Delivered By: HE Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. Chair,
I would like to begin by thanking the Permanent Missions of Greece, France, and the Republic of Korea for organizing today’s Arria formula meeting. I also thank Special Secretary Mastrogeorgiou and the other briefers for their contributions.
The rise of Artificial Intelligence is transforming more than just our daily lives – it is shattering old paradigms and forcing us to rethink traditional approaches to maintaining international peace and security.
On this occasion, the United Arab Emirates would like to share three points on how we can harness the extraordinary promise of this technology, while minimizing the risks.
First, harnessing safe, responsible, and trustworthy AI requires enhanced international cooperation, which ensures trust between global partners and helps to develop confidence-building measures while strengthening the capacities of States.
Capacity building partnerships between governments, the private sector and academia must also be leveraged to deliver responsible knowledge-sharing, training and technical support.
Such initiatives must be inclusive, and ensure the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women.
Investing in women’s AI knowledge and expertise will further strengthen their critical role in shaping AI-driven peace and security solutions.
This is why, in November 2024, the UAE hosted a training program for female policymakers and practitioners, specifically to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to become leaders in cybersecurity governance and cyber diplomacy.
Second, utilizing AI within decision-making systems for peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations is more crucial than ever.
The integration of these tools holds significant promise for enhancing our ability to protect civilians, and maintain peace and security, in accordance with international law.
As a force multiplier, AI tools can improve military and security domain awareness and complement human decision-making.
These tools can analyze and contextualize vast quantities of data and rapidly assess threats, as well as provide possible strategic and tactical solutions.
They can also boost cost-effective interoperability, operational efficiency, and security, particularly in volatile environments.
With that said, we must proceed cautiously. AI systems supporting UN peace operations need to be safe, secure and trustworthy, and avoid perpetuating bias.
Third, safeguarding information integrity must be a top priority when leveraging AI for good.
We should not underestimate the potential for the misuse of AI to manipulate information and generate harmful content that could undermine UN peace operations.
At the same time, AI can also help to detect, analyze, and respond to these challenges by monitoring online content in real time and providing early warning of information-related threats, including coordinated mis- and disinformation campaigns. AI can also be leveraged to enable proactive responses that maintain the credibility of peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts.
In this regard, AI tools can strengthen the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2686 on Tolerance, Peace, and Security and assist UN peacekeeping and special political missions in their monitoring and reporting of hate speech, racism, and acts of extremism.
Mr. Chair,
None of us in this room can fully predict what the future holds for AI – or perhaps, more importantly, what AI holds for our future.
Nevertheless, it is our firm belief that by working together, we can ensure that AI becomes a powerful tool for preventing conflict, promoting stability, and building a more peaceful world for all.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.