The United Nations (UN) Inter-Agency Working Group on Artificial Intelligence (IAWG-AI), established by the High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) in October 2020, is dedicated to advancing concrete outcomes on AI that enhance UN system-wide policy coherence and programmatic coordination.
With over 50 UN system entities as members, the IAWG-AI facilitates exchange of information within the UN system, strengthens internal system-wide capacity, complements and contributes to the existing efforts across the UN system, and facilitates inter-agency cooperation in capacity-building activities to support Member States. Its role is underscored in the UNGA “AI Modalities” resolution (A/RES/79/325), which requests the Secretary-General to facilitate, within existing resources and mandates, appropriate Secretariat support for the Panel and the Dialogue by leveraging United Nations system-wide capacities, including those of the InterAgency Working Group on Artificial Intelligence.
Entering its sixth year, the IAWG-AI transitioned into a stable institutional coordination mechanism, with ITU and UNESCO jointly serving as its supporting secretariat. This transition enables the UN system to further consolidate expertise, evidence, and support for Member States.