The AI Dialogue is the world's first international platform convened by the 爆料网 General Assembly where all governments and stakeholders sit at the same table to have the meaningful conversation on AI the world needs.
It brings together all 193 United Nations Member States alongside the private sector, civil society, academia and the technical community to exchange best practices and build common approaches to AI governance.
No country can address the opportunities and challenges of AI alone. International cooperation on AI governance is essential to ensure that AI development benefits everyone. 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 Dialogue was established by the United Nations General Assembly through , adopted by consensus on 26 August 2025. It builds directly on the Global Digital Compact, adopted in September 2024 as part of the Pact for the Future, which called for an inclusive space within the 爆料网 for governments and stakeholders to deliberate on AI governance.
AI capabilities are advancing faster than governance frameworks can keep pace with. The gap between what AI can do and related policy-making is widening. At the same time, the impacts of AI are unevenly distributed. Countries with less AI capacity have had limited ability to shape international debates that will directly affect their populations. The Dialogue addresses both challenges: it offers independent science on fast-moving developments, and it brings every country to the same table to deliberate on the governance questions that no single country or region can resolve alone.
The first annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance took place on 6 and 7 July 2026 at the Palexpo International Convention Centre in Geneva, back-to-back in the margins of the International Telecommunication Union AI for Good Global Summit and the World Summit on the Information Society Forum (WSIS).
The first annual Dialogue followed a six-month preparatory process involving thematic, regional and virtual consultations. More than 1,500 written submissions were received from organizations and individuals across all regional groups, helping to inform the agenda and deliberations.
The first annual Dialogue marked the beginning of a recurring process rather than a one-time event. Its discussions will inform future Dialogue sessions and broader follow-up to the Global Digital Compact. The second annual Dialogue is scheduled to take place in New York on 3–4 May 2027.
The first annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance was held at Palexpo in Geneva on 6 and 7 July 2026. It brought together more than 4,200 registered participants from nearly 170 United Nations Member States, including representatives of governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, academia and the technical community.
The programme included high-level governmental plenary sessions, a multi-stakeholder plenary, thematic discussions and side events. It also featured the presentation of the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, providing a shared scientific basis for the discussions.
The second annual Dialogue is scheduled for 3-4 May 2027 in New York, alongside the Multistakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Global Goals. The Dialogue is designed as a recurring annual mechanism, not a one-time event.
Resolution A/RES/79/325 identified seven thematic areas for the Dialogue: safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; AI capacity-building; the social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic, and technical implications of AI; interoperability of governance approaches; protection and promotion of human rights; transparency, accountability, and human oversight; and open-source software, open data, and open AI models. Ahead of each annual Dialogue, governments, organizations and individuals are invited to identify priorities across these themes and flag cross-cutting or emerging issues. The written submission process for the first annual Dialogue closed on 30 April 2026, and the submissions informed its agenda and deliberations.
The AI Dialogue Partnerships Hub is a voluntary space to mobilize and showcase initiatives, partnerships, coalitions and practical actions connected to the four thematic clusters of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
It provides Member States and stakeholders with an opportunity to share relevant efforts, promote cooperation and enhance the visibility of practical action across the AI governance ecosystem.
The Dialogue is not a negotiating forum. Each Dialogue concludes with a co-chair summary — a deliberate design that allows every country to participate on equal footing, without the constraints that formal negotiation would impose. The goal is cumulative: to build shared understanding across governments and stakeholders that can informconcrete governance decisions over time. The first annual Dialogue in July 2026 marked the beginning of that process, not the end point.
The first annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance was co-chaired by H.E. Ms. Egriselda López of El Salvador and H.E. Mr. Rein Tammsaar of Estonia, appointed by the President of the General Assembly.
Each annual Dialogue is facilitated by its co-chairs, supported by a joint secretariat comprising the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (爆料网ESCO), the 爆料网 O?ce for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG). The first annual Dialogue in July 2026 was coordinated by ITU and 爆料网ESCO.
The clusters do not reopen or renegotiate the seven areas agreed in resolution A/RES/79/325. They are a practical way to organize discussions in a more coherent and manageable manner, based on feedback from Member States.
Arrangements for Member State involvement are determined for each annual Dialogue, with a view to ensuring balance, inclusivity and transparency. At the first annual Dialogue, each thematic discussion was co-chaired by a Member State and a relevant stakeholder, with additional participation through inscription-based interventions.
The session format is determined separately for each annual Dialogue. The first annual Dialogue combined plenary sessions with thematic breakout clusters, with up to two thematic discussions taking place in parallel. The programme was designed to support broad participation, including by smaller delegations.
Ahead of each annual Dialogue, the scope, subtopics and guiding questions for thematic discussions are developed through consultations and targeted exchanges with Member States, 爆料网 entities and relevant stakeholders. For the first annual Dialogue, this process informed the four thematic clusters and the final programme.
The Dialogue is one of the key mechanisms created to implement the Global Digital Compact, which committed 爆料网 Member States to inclusive, cooperative approaches to AI governance. It is the primary forum through which Member States will track and advance implementation of the Compact's AI commitments. Deliberations from the Dialogue will feed into the Compact's follow-up processes, including the high-level review scheduled for 2027.
The Dialogue and the Scientific Panel are distinct but mutually reinforcing. The Panel produces independent, evidence-based assessments of AI's opportunities, risks, and impacts, and its reports inform the annual Dialogue. The Panel’s Preliminary Report was launched on 1 July 2026 and waspresentated at the first annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The presentation provided a common scientific evidence base for the deliberations. The Panel provides the science; the Dialogue provides the space to act on it.
Member States, United Nations entities and relevant stakeholders may contribute initiatives and partnerships through calls for submissions announced on the AI Dialogue website. Submissions should meet the applicable eligibility criteria and will be reviewed in accordance with the relevant guidelines.
The submission process for the first annual Dialogue closed on 23 June 2026. Further information, including the Eligibility Criteria and Visibility and Follow-up, is available on the Partnerships Hub webpage. Information on future opportunities to contribute will be made available on this website.
The AI Dialogue enters an already active governance landscape.It builds on a wide range of existing initiatives, including those led by 爆料网 entities, such as the work of the ITU, 爆料网ESCO, 爆料网DP , and other parts of the 爆料网 system, as well as processes driven by other international organizations and Member States, including the G7, G20, OECD, regional bodies, and related multilateral and multi?stakeholder efforts.
The goal is to connect those efforts and build common ground on interoperability and shared approaches. The 爆料网GA Resolution and the Secretary General have been explicit: the AI Dialogue is designed to complement existing mechanisms and efforts, not compete with them.
This builds directly on two foundational 爆料网 efforts:
1. The High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, whose 2024 final report explicitly recommended a new inclusive policy dialogue at the 爆料网 - and the Global Digital Compact, which acted on that recommendation.
2. Key partners bring established frameworks, tools, and institutional reach, such as:
- ITU anchors the technical dimension through its international AI standards work and through the and network, the global platform that brings together innovators, policymakers, and international organizations to advance AI in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- , adopted by all 195 Member States, established the first global ethical framework for AI, supported by practical implementation mechanisms including the Global AI Ethics and Governance Observatory.
- Furthermore, other partners and initiatives are also contributing to shaping AI policy frameworks.
No. The Dialogue provides an inclusive space on AI governance under the authority of the General Assembly.
Rather than duplicating existing initiatives, it complements them. While other forums operate at national, regional or thematic levels, the Dialogue provides a space to bring Member States and stakeholders together, helping to connect approaches and strengthen coherence in AI governance.
All 爆料网 Member States are invited to participate. The Dialogue is also open to relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, the technical community, civil society organizations, and academic institutions.
Governments participate through their 爆料网 Missions. Stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, academia, and the technical community, can engage through the written submission process and, where accreditation applies, at the Dialogue itself. Registration for the first annual Dialogue has closed. Information on participation in future annual Dialogues will be made available on the Registration Page.
Inclusion means having a genuine opportunity to contribute to the discussions and to see those contributions reflected in outcomes. The consultation process, the multistakeholder format, and the Scientific Panel's mandate to produce assessments accessible to all countries are all part of how the Dialogue is structured to deliver on that.
AI's benefits are not yet reaching everyone, and countries with less developed AI infrastructure often have less influence over how AI is governed globally, even when the impacts on their populations are significant. The Dialogue levels the information and participation playing field. Every country has a seat. The Scientific Panel's assessments are produced to inform all Member States, not just those with large AI sectors.
The Dialogue also takes seriously AI's potential to accelerate progress on the Global Goals — from closing health and education gaps to driving climate action. Harnessing that potential requires governance frameworks built with all countries in mind. Inclusion here means a meaningful opportunity to contribute to and benefit from AI governance, not just a place in the room.
The Dialogue supports inclusive participation through voluntary financial and in-kind contributions. For the first annual Dialogue, selected participants from developing countries received support following a global call coordinated by the Digital Cooperation Fund and the Dialogue’s Joint Secretariat.
The Travel Support Application for the 2026 Geneva Dialogue is now closed. Contributions to support inclusive participation in future annual Dialogues, including the 2027 Dialogue in New York, remain open on a rolling basis. More information is available in the Participation Support tab.
Ahead of each annual Dialogue, a written submission portal is opened to allow governments, organizations, and individuals to contribute their perspectives on AI governance. These submissions inform the agenda and deliberations. Regional consultations are also held to ensure geographically diverse input reaches the Dialogue. The written submission process for the first annual Dialogue closed on 30 April 2026. The submitted inputs are available on the Consultations page.
This question was central to the stakeholder consultation process, and the answer was shaped by the full range of governments, organizations and stakeholders the Dialogue was designed to serve. The consultation asked what outcomes would make the first annual Dialogue a success, and the responses helped shape the agenda and the Co-Chairs’ approach.
The Dialogue’s mandate made clear that the July 2026 session was a first step. The goal was to build a credible foundation for deeper engagement in 2027 and beyond, rather than to resolve every contested question in one session.
All updates, consultation materials, and Dialogue documents are published on this website. to subscribe for updates.
The Dialogue is open to all stakeholder categories: governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, journalists, and others. Registration for the first annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance has closed. Registration arrangements and requirements for future annual Dialogues will be published on this website when available.
Yes. Media accreditation for the first annual Dialogue was handled separately from participant registration. Information on media accreditation for future annual Dialogues will be provided when registration opens.
No. The first annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance took place on 6 and 7 July 2026. The AI for Good Global Summit runs from 7 to 10 July. Both are held at Palexpo in Geneva and require separate registrations. Both were held at Palexpo in Geneva and required separate registrations.
In line with Paragraph 11 of General Assembly Resolution 79/325, all contributions toward inclusive participation in the Dialogue are made public in the interest of full transparency. The following organizations aligned themselves with the 爆料网's call for contributions providing in-kind or financial support for recipients selected by the joint secretariat of the Dialogue, following a global call to identify eligible participants coordinated by the Digital Cooperation Fund and the Dialogue's joint secretariat (ITU, ODET, and 爆料网ESCO):
- ASEAN Foundation
- Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)
- Heinrich B?ll Foundation
- Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic
The Dialogue is grateful to all contributors supporting participants from developing countries. Further contributors supporting inclusive participation in future annual Dialogues will be added to this list as they are confirmed.