Youth delegates present AI governance declaration at the UN

More than 600 young people from around the world gathered at UN Headquarters in New York on 12 August for the Youth and AI Summit, where delegates presented a Youth-led Declaration on AI Policy and Governance.

The event was held on International Youth Day and organised by the International Organization of Youth, with sponsorship from the Permanent Mission of the Bahamas to the UN and support from diplomatic, UN and civil society partners.

The declaration was developed through discussions among participants at the summit and brings together their perspectives, principles and recommendations on artificial intelligence and its governance. Organisers intend to bring the document into UN processes, including discussions related to the implementation of the Global Digital Compact.

The declaration was presented at UN Headquarters but has not been formally adopted by the United Nations or its member states. Its presentation, therefore, represents a youth-led contribution to international policy discussions rather than a new UN policy instrument.

The summit builds on previous efforts to involve young people in discussions about technology governance, including the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, the International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board and the UN Science, Technology and Innovation Forum.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Felipe Paullier said that young people should be involved in policymaking from the beginning rather than being consulted only after decisions have already been made. He also pointed to the concentration of AI development among a relatively small number of companies and countries as a potential source of greater inequality.

Other speakers highlighted the broader social and economic questions surrounding AI. Philbert Aaron, Dominica’s Permanent Representative to the UN, described AI governance as a discussion involving power, dignity, opportunity and culture, rather than technology alone.

Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Governor of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, similarly argued that technological development does not automatically translate into broader human development. He pointed to infrastructure, computing capacity, skills, financing and access to knowledge as factors that can determine whether developing countries are able to benefit from AI.

The summit also took place alongside wider discussions about the potential effects of AI on young people’s employment. An International Labour Organization report published around International Youth Day found that 6.1% of jobs held by people aged 15 to 29 are in occupations highly exposed to changes associated with AI. Exposure does not necessarily mean that these jobs will disappear, but the ILO highlighted the importance of skills development, lifelong learning and social protection as AI changes the labour market.

The youth declaration now enters a wider international policy environment in which governments and other stakeholders are discussing how AI should be governed. Its potential contribution will depend on whether its recommendations are taken into account in formal processes and whether young people are given continuing opportunities to participate in decisions affecting the development and use of AI.