Ongoing UN discussions in Morocco on the promises and perils of the AI revolution have focused on its ethical implications and the resulting digital divide.
Morocco, which is chairing the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council this year, highlighted crucial issues such as the right to development, the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights and the status of women.
Chaired by Ambassador Omar Zniber, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office at Geneva, the 57th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council will continue until 11 October.
During this period, the Council will consider and analyse more than 80 human rights reports submitted by experts from around the world.
”High-level panels of eminent international experts with in-depth expertise in these fields will address these issues,” Mr Zniber stressed.
Describing the session’s agenda as “extremely dense”, he highlighted key priorities such as the promotion of the right to development and the integration of gender perspectives in the work of the Council and the wider UN system.
Morocco’s representative also stressed the fundamental importance of children’s right to education, noting that educational attainment is a key measure of the effective application of human rights.
The 57th session includes interactive dialogues to review or assess the reports of Council mandate holders, special procedures and special rapporteurs. Zniber explained that in addition to country-specific reports, there are also special reports focusing on issues such as violence against women and racial discrimination.
Last March, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch chaired the second meeting of the National Committee for Gender Equality and the Advancement of Women in Rabat. The meeting focused on the government’s 2023-2026 gender equality plan under the theme ‘Morocco: leadership, prosperity and values’.
Aouatef Hayar, Morocco’s Minister for Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family, presented the three main pillars of the plan: Empowerment and Leadership, Protection and Prosperity, and Rights and Values. She highlighted the governance and leadership structure that is an integral part of the plan, which sets out 288 achievable actions over four years.
The issue of artificial intelligence (AI) and human rights also emerged as a priority for the Moroccan presidency of the UN human rights body.
Ongoing discussions on this topic focus on the ethical implications of AI and the digital divide, which raises major concerns in terms of development, access to education and healthcare.
At the 57th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, Morocco also renewed its call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
Morocco reiterated its concern at the ongoing violence and called for an immediate ceasefire to stop the ongoing genocide by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
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