Page 45 - AI Governance Day - From Principles to Implementation

AI Governance Day - From Principles to Implementation

partners, including UNDP, focusing on countries with low technological capabilities to help
upskill them no matter where they are in their AI journey.

Are you AI ready?

Ladies and gentlemen, governance is not a given. An AI readiness survey that ITU recently
conducted among its 193 member states demonstrated that a majority of our responding
Member States, actually 85%, don't have any AI regulations or policies in place. Today, some
might at least start thinking about the policy elements and what to do next. This makes the
work we're doing today and beyond absolutely fundamental and essential.

All good governance starts with listening – listening to experts, exchanging ideas and
experiences with peers, identifying gaps, and building on potential areas of convergence.
Governance is never a one-and-done process; it is an iterative, sometimes frustratingly slow, but
ultimately necessary multi-stakeholder process. Taking stock of the landscape and facilitating
deep discussions, as we did this morning, is the first step in transforming principles into practical
implementation. Implementation, ladies and gentlemen, is what today is all about.

I know everyone in this room has a stake in seeing AI used as a force for good in this world.
As we heard from the UN Secretary-General's high-level advisory body, we need to take bold
decisions and view governance not as an inhibitor but as an enabler – an enabler for AI for
Good.

That's why today, I'm calling on all of you to get involved, take action, and participate actively
in the AI governance activities happening here at the ITU. Let’s harness the power of this AI
community to govern AI with and for the world. Let’s show them what it looks like, how it’s
done, and let’s do it together.

Thank you very much.

5�2 Leaders speak: Insights and key findings on AI governance
implementation

Panelists:

– H.E. Ms. Emma Inamutila Theofelus, Minister of Information and Communication
Technology, Namibia
– H.E. Mr. Mauricio Lizcano, Minister of Information Technologies and Communications,
Colombia
– H.E. Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of State for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications
and Information Technology, Bangladesh

Moderator:
– Robert F. Trager, Professor at the University of Oxford

The three ministers summarized the discussions in the morning with 200 attendees. The
panel discussion underscored the importance of a coordinated, inclusive, and human-centric
approach to AI governance. The ministers highlighted both the opportunities and challenges
that lie ahead in the realm of AI. As Minister Palak aptly quoted his Prime Minister, "If you want to
go fast and far, innovate together." This sentiment encapsulates the spirit of global cooperation

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