Mr President,
Thank you for convening today’s session, thank you to our panellists for their insights but also their challenges.
As we’ve heard, new and emerging technologies, such as AI, don’t just have the potential to transform our societies. They are already doing so. Whilst they can facilitate the promotion and protection of Human Rights, they also pose risks.
We are at a critical juncture as we grapple to regulate effectively a technology that develops exponentially. We are proud to have played our role in enabling that discussion, not least through the inaugural AI Safety Summit last year and passed our mantle onto Korea and now France. We are committed to the development of safe, ethical AI in which to use Doreen Bogdan-Martin’s excellent phrase, human rights are the bedrock of our digital future.
We must avoid deepening the digital divide as this technology develops. By working together, we can achieve a digital transformation that is inclusive, sustainable, protects human rights and harnesses tech to get the SDGs back on track.
Finally, Mr President, we look forward to the conclusion of the Global Digital Compact in which human rights are central to the development and use of tech and enhances OHCHR’s capacity to provide an advisory service on Human Rights for governments and partners alike.
Thank you.