of Public International Law explores the history and the international legal issues of UAVs in their varied uses, both civilian and military. With regard to the latter it analyzes, inter alia, the legal requirements under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The article also references debates concerning accountability, transparency and the use of UAVs in connection with targeted killing policies. The entry concludes that the legal questions raised by the use of combat UAVs form part of a wider political debate about the use of modern technology in armed conflict