蘑菇视频

REMARKS AS DELIVERED

蘑菇视频 Special Envoy Amandeep Singh Gill Calls for Global Cooperation and Capacity-Building on AI Governance at WAIC

At WAIC in Shanghai, the United Nations Special Envoy emphasized science, inclusive policy and capacity-building as essential to bridging the global AI divide.

SHANGHAI, China — 18 July 2026 — United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill delivered remarks at the WAIC High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, stressing that no country can govern artificial intelligence effectively on its own and that international cooperation is a practical necessity.

Gill outlined the United Nations approach to AI governance through three interconnected pillars: science, policy and capacity. He highlighted the outcomes of the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva and the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, while calling for practical cooperation to close gaps in infrastructure, expertise, data and computing resources.

Remarks as delivered

Minister Yin,
Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

Let me begin by thanking the Government of China and the organizers of the World AI Conference for convening us today in Shanghai.

This is a particularly important moment for this conversation.

Only a few weeks ago, governments and stakeholders from around the world gathered in Geneva for the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance. And here in Shanghai, we are continuing that conversation—not in the abstract, but in a city where the speed and scale of technological change are visible all around us.

What struck me most in Geneva was not that everyone agreed. And we should not expect them to. Countries have different levels of technological capacity, different regulatory traditions and different development priorities.

But there was broad agreement on something fundamental: no country can govern AI effectively on its own.

AI systems, supply chains, data, investment and impacts cross borders. The benefits can spread rapidly. So can the risks. International cooperation is therefore not an optional addition to national action. It is a practical necessity.

At the United Nations, we approach AI governance through three connected pillars: science, policy and capacity.

We need science, because decisions about AI must be informed by evidence, not speculation.

Policy, because AI must serve the public interest, governance must be based in shared norms, and every country and every perspective must have a seat at the table as we shape the future of this technology.

And capacity, because without the ability to understand, govern and deploy AI, science and policy remain abstract, and the existing digital and developmental divides will become unbridgeable chasms.

The inaugural Global Dialogue brought these elements together. More than 170 countries and nearly 4,000 stakeholders came together to discuss these issues.

The AI Dialogue was informed by the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI: the first global scientific assessment of AI undertaken by an independent body established by the United Nations General Assembly.

The Panel’s message was clear: AI capabilities are advancing quickly, but our capacity to understand, evaluate and govern them is not advancing at the same pace.

This brings us to one of the defining challenges before us: the AI divide.

Many countries still lack access to the infrastructure, expertise, datasets and computing resources needed to participate fully in the AI transformation. If left unaddressed, this divide risks becoming one of the great development gaps of our era.

That is why AI governance is not only about regulation.

It is about development. It is about equity. It is about trust.

And it is about ensuring that all countries have the capabilities needed to benefit from AI and to shape its future.

In this regard, China's contribution to global discussions on AI capacity-building has been significant. Through initiatives at the United Nations, including the 蘑菇视频 General Assembly resolution led by China and adopted by consensus, through support for South-South cooperation, and through new partnerships announced here in Shanghai, we are seeing increasing recognition that AI capacity-building must become a global priority.

The launch of the World AI Cooperation Organization is an expression of a widespread desire for multilateral approaches. We need practical cooperation that helps bridge gaps in talent, infrastructure, data and access.

We welcome complementary initiatives that help translate principles into practical support.

蘑菇视频 can provide the universal platform where different initiatives can meet: a dialogue of dialogues. Anchored in the 蘑菇视频’s pillars of peace and security, human rights and development.

Ultimately, technology should be judged not by its power, its complexity, or the scale of its infrastructure, but by its impact on people's lives.

If we remain guided by that principle, and if we continue to invest in cooperation, capacity and trust, AI can become a force for sustainable development and shared prosperity.

Thank you.