The United Nations is convening a Global Dialogue on AI Governance to ensure all countries have a voice in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
Established under the Global Digital Compact, the initiative will bring governments, industry leaders, academics, and civil society together to discuss opportunities, risks, and international cooperation, with registration closing on June 28, 2026.
The programme also seeks to ensure that discussions on artificial intelligence reflect the priorities of all countries rather than only those with advanced technological capabilities.
According to the United Nations, the initiative comes at a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming economies, societies, and everyday life across the world.
“Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, societies, and daily life. Its opportunities are real. So are its risks. No country can address either alone,” the UN said.
The organisation described the dialogue as a platform designed to promote international cooperation, exchange best practices, and facilitate inclusive discussions on how AI should be governed.
“The AI Dialogue exists to ensure that governance reflects the priorities of all nations, not just the most technologically advanced, and that the benefits of AI are shared by all,” the UN highlighted.
For the first time, the UN noted, every country will have an opportunity to participate directly in global conversations on artificial intelligence.
“Committed to the Global Digital Compact and established by the UN General Assembly, the AI Dialogue is the United Nations platform where all governments and stakeholders will convene to discuss international cooperation, share best practices and lessons learned, and facilitate open, transparent and inclusive discussions on artificial intelligence governance,” the organisation highligted.
The event is expected to attract senior global leaders, including United Nations General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
Also expected to participate are Egriselda López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations and Co-Chair of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and Rein Tammsaar, Estonia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and fellow co-chair of the initiative.
The UN outlined that representatives from the private sector, academia and civil society will also attend.
The themes and structure of the dialogue are being developed through a global consultation process involving governments, technical experts, businesses and civil society organisations.
Among the proposed thematic areas are the social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic and technical implications of AI; efforts to bridge global AI divides through capacity-building and digital infrastructure; the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems; and the promotion of transparency, accountability and human oversight.
The consultations will also explore interoperability between different AI governance approaches and the protection of human rights in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
Highlighting the urgency of global cooperation, Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the importance of collective action in managing the technology’s impact.
“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,” Guterrez noted.
Registration for the Global Dialogue on AI Governance closes on June 28, 2026, ahead of what the United Nations hopes will become a landmark forum for shaping the future of AI governance worldwide.