Bonnie Docherty
Director of the Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection Initiative, International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard Law School (website)
Senior Researcher, Arms Division of Human Rights Watch (website)
email: docherb [at] hrw [dot] org ; bdocherty [at] law [dot] harvard [dot] edu
phone: 617-496-7375 || twitter @bonnie_docherty

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killer robots | landmines and cluster munitions | harm to civilians | CCW | explosive weapons in populated areas

Bonnie Docherty is a senior researcher in the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch and a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School, where she is Director of the Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection Initiative in the International Human Rights Clinic. Since 2001, she has played an active role, as both lawyer and field researcher, in humanitarian disarmament and the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Docherty participated in negotiations for the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions and conducted field investigations on cluster munition use in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Georgia. She has documented the civilian effects of armed conflict more broadly in Gaza, Israel, Libya, Nepal, and Ukraine.
 
In recent years, Docherty has contributed to the campaign for a new treaty on fully autonomous weapons, or "killer robots," by publishing extensively on the legal and moral threats they pose. She has done additional research and advocacy surrounding incendiary weapons and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. She was also part of the negotiations of the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
 
Docherty received her bachelor's degree and law degree from Harvard University. 


Recent Publications:​

• ​"Latin America and Caribbean Nations Rally Against Autonomous Weapons Systems," Just Security, March 6, 2023.*
  
• "The origins and influence of victim assistance: Contributions of the Mine Ban Treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Convention on Cluster Munitions," International Review of the Red Cross, November 2022. ​​
• "Over 80 Countries Committed to Curb Use of Explosive Weapons, Now Comes the Hard Part," Just Security, November 23, 2022.
• "An Agenda for Action: Alternative Processes for Negotiating a Killer Robots Treaty," Human Rights Watch and the Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic, November 10, 2022.
• ​"First Committee briefing book 2022" Reaching Critical Will, September 16, 2022.*
• "Russia’s Use of Cluster Munitions and Other Explosive Weapons Shows Need for Stronger Civilian Protections," Just Security, March 21, 2022.
• "Humanitarian Disarmament in 2022: Negotiations, Implementation, and a Fresh Start," Disarmament Dialogue, February 8, 2022.
• "Countering Consensus through Humanitarian Disarmament: Incendiary Weapons and Killer Robots," Humanitarian Disarmament blog, December 21, 2021.
• "Put Out the Fire: Strengthening International Law and Divestment Policies on Incendiary Weapons," PAX, December 9, 2021.*
• "Crunch Time on Killer Robots: Why New Law is Needed and How It Can Be Achieved," Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic, December 1, 2021.*
• "First Committee Briefing Book 2021," Reaching Critical Will, September 2021.*
• "CCW Report Vol 9 Issue 3," Reaching Critical Will, August 8, 2021.*
• "Areas of Alignment: Common Visions for a Killer Robots Treaty," Human Rights Watch/Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), August 2, 2021.
• "Statement on the 'Emergence of Convergence' to the CCW informal meeting on lethal autonomous weapons systems," Human Rights Watch, June 30, 2021.
• "Key Developments in Humanitarian Disarmament: Honoring Humanitarian Workers," Disarmament Dialogue blog, June 16, 2021.
• "Lockdown Diplomacy: Reflections and Recommendations from a Humanitarian Disarmament Survey," June 2021.*
• "The Case for Condemnation: Denouncing All Use of Cluster Munitions," Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic, April 2021.
• “Implementing the Convention on Cluster Munitions: Components of Strong Law and Supporting Examples,” Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), November 25, 2020.
• "'They Burn Through Everything': The Human Cost of Incendiary Weapons and the Limits of International Law," Human Rights Watch and the International Human Rights Clinic, November 2020.
• "New Weapons, Proven Precedent Elements of and Models for a Treaty on Killer Robots," Human Rights Watch and International Human Rights Clinic, October 20, 2020.
• ​"Confronting Conflict Pollution: Principles for Assisting Victims of Toxic Remnants of War," Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic and Conflict and Environment Observatory, September 30, 2020.*
• "COVID-19: The Threats and Opportunities for Humanitarian Disarmament," Disarmament Dialogue blog, April 14, 2020.

​* indicates additional authors