This executive summary lays out highlights from the report Developing Human Rights Guidelines for Commercial Drone Manufacturers written by Max Bell School Master of Public Policy students Hermon Afowork, Mohamed Alioune Diop, Timothée de Lestrange, and Shane Joy as part of the 2026 Policy Lab.
Access the summary and presentation below, and read their full report here.
The rapid proliferation of commercial drones has transformed contemporary armed conflict. Originally designed and marketed as civilian technologies, commercial drones are now routinely modified by both state and non-state actors for military purposes. Their widespread use in conflicts such as Ukraine and Gaza has enabled surveillance and attacks that have contributed to civilian harm and raised significant human rights concerns. At the same time, the accessibility, affordability, and dual-use nature of commercial drones have made it increasingly difficult to prevent their unlawful use.
This report examines how commercial drone manufacturers can help prevent the unlawful use of their products in armed conflict and ensure accountability when violations occur. Drawing on stakeholder interviews, case studies, and existing human rights frameworks, the report finds that commercial drone companies occupy a challenging position. Manufacturers are situated upstream in complex global supply chains and often lose visibility over where, how, and by whom their products are ultimately used. Nevertheless, they are not without influence. Through responsible business conduct, stronger due diligence practices, technical safeguards, and collective action, manufacturers can take meaningful steps to reduce risks and contribute to the prevention and mitigation of human rights violations.
The research identifies five key insights. First, commercial drone supply chains are highly adaptive and routinely evolve to circumvent export controls and other restrictions, making diversion into conflict settings difficult to prevent. Second, manufacturers currently possess limited incentives to voluntarily implement robust human rights due diligence measures, particularly in the absence of industry-wide standards and accountability mechanisms. Third, existing technical safeguards such as geofencing and flight logging systems remain vulnerable to circumvention. Fourth, while manufacturers publicly oppose the military use of their products, current policies and practices fail to meaningfully address the realities of civilian harm occurring in conflict settings. And fifth, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) provide a path forward for limiting the unlawful employment of dual-use products for military purposes.
To address these challenges, the report proposes three mutually reinforcing recommendations directed toward commercial drone manufacturers.
- The Responsible Drone Protocol (RDP) would establish a common set of industry standards grounded in the UNGPs. Developed through negotiations among manufacturers and governments, the protocol would provide practical guidance on identifying, preventing, mitigating, and accounting for adverse human rights impacts associated with commercial drone use. By translating existing human rights principles into industry-specific guidelines, the RDP would provide manufacturers with a common framework for responsible business conduct.
- Responsible Drones International (RDI) would provide the institutional structure necessary to support implementation of human rights due diligence programmes. As an industry-led association, RDI would promote compliance through certification, complaint-handling, and investigations. Bringing together manufacturers, and later governments and civil society organizations, the association would create a mechanism for collective action, responding to risks, and strengthening accountability. Over time, participation could become a condition for market access.
- Bolstering technical safeguards would preserve and strengthen the measures currently available to manufacturers. Existing safeguards should remain active by default and be strengthened where possible. Although technical safeguards cannot eliminate unlawful use and remain susceptible to circumvention, they raise the barriers to misuse, improve traceability, and support accountability.
No single recommendation can fully eliminate the risks posed by the use of commercial drones in armed conflict. However, the inability to prevent every instance of misuse does not absolve manufacturers of responsibility. The recommendations presented in this report offer practical and achievable pathways through which commercial drone companies can better align their operations with international human rights standards, reduce the risk of civilian harm, and strengthen accountability for violations. Collectively, they provide a foundation for embedding responsible business conduct across the global commercial drone industry.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by Human Rights Watch’s Crisis, Conflict and Arms division during the preparation of this report. While representatives of Human Rights Watch provided valuable feedback and facilitated engagement with relevant stakeholders, the organization did not direct the research findings or recommendations. All analysis, interpretations, conclusions, and policy recommendations are the independent work of the authors and should not be attributed to Human Rights Watch.
Download the full version of this report here.
Authors: Mohamed Alioune Diop, Hermon Afowork, Timothée de Lestrange, and Shane Joy
