UN Bridges Global AI Governance Gap

Published Date : 26/09/2025 

The United Nations is hosting a high-level event to address the global void in AI governance, aiming to bring all 193 Member States into the discussion and ensure inclusive and effective international oversight of artificial intelligence. 

Investment, optimism, and anxiety: these are the key drivers of interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications. The explosive growth of AI tools around the world has yet to be matched by effective, internationally agreed rules on how this powerful technology is governed. A high-profile event at UN Headquarters on Thursday is designed to bring effective global AI governance a step closer to reality.

Because the challenges and opportunities are global, the responses also need to be far more comprehensive than the fragmented and siloed solutions that have been enacted thus far. A UN report from 2024 found that 118 countries were not parties to any of the significant 'international' AI governance initiatives created in recent years, and only seven nations, all from the developed world, were parties to all of the initiatives.

The high-level General Assembly meeting on AI governance being held on Thursday marks the first time that all 193 Member States of the UN will have a say in the way international AI governance is developed. This event will seek to address this lack of representation: as well as diplomats from around the world, the meeting will gather together scientists, members of the tech community, private sector, and civil society.

The meeting will focus on two new landmark bodies designed to kickstart a much more inclusive form of international governance, address the issues surrounding this powerful technology, and ensure that it benefits all people: the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. Both bodies grew out of recommendations made by a group of experts and law-makers (the High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence) in a 2024 UN report, 'Governing AI for Humanity,' and were established through a UN General Assembly resolution in August 2025, endorsed unanimously by all Member States and hailed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as 'a significant step forward in global efforts to harness the benefits of artificial intelligence while addressing its risks.'

The purpose of Thursday’s Dialogue is to share best practices, enhance the international interoperability of AI governance, and share significant AI incidents. The forum is expected to become the world’s principal venue for collective focus on AI and aims to create a shared space for governments, industry, civil society, and scientists to exchange best practices and foster common approaches.

The International Panel, with support from the UN system, will provide impartial, evidence-based guidance on risks, opportunities, and impacts of AI, and will help ensure that policymaking is grounded in independent scientific assessments. The Panel will produce an annual report, to be presented at the annual meeting of the Dialogue.

'These two global mechanisms are not just new functions,' Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, told UN News. 'They are building blocks of a new architecture of technology governance. They are our promise to future generations to ensure that humanity remains at the centre of technological progress.'

Mr. Gill reinforced the groundbreaking step represented by the High-Level event: 'AI’s impact is global, but its governance is not. Through the Global Dialogue, for the first time, all 193 member countries of the UN will have a seat at the table in shaping international cooperation on AI governance.' He also explained: 'The Scientific Panel will bring together leading scientists from across the globe to narrow the cone of uncertainty around the risks, opportunities, and impacts of AI. The Panel will help ensure that AI policy is grounded in impartial evidence.'

Speakers at the High-level event will include Annalena Baerbock, the President of the General Assembly, at its 80th session, António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, as well as Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, the Prime Minister of Spain and Arnoldo André Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. The speeches will be followed by statements by United Nations Member States and Observers, as well as by UN system entities and other stakeholders, with statements by non-governmental actors interspersed regularly among those of Member States. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main goal of the UN's high-level event on AI governance?

A: The main goal is to bring all 193 Member States of the UN into the discussion on AI governance, ensuring a more inclusive and effective international oversight of artificial intelligence.

Q: What are the two new bodies being introduced for AI governance?

A: The two new bodies are the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.

Q: How will the Global Dialogue on AI Governance function?

A: The Global Dialogue will serve as a principal venue for collective focus on AI, sharing best practices, enhancing international interoperability of AI governance, and sharing significant AI incidents.

Q: What role will the Scientific Panel play in AI governance?

A: The Scientific Panel will provide impartial, evidence-based guidance on the risks, opportunities, and impacts of AI, ensuring that policymaking is grounded in independent scientific assessments.

Q: Who are some of the key speakers at the high-level event?

A: Key speakers include Annalena Baerbock, the President of the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, the Prime Minister of Spain, and Arnoldo André Tinoco, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. 

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