This civil society report was developed collectively by members of civil society organisations from five coalitions – the Global Digital Rights Coalition, the Global Digital Justice Forum, the Global South Alliance, MAP-AI and the Civil society members of the Gender in Digital Coalition – which have engaged consistently throughout the process, with many of their members participating directly in the inaugural Dialogue.
The inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance (AI Dialogue) marked a critical convergence point, reinforcing that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to reshape economies, societies, and daily life. However, amidst the hype of AI as a game-changer for development, the Dialogue also brought much-needed attention to the risks, inequalities, and governance challenges associated with this emerging paradigm.
The power asymmetries in AI capabilities and the uneven distribution of AI benefits and harms between the Global North and Global South are pronounced, necessitating open conversations about equity in AI governance and international cooperation. This makes a coordinated international and democratic governance approach to AI a critical consideration for the future.
Established by the UN General Assembly, the AI Dialogue created a platform for governments and stakeholders to discuss international cooperation, share best practices and lessons learned, and facilitate open, transparent, and inclusive discussions on AI governance. This first Dialogue was an important start, but some gaps need to be overcome before the second Dialogue.
Several critical voices, including those of women and Indigenous Peoples, were insufficiently represented throughout the Dialogue. Discussions on human rights were also uneven across thematic areas, and opportunities for direct engagement between governments and other stakeholders remained limited. As preparations begin for the second Dialogue, addressing these gaps will be essential to advancing the UN's vision of AI governance as "inclusive, human-centric, and development-oriented." This requires ensuring the meaningful participation of historically underrepresented groups, strengthening multistakeholder dialogue, and grounding all discussions on AI governance in international human rights standards.
We commend the Co-Chairs for their careful stewardship of this first iteration and their commitment to bringing diverse stakeholders into the Dialogue. Drawing on these collective experiences, this report offers both substantive and procedural dimensions of AI governance, which deserve recognition in the Co-chairs’ summary based on collective read-out of the discussions heard during the first Dialogue and the relevant gaps also identified. Acknowledging the Dialogue as a welcome beginning to a broader process of international coordination, this report offers recommendations to strengthen its second iteration and support a more inclusive, rights-based, and effective global AI governance framework.