UN Security Council establishes informal expert group on technology, peace and security

The United Nations Security Council announced the creation of an Informal Expert Group on Technology, Peace and Security on 22 October 2026. Led by Greece and Latvia, the initiative is intended to give the Council a more systematic way to examine the implications of technological developments for international peace and security.

The announcement was made during a joint media stakeout by the Council. Greece’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Aglaia Balta, and Latvia’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, introduced the initiative alongside representatives of Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Liberia, Panama and the United Kingdom.

The group will provide expert advice on the digital dimensions of peace and security, including the effects of artificial intelligence (AI), information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other emerging technologies on conflicts, peace operations and international security.

Its establishment follows several Security Council discussions on AI and technological change during 2026. In March, the Council published a report titled Maintaining International Peace and Security in the Age of Rapid Technological Change. On 2 September, members discussed how AI could support early warning, mediation, peacekeeping and evidence-based decision-making.

France also convened a high-level briefing on AI and international security on 23 September, bringing together scientific and industry perspectives on the opportunities and risks associated with increasingly capable systems.

These discussions addressed both the potential benefits of AI for situational awareness and conflict analysis and concerns related to disinformation, malicious cyber activity, military applications and the loss of meaningful human control. The new expert group is intended to provide a continuing forum for examining these issues within the Council.