Civil Society Report on the First UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance

• The first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance highlighted the transformative potential of AI while emphasizing significant risks, inequalities, and governance gaps.
• Civil society coalitions identify power asymmetries between the Global North and South as a critical barrier to equitable international cooperation.
• Key shortcomings in the initial dialogue included the insufficient representation of women and Indigenous Peoples, inconsistent human rights discussions, and limited direct engagement between stakeholders.
• Recommendations for future iterations focus on strengthening multistakeholder participation and grounding all governance frameworks in international human rights standards.

Background and Context

• The AI Dialogue was established by the UN General Assembly to provide a platform for international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and inclusive policy development.
• Five major civil society coalitions—including the Global Digital Rights Coalition, Global Digital Justice Forum, Global South Alliance, MAP-AI, and members of the Gender in Digital Coalition—collaborated on a collective report.

Identified Governance Gaps

• Representation: Women and Indigenous Peoples were underrepresented, failing to reflect the diverse perspectives needed for global AI regulation.
• Thematic Focus: Human rights considerations were inconsistently applied across various discussion areas.
• Engagement: Opportunities for direct dialogue between government representatives and civil society stakeholders were limited.

Future Recommendations

• Ensure meaningful, structured participation for historically underrepresented groups.
• Strengthen the mechanism for continuous multistakeholder dialogue.
• Ensure all governance discussions are firmly anchored in international human rights frameworks.