The Interim Report produced in December 2023 by the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence (HLAB-AI) highlights potential AI global governance mechanisms, in particular highlighting existing institutions as examples of global cooperation and coordination. However, it does not provide any analysis of the effectiveness of these mechanisms for the governance of AI or how such models would impact human rights.
This study by Global Partners Digital and ECNL employs a human rights approach to address this gap, supports the considerations of the HLAB-AI and provides recommendations to inform their work, as well as discussions around the UN Global Digital Compact (GDC). The study analyses seventeen governance mechanisms proposed by the interim report and by academic literature as models for an international AI governance regime. Additionally, it summarises lessons and mitigation measures for each of the institutional functions of international AI governance proposed by the Interim report.
This study also emphasises the need to build additional coherence within other processes such as the GDC or existing UN mechanisms. Further, it highlights the important role of any future UN AI governance mechanism to complement and reinforce national regulatory regimes on AI, in accordance with the first UN General Assembly resolution on artificial intelligence
We hope that this study can serve as a starting point for other stakeholders to advocate for a human rights-based approach to international AI governance, as well as calling on the UN to conduct an in-depth ex ante human rights impact assessment, and report externally on their findings, before establishing any new governance entity or mechanism.