African engagement in global AI governance
Workshop organised by the Council of Europe with a support of French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Targeted side event of the AI Action Summit.
Workshop is preceded by a signing ceremony for the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
11 February 2025
Signature ceremony - 13:00
Workshop - 13:30
Council of Europe office in Paris
English/French
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Agenda
13:00 - 13:30 Signing ceremony for the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law
13:30 – 13:35 Opening of the Workshop by Council of Europe Secretary General Alain BERSET
13:35 – 13:40 Statement by Mr Hisashi MATSUMOTO, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan
13:40 – 14:30 Panel moderated by Mr Thomas SCHNEIDER, Ambassador (Switzerland), Vice-Chair of the Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)
- Mr Amr S. TALAAT, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt
- Ms Stephanie DELMOTTE, Minister of Digital Development, Posts and Telecommunication, Madagascar
- Ms Neema LUGANGIRA, MP Tanzania, Chair, African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (APNIG)
- Ms Latifa AYEB, Chief of Cabinet of Ms Amal EL FALLAH SEGHROUCHNI, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Kingdom of Morocco (on-line)
- Mr Takuo IMAGAWA, Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, Japan
- Ms Murielle POPA-FABRE, Expert, responsible for AI Policies and Governance, Computational Neuroscientist, former INRIA and Cornell Researcher
14:30 – 15:20 Open exchange with participants (in-person and online)
15:20 – 15:30 Summing-up and closing of the Workshop by Ms Hanne JUNCHER, Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
*tea/coffee networking after the side-event
Background
AI technology carries with it great promise of scientific, economic, and societal development for humanity. At the same time, this digital technology comes with certain serious risks to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Those risks have to be appropriately addressed, while promoting innovation, in order to harness its forces for the good of all members of our societies, throughout the world.
The ground-breaking Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law adopted by the Council of Europe was opened for signature in September 2024. It is the world’s first international treaty regulating key aspects of the development, use and decommissioning of AI systems. The Framework Convention is designed from the outset as a global legal instrument, relying on international and regional legal systems, and is open for accession by countries from all over the world. It was negotiated between the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the Holy See, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the United States of America, Uruguay, and the European Union (representing its 27 member states).
In line with other global initiatives, such as the GPAI, one of the aims of the Framework Convention is to strengthen international cooperation so as to bridge the current digital divides within and between countries, promoting innovation and safe, secure, and trustworthy AI for all in a Global North-South context.
The Council of Europe is actively seeking to engage, on a peer-to-peer basis, with like-minded African countries and with regional organisations, particularly the African Union, to promote global governance of AI in the context of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Aims of the Workshop
Themes
The main questions to be explored during the side event would be:
- How to boost the role of countries in the African region in global governance of AI?
- How and where best to find inter-regional synergies on regulating AI between the African region and the European region?
- What role for African national parliaments, civil society organisations and the industry/business communities in creating and promoting responsible and efficient AI governance in the African region and beyond?
Intended audienceDisclaimer: The interpretation of meetings serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of the proceedings. Only the original speech is authentic. No liability shall be incurred by the interpreter in the exercise of his/her function.