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CUTS Daily Bulletin # 01 | July 06, 2026

Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance

Day 1 Highlights

The inaugural Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance, convened under the auspices of the United Nations, marked an important milestone in international efforts to establish a more inclusive and coordinated framework for governing artificial intelligence. Bringing together governments, international organisations, academia, industry and civil society, the Dialogue reflected a growing consensus that while AI offers unprecedented opportunities for sustainable development, its rapid evolution also demands stronger global cooperation, evidence-based policymaking and robust governance safeguards.

A central highlight of the opening day was the presentation of the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which provides the first comprehensive, evidence-based global assessment of the opportunities, risks and governance implications of artificial intelligence. The report is expected to serve as a foundational reference for future international discussions on AI governance.

A Shared Vision for Inclusive AI Governance

The opening ceremony established a clear vision for AI governance centred on inclusiveness, human rights, sustainable development and international cooperation. Speakers consistently emphasised that AI governance cannot be the responsibility of governments alone; rather, it requires sustained collaboration among the public sector, industry, academia, technical experts and civil society.

Co-President Ambassador Héctor Enrique Jaime Calderón López described the Dialogue as the beginning of a new phase of international cooperation on AI governance, highlighting the importance of ensuring that all countries—particularly developing economies—have the capacity and resources to participate meaningfully in shaping global AI rules.

Echoing this perspective, Co-President Ambassador Tanel Sepp stressed that trust, transparency and respect for human rights must remain at the centre of AI governance. Drawing upon Estonia's experience as one of the world's leading digital societies, he argued that technological progress must always reinforce democratic values and public confidence.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres characterised artificial intelligence as one of the defining technologies of our time, capable of accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals while simultaneously creating profound risks. He identified four immediate global priorities: strengthening AI safety, safeguarding human rights, expanding capacity-building for developing countries and improving transparency in AI systems. He also reiterated the United Nations' call for a global prohibition on lethal autonomous weapons and stronger measures to protect children from AI-enabled harms.

President of the United Nations General Assembly Annalena Baerbock emphasised that effective AI governance is a shared global responsibility. She called for coordinated international action to address challenges such as misinformation, deepfakes and gender-based harms while ensuring that AI contributes to inclusive and sustainable development.
Other senior UN leaders reinforced similar themes. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), highlighted the importance of keeping people at the centre of AI development through stronger cooperation across governments, industry and civil society. Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture, reaffirmed UNESCO's leadership in advancing ethical AI through its 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, while Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology, stressed that AI governance must remain an ongoing, inclusive and evidence-driven process rather than a one-time policy exercise.

Collectively, the opening session underscored an emerging international consensus that AI governance must be inclusive, principles-based and capable of delivering equitable benefits across countries and societies.

Scientific Evidence at the Centre of Global AI Governance

The principal policy event of the day was the presentation of the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. Developed by an independent panel of internationally recognised experts, the report offers a comprehensive assessment of AI's opportunities, risks and governance challenges, with the objective of informing future international policymaking.

The report argues that effective AI governance should be grounded in independent scientific evidence rather than commercial or geopolitical interests. As AI technologies continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace, governance frameworks must become more adaptive, transparent and internationally coordinated.

Panel members highlighted the transformative potential of AI across sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture and scientific research. However, they cautioned that these benefits will only be realised if countries invest in digital infrastructure, institutional capacity and human capital. Without such complementary investments, AI risks widening existing economic and technological inequalities between and within countries.

The report also identifies several emerging risks requiring urgent policy attention. These include cybersecurity vulnerabilities, growing environmental costs associated with large-scale AI systems, the spread of misinformation and deepfakes, threats to democratic institutions, privacy concerns and the increasing concentration of AI capabilities among a small number of actors.

Participants emphasised the need for stronger mechanisms for independent testing, auditing and transparency of AI systems, supported by internationally recognised standards that enhance accountability and public trust.

Particular attention was devoted to protecting children and other vulnerable groups from AI-enabled harms, including manipulation, exploitation, privacy violations and unsafe digital products. The report further highlighted the importance of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity in AI development, noting that many languages and communities remain significantly underrepresented in current AI systems.

A recurring message throughout the session was that AI governance must be sufficiently flexible to respond to rapid technological change while remaining firmly anchored in enduring principles of human rights, transparency, accountability and international cooperation.

Key Policy Messages

The opening day of the Global Dialogue highlighted several important trends that are likely to shape the future global AI governance agenda:

Evidence-based policymaking should underpin AI governance to ensure decisions remain scientifically informed and independent of commercial or geopolitical interests.
International cooperation has become indispensable for addressing the cross-border implications of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Capacity-building for developing countries must become a central pillar of global AI governance to prevent widening digital inequalities.
Transparency, independent auditing and accountability are essential for building public trust in AI technologies.
Human rights and democratic values should remain the foundation of AI governance frameworks, particularly in addressing misinformation, privacy risks and AI-enabled harms.
Principles-based governance offers greater resilience than narrowly technology-specific regulations in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Looking Ahead

The discussions on the first day reflected a notable evolution in international thinking on AI governance. Rather than focusing solely on regulating technological risks, participants increasingly framed AI governance as a broader challenge of building trustworthy institutions, promoting equitable development and ensuring that technological progress remains aligned with shared human values.

The presentation of the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI represents an important milestone in this process. By placing independent scientific evidence at the heart of international policymaking, the report provides a strong foundation for future negotiations on a more coherent, inclusive and globally coordinated AI governance architecture.

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