UN Global Dialogue opens with urgent call for safe and inclusive AI that benefits all

Why this platform, why now

AI is already being governed — through national regulations, technical standards, procurement frameworks, and bilateral agreements — but unevenly. Governance frameworks have been shaped predominantly by countries with advanced AI sectors, while the countries most exposed to AI’s consequences have had the least say in how those frameworks are designed.

The AI Dialogue corrects that imbalance. Mandated by the UN General Assembly, it gives every government an equal seat. Developing countries and the Global South participate with full standing to shape outcomes — not as observers. 

>> Follow the Global Dialogue on 6 July and 7 July remotely <<

“The credibility of this first Global Dialogue has been built through an open and participatory process that continues here in Geneva. Our collective success will be defined by every voice, perspective, experience, and contribution that is shaping the path forward for AI”, said Egriselda López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the UN and Co-Chair of the Dialogue.

Fellow Co-Chair and Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN, Rein Tammsaar, said that “leveraging the convening power of the UN, we must start transforming artificial intelligence into a global public good that benefits all of humanity while ensuring safety by design and meaningful human oversight. For this to happen, the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva should spark AI's San Francisco moment.”

>>See the full programme and list of featured attendees here.<<

Six months of global consultations

Since January 2026, structured global consultations have taken place across thematic, regional, and virtual formats, drawing in governments, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the technical community. More than 1,500 written submissions were submitted from organisations and individuals across all regional groups.

The result of the written submissions revealed different priorities among the groups: For example, governments were the only stakeholder group to place capacity-building first. Most other groups ranked safety first. Other themes that ranked high in priority include transparency, accountability and human oversight, as well as social, economic, ethical, cultural and linguistic implications. One area of consensus from the consultations is that participants want to see continuity in this process: more than five hundred submissions called for the process to continue beyond July.

The Dialogue takes place one week after the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence launched its preliminary report handing the governments who convene there a shared evidence base to build policy from. The Panel, composed of independent scientists and experts from every region, outlines trends in AI and warns that current safeguards cannot keep pace with the growth of AI’s capabilities.

The Panel comprises 40 members serving in their personal capacity, independent of any government, company, or institution, including the United Nations. Members were selected from more than 2,600 candidates through an open call and independent review process. The Panel is co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio (Canada) and Maria Ressa (Philippines).