Furthermore, and noting with concern the potential risk posed by AI in widening digital divides within and between countries, the declaration calls for the promotion of inclusive international cooperation in this area, including in capacity building, joint research and voluntary technology transfer and knowledge sharing, on mutually agreed terms, in order to broaden the participation of all countries, in particular developing countries, in the digital transformation to harness the benefits and participate effectively in the development, deployment and use of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems, in a responsible and ethical manner.
In this sense, the Declaration underlines the importance of strengthening the capacity of all countries, particularly developing countries, to develop their technical expertise and capacities, to exploit data and computing resources and to realize the potential of open source technologies and systems and open data to deliver AI benefits at scale.
In this context, it is important that the Brazilian presidency presented a toolbox for the assessment of preparedness and capacities in artificial intelligence, carried out with the support of UNESCO.
We are proud to see this outcome and how the declaration is another sign that in key leadership spaces, the UNESCO Recommendation continues to inform global debates!
We will continue to work to promote innovation-friendly AI policies and governance approaches that respect human rights and are consistent with applicable legal frameworks on security, privacy and protection of personal data, as well as intellectual property rights. We also look forward to working closely with the South African Presidency in 2025, the first time Africa will host the G20.
South Africa intends to build on the achievements of previous presidencies to bridge digital divides, promote equality and support inclusive sustainable development to improve the lives of citizens. We therefore welcome South Africa’s plans to continue its work on artificial intelligence issues, in line with our mandate.
