On Human Rights Day, a UN-facilitated Workshop Highlights Human Rights in Artificial Intelligence

"Human rights must be placed at the core of AI", Acting Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain Ahmed Ben Lassoued said during a symposium on "Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights" organised Thursday by Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark Human Rights Day (10 December), in cooperation with the United Nations International Telecommunication Union Middle East Office.

Ben Lassoued affirmed that globally coordinated AI governance is the only way to harness AI for humanity's benefit while addressing the associated risks and challenges, stressing the role of the United Nations, including fostering digital collaboration, supporting the global exchange of best practices, building capacity in AI, and safeguarding human rights within and through AI.

"The United Nations Charter and international law serve as valuable foundations for the United Nations' work in promoting cooperation in artificial intelligence, including adjusting frameworks and leading global discussions on this vital issue."

The new United Nations Strategic Cooperation Framework between the United Nations and the Government of Bahrain for 2025-2029 highlights the country's advancements in digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and financial inclusion as pivotal opportunities to drive progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

By strategically leveraging these key enablers, the framework will seek to accelerate SDG implementation, strongly emphasising integrating youth as active contributors to the development process.

The symposium was organised in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union's Regional Office for the Arab States. It enabled a productive exchange with partners from the Government of Bahrain, the United Nations, and the Civil Society to develop frameworks and guidelines safeguarding human rights within and through AI.

Mr Adel Darwish, ITU Regional Director for the Arab States, addressed opportunities and risks related to artificial intelligence, highlighting the efforts of the ITU and the United Nations in increasing awareness of artificial intelligence and how to use it optimally, in addition to shedding light on the ethical and legal frameworks in this regard.