The Role of AI Standards in Protecting Human Rights – Reflections from the OECD AI Governance Summit

AI Action Summit – OECD Headquarters

On February 11, 2025, I had the privilege of participating as a panelist at the OECD AI Governance Summit at the OECD headquarters. The event, titled “Shaping the Future of AI Governance: Standards, Risk Management, and Responsible Practices,” brought together leading experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the evolving landscape of AI governance. My panel focused on an essential yet often overlooked aspect of AI standardization: how to integrate human rights considerations into global AI standards.

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Bridging Innovation and Responsibility: Reflections on IGF 2024

IGF 2024

As we stand at the intersection of emerging technologies and human rights, the IGF 2024 session, “Fostering Trust: Embedding Human Rights in Technical Standards for Emerging Technologies,” was a call to action. This hour-long discussion brought together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders to tackle a pressing question: How can we ensure that technical standards promote human dignity in a rapidly evolving digital landscape?

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Exploring the State Duty to Protect Human Rights in AI Governance

Panel Discussion: Exploring the State Duty to Protect Human Rights in AI Governance

On November 28, 2024, I had the privilege of speaking at the expert consultation on the application of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) to technology companies, particularly regarding artificial intelligence (AI). Held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, this event brought together stakeholders to discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities in aligning technological innovation with human rights principles.

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Advancing Human Rights through the Global Digital Compact

UK mission in Geneva

On November 26, 2024, I had the privilege of speaking at the “Implementing Human Rights Objectives through the Global Digital Compact: A Multistakeholder Approach” workshop in Geneva. This gathering brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including member states, private sector leaders, civil society, and UN entities, to discuss the practical implementation of human rights commitments within the Global Digital Compact (GDC).

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La diplomatie numérique : une approche centrée sur les droits humains

Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’Homme

Le vendredi 22 novembre 2024, j’ai eu l’honneur de participer au séminaire organisé par la Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’Homme (CNCDH) sur la diplomatie numérique. Ce séminaire a réuni des experts issus de divers horizons pour débattre des enjeux et défis liés à l’intégration des droits humains dans la gouvernance numérique et les politiques étrangères.

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Human Rights in the Digital Age: Balancing AI, Technology, and Governance in Smart Cities

2024 Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform
Tuesday 5 November 2024, 09:15-15:00
Pétale 5, Room c1, Maison de la Paix, Geneva

(Originally published on the Geneva Academy website)

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As digital technologies and AI increasingly shape the infrastructure and governance of urban settings and impact people’s lives in cities, safeguarding human rights becomes a central challenge. Without proper regulation, the widespread use of AI and other technologies risks infringing on fundamental rights and exacerbating inequality and discrimination.
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Ensuring Human Rights in Emerging Technologies Through ICT Standards

Standards and Human Rights

Date: October 21, 2024
Location: Room C1, WTSA-24, New Delhi, India

On October 21, 2024, the ITU hosted a compelling side event at WTSA-24 in New Delhi to address a vital question in today’s digital landscape: How can ICT standards ensure that human rights are upheld as new and emerging technologies develop? Co-organized by the ITU alongside the European Commission, Czech Republic, France, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), this event gathered experts across governments, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations.
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Les droits humains dans les normes numériques : Le rôle et les défis de l’UIT vus de l’intérieur

Depuis sa création il y a plus de 160 ans, l’UIT a été à l’avant-garde des normes de télécommunications, du télégraphe à l’infrastructure numérique moderne. Olivier examine les défis que représente la promotion de la protection des données, de la vie privée et de la non-discrimination au sein d’une organisation multilatérale hautement technique. En s’appuyant sur les différentes perspectives des 193 États membres, il met en lumière l’équilibre diplomatique nécessaire pour garantir que les valeurs universelles, telles que les droits de l’homme, trouvent leur place dans le paysage évolutif des normes TIC.

Human Rights & ICT Standardisation

Webinar on Human Rights and ICT Standardisation

(Originally published on the hsbooster website)

On Thursday 6th June 2024 (15:30 – 17:30 CEST) the CSA European Commission funded project StandICT.eu 2026, in collaboration with the HSBooster.eu project, discussed amongst experts working on human rights and standards, the issue of how to ensure Human Rights are considered and dealt with when addressing technical specifications in ICT standardisation.

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Enhancing CSO participation in global digital policy processes: Roles, structures, and accountability

Panel Discussion at WSIS+20

(Originally published on the ITU website)

Join us for an insightful session on how the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is working to boost CSO participation in global policy processes, including those all-important standard-setting ones. We’ll dive into the evolving roles of CSOs, necessary structural changes, accountability mechanisms, joint GS-GN advocacy, and more. Our goal? To develop clear strategies for more inclusive and effective CSO contributions, especially from stakeholders in the Global South (GS).

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