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In recent addresses the UN chief outlined three priorities for AI including expanding capacity in developing countries establishing international safety standards and ensuring environmental sustainability. A UN-supported Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity Building has already drawn nominations from more than 20 countries including China according to UN News.
Guterres said technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all of humanity. He stressed that AI governance cannot be governed by a handful of countries or companies adding that every nation needs a seat at the table. The secretary-general announced he will soon present recommendations for a Global Fund for AI and called on governments to back both the fund and the capacity network.
Separate UN efforts have targeted the international financial architecture with Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights Attiya Waris presenting a report to the Human Rights Council in March. Waris said international assistance is a legal obligation not an act of charity and it must be grounded in legality transparency accountability efficiency effectiveness fairness and justice. She urged a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation rights-based sovereign debt mechanisms and measures to curb illicit financial flows that drain resources from vulnerable states.
Global leaders convened at Club de Madrid’s Annual Policy Dialogue in Nairobi urged multilateral development banks to fully implement capital adequacy recommendations and deliver at least $300 billion annually in long-term finance by 2030 according to a press release from the United Nations. The gathering called for a new UN-anchored framework for timely fair and inclusive sovereign debt restructurings that includes automatic standstills and links relief to climate and development goals. Participants emphasised that climate finance must supplement rather than replace development aid while private finance requires transparent de-risking and alignment with sustainable objectives.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development held in Sevilla in 2025 produced the Sevilla Commitment which reaffirms commitments to close an estimated $4 trillion annual financing gap for sustainable development in developing countries. UN documents from the conference highlight the potential of artificial intelligence and digital technologies to deepen financial inclusion through mobile banking peer-to-peer platforms and regulatory adjustments that protect consumers. The outcome document encourages governments to review legal frameworks to manage risks while fostering innovation in financial services.
A subsequent UN General Assembly resolution established an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI comprising 40 experts tasked with producing annual reports on the technology’s risks opportunities and societal impacts. The panel aims to bridge knowledge gaps so all member states can engage equally regardless of their technological capacity. Guterres described the initiative as a foundational step toward rigorous independent scientific insight into artificial intelligence.
