The White House is set to release a joint declaration signed by 40 countries regarding the import and export of unmanned armed weapons systems, a document it is calling a first step toward establishing global norms for such systems.

The one-page “Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs),” lists five general principles to govern trade in armed drones, Defense News reports.

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Rachel Stohl of the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan policy research center that addresses security issues, said in a statement that while the effort is laudable, “the joint declaration does not go far enough to ensure that the standards are meaningful, nor does it set a high enough bar to ensure responsible transfer and proper use of military drones. … the joint declaration does not provide the specific guidelines as to how these standards will be developed, nor what they will include. A long-term and sustained commitment to the development of these principles is required.

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