Director-General's remarks at the Opening of the “Geneva Dialogue: Solidarity for AI Governance”

Opening of the event “Geneva Dialogue: Solidarity for AI Governance”
organized by the Permanent Missions of China,
Pakistan and Zambia

Tuesday, 25 November 2025, at 3.30 p.m.
Room XI, Palais des Nations

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the Palais des Nations. It is a pleasure to join you today for this Geneva Dialogue: Solidarity for AI Governance event. I would like to begin by thanking the Permanent Missions of China, Pakistan and Zambia for convening this timely discussion.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping the way we live and work. From education and healthcare to labour markets, governance, and communication, its impact is already evident in our daily lives. AI offers remarkable opportunities, driving innovation, progress, and sustainable development. At the same time, it presents serious risks and complex challenges. No country can navigate this transformation alone. As the Secretary-General emphasized at the launch of the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance on 25 September: “The question is no longer whether AI will transform our world – it already is. The question is whether we will govern this transformation together – or let it govern us.”

Over the past year, the United Nations has taken important steps to address this gap. The adoption of the Global Digital Compact in 2024, as an annex to the Pact for the Future, laid the foundations for strengthening international cooperation on artificial intelligence for the benefit of all.

In addition, General Assembly resolution 79/325, adopted in August 2025, established two complementary mechanisms within the United Nations, the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance and the International Independent Scientific Panel on AI.  

The Global Dialogue represents the first truly universal and inclusive platform for global participation in AI governance. Designed for open, transparent and constructive cooperation, it will enable governments, industry and civils society to advance common solutions together.

The Panel will inform the Global Dialogue with timely analysis based on scientific research, helping the international community anticipate emerging challenges and make informed decisions.

Ladies and gentlemen,

International Geneva can play a central role in this new process. As a global hub for multilateral cooperation, it offers a unique ecosystem where states, international organizations, private sector, civil society and academia work side-by-side. It is here that many of the norms, standards and practices guiding the intersection of technology and human rights are shaped.

I welcome the decision to hold the first session of the Global Dialogue here in Geneva in 2026, back-to-back and in the margins of the ITU AI for Global Good Summit. This will be another historic moment for Geneva, when AI becomes a success story of international cooperation. UNOG stands ready to collaborate with all relevant actors to host and support the Dialogue, ensuring that the meetings in Geneva are inclusive, well-prepared and conducive to substantive exchanges. We look forward to a global gathering, with high-level representation, that can drive forward multilateral cooperation on such a complex yet pressing topic.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today’s event demonstrates the spirit of cooperation and solidarity that the Global Dialogue seeks to foster. The themes of global governance, empowerment and capacity building align directly with priorities identified by Member States and will help prepare the ground for the Dialogue’s work in the years ahead.

I thank the organizers once again for convening this meeting today, and I wish you productive and insightful discussions.

Thank you.