Geneva, 19th October 2024:
The Union Association for Human Rights (UAHR) organised an international side-event entitled “Human Rights Challenges in the Context of Artificial Intelligence”, on the sidelines of its participation in the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, at the United Nations Human Rights Palace in Geneva, with the wide participation of international experts, heads and representatives of many international organisations as observers at the United Nations. The side-event was also co-organised by prominent and prestigious international organisations, with the participation of a number of representatives of student councils at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
The side-event, which was organised in cooperation with international organisations with observer and consultative status at the United Nations, reviewed the challenges faced by the international human rights system in the context of the current and future reality of artificial intelligence. The side-event also reviewed the UAE’s pioneering experience in harnessing and using artificial intelligence to serve humanity and its development, and promoting the highest human values and principles in the context of enhancing opportunities for sustainable human development, as well as its keenness to achieve digital justice and strengthen its global position in this regard. The international side-event also introduced the national strategies, programmes and initiatives that the UAE has been keen to achieve in the framework of promoting digital international leadership and ensuring the use of artificial intelligence in a respectful and human rights-based approach, including the launch of the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, the appointment of the first Minister of Artificial Intelligence, the establishment of the first Ministry of Artificial Intelligence in the world, and the establishment of the Mohammed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, which enabled it to rank second globally in digital readiness in 2024.
Dr Fatima Khalifa Al Kaabi, Founder and President of the Union Association for Human Rights, Ms Maryam Al Ahmadi, Vice President of the Union Association for Human Rights, Ambassador Dr George Papadatos, Head of Mission and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and International Organisations in Geneva for EPLO, Mr Biro Diawara, Secretary General of Interfaith International, Mr Aleksandr Stommels, Co-Founder and President of Circle of Sustainable Europe, Hugo Nozkowicz, Clara Lombardo, and Paul Ruder, students at the National University of Geneva, presented papers and spoke at the side-event. The seminar was moderated by media consultant Vintislav Sapiev, an international expert in social and humanitarian dialogue.
The side-event stressed the importance of achieving a balance between technological progress and the protection of human rights through the adoption of international conventions and technical strategies that are based on human ethics, as well as the adoption of human rights approaches to ensure commitment to the legal texts that control all high human values and principles, in addition to the main aspects related to the challenges of human rights in the context of artificial intelligence, especially with regard to developing the work of international bodies and mechanisms to promote and enhance the human rights system at the international level, and the role and contributions of international non-governmental organisations in promoting the human rights system and facing the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
The side-event also reviewed the Charter of the Future, which includes the Global Digital Charter, which takes into account the ethical, humanitarian and legal foundations, standards and regulations related to human rights, which is based on 5 main objectives, 13 principles and a set of international commitments and pledges for States, companies and technology developers aimed at strengthening the international governance of artificial intelligence, of which (4 commitments and 2 pledges) are related to human rights. The side-event confirmed that according to Article 66 of the Digital Charter, voluntary endorsement of the Charter will be made by States as of December 2024, and it is also a requirement for civil society to support the Digital Charter and actively participate in its implementation and follow-up.
The side-event attracted a wide interactive attendance by many official missions of member and observer States of the Human Rights Council, especially the missions of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Russia, in addition to representatives of international bodies and mechanisms, especially the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a number of international experts at the United Nations, several heads and members of non-governmental organisations and international human rights initiatives, and a number of media professionals and journalists working at the United Nations.
It is worth noting that the Union Association for Human Rights participated in the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which ended last week, where it organised three human rights and cultural exhibitions in the UN Human Rights Square, focusing on “Digital Justice, Climate Protection and Environmental Safety in the UAE”, “Peace, Tolerance and Human Coexistence in the UAE”, and participated in submitting 5 written statements according to the agenda of the International Human Rights Council, targeting the third, fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth items. The Association presented 17 oral statements to the Human Rights Council, through which it interacted with the most prominent concerns of the Council and highlighted the efforts, achievements and leadership of the UAE in the field of human rights.
