7 July 2026

ORAL STATEMENT

Inaugural United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance

Thematic Breakout Cluster 4: Respecting, protecting and promoting human rights

Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland

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Delivered by: Franco Giandana Gigena, Policy Analyst

Excellencies, colleagues, co-Chairs, thank you for this opportunity to contribute to this Thematic
Breakout Cluster 4. Access Now is a grassroots to global civil society organization dedicated to
defending and extending the digital rights of people and communities at risk. I will focus my
intervention on four main points:

First, and foremost, the objective of this Global Dialogue is to foster international cooperation on AI
governance while ensuring that the perspectives of the Global Majority are reflected alongside those of
leading AI powers.Human rights-centered AI requires the rights-respecting collection and processing
of data, alongside robust governance and oversight of automated systems.

Model development and
sharing practices must balance necessary safeguards with meaningful openness, so that Global
Majority countries can build their own technical capacity and overcome a historic dependence on
externally held expertise.

Second, AI tools are supercharging surveillance and suppression of protestors, journalists, human
rights defenders, and other communities at risk. We therefore echo calls for the adoption of human
rights-centered, binding legal standards and global governance mechanisms to regulate digital
surveillance technologies and AI, addressing chilling effects.

Third, we call for a halt to the development and use of AI tools that are facilitating violations of
international humanitarian law and international human rights law, especially in contexts of conflict or
war.

Finally, the current geopolitical landscape presents an opportunity for global majority regions, as well
as middle powers, to seek and foster collaboration and join resources in an unprecedented fashion.

There is nothing magical about AI development, it is a governable technology, but we need
alternatives to the dominant paradigm being pushed by a handful of companies who are prioritising AI
acceleration over all other concerns. Fundamentally, people around the world do not only need
access, but most importantly, they need agency. We trust all those gathered here understand the
urgency, and the unique opportunity and responsibility we share, in meeting this challenge.

Thank you.

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Access Now (https://www.accessnow.org) defends and extends the digital rights of people and
communities at risk. As a grassroots-to-global organization, we partner with local actors to bring a
human rights agenda to the use, development, and governance of digital technologies, and to
intervene where technologies adversely impact our human rights. By combining direct technical
support, strategic advocacy, grassroots grantmaking, and convenings such as RightsCon, we fight for
human rights in the digital age.

For More Information, please contact: un@accessnow.org

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