Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
Amid the fourth industrial revolution, responsible global governance of artificial intelligence (AI) is paramount, the Economic and Social Council heard today as speakers at its 2025 coordination segment explored the transformative potential of data, science, technology and innovation to advance sustainable development.
The first of the four panel discussions held today — moderated by Mahlet Zeleke Redi, Focal Point of Global Youth Caucus on Decent Work and Sustainable Economies Major Group for Children and Youth — focused on “Creating employment and decent work opportunities for all”.
It began with a fireside chat featuring José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the United Nations.
Mr. Salazar-Xirinachs, spotlighting the challenge of job creation, said that in the era of technological and AI revolutions, one of the key drivers of investment flows to countries is not just cheap but skilled labour. Therefore, he stressed, the quality of education and vocational training systems and the digital skills of the labour force are essential for people to get good jobs and for countries to thrive.
Ms. Samuel-Olonjuwon underscored that prioritizing decent work for young people pays back “sustained and multifaceted dividends” for their families and nations. Technological transformation is rapidly driving change in the world of work and beyond, she observed, adding that “skills have become a priority”. Noting the importance of education, training and entrepreneurship for young businesses, she said that policy actions should be guided by the actual needs of young people and “put them in the driver seat”.
The panel began with Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), who underscored — via video message — that “creating decent jobs is the core of our mission” to fight poverty and hunger worldwide. While spotlighting AI’s massive opportunities — including to improve productivity and competitiveness — he underlined the need to “close the existing digital divides”. More specifically, it is crucial to address the potential downsides of digitalization and automation, including the risk of job losses and shifting production away from developing countries, he stressed, pointing to UNIDO’s projects which equip young people and women in developing countries with technical skills for decent jobs.
Abdulaziz M. Alwasil (Saudi Arabia), Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women on its sixty-ninth session, stressed that an inclusive society cannot be built without gender equality. The empowerment of women and girls is paramount, he said, adding that in many countries, women and girls are deprived of equal access to economic opportunities and leadership roles. “This undermines the resilience of societies,” he stated, underscoring the need to push for policy outcomes that are “not just ambitious in rhetoric but transformative in practice”.
“We gather here at a moment of profound reckoning” — from the devastating impacts of conflict and rise of authoritarianism to the assaults on fundamental human rights, said Veronica Brown, Women’s Major Group Coordinator for the Women’s Environment and Development Organization. Warning against forces that aim to roll back hard-won gains in gender equality, she observed: “Gender equality is too often treated as an add-on rather than a prerequisite for sustainable development.”
Echoing her concerns, Jemimah Njuki, Chief of the Economic Empowerment section at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), said the empowerment of women and girls is not just a moral imperative but a necessity for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring a resilient economy. Nevertheless, women face a 20 per cent gender pay gap and, in many countries, informal employment — where mostly women are to be found — is as high as 90 per cent. Accordingly, she called for sustainable financing, ensuring that “gender equality remains at the heart of financial systems”.
Georges-Simon Ulrich, Director General of the Federal Statistical Office of Switzerland and Chair of the Statistical Commission on its fifty-fifth session, speaking via videoconference, called for comprehensive data and statistical systems which permit evidence-based decision-making and detailed the Commission’s work towards supporting inclusive growth strategies and building resilient economies.
The second panel, moderated by Quintin Chou-Lambert, Senior Adviser to the Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, focused on “Harnessing data, science, technology and innovation to advance digital progress”.
The fireside chat included Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, and Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Ms. Fraser-Moleketi said public administration is responsible for ensuring that AI is used to improve lives. Governance frameworks must leverage scientific expertise to do this, she said, calling for targeted interventions to address the digital divide and technological exclusion.
Mr. Lamanauskas said: “Done right, [AI] can mitigate 5-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030”, and highlighted the “AI for Good summit” which showcases responsible innovation and spotlights AI solutions for each SDG. He also drew attention to the UN System White Paper on AI Governance, which identifies pre-existing instruments that could also cover AI, from broad ethics to sector-specific technical guidelines.
The panel began with Muhammadou M.O. Kah (Gambia), Chair of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development on its twenty-eighth session, who stressed that “when we establish transparent and consistent data governance frameworks, we create an environment of legal certainty that empowers innovators, businesses and consumers alike”. It is also crucial to establish clear avenues for redress, he said, underscoring the importance of interoperability — “by aligning our legal and technical standards, we could create pathways for seamless data flows that enhance cooperation and facilitate the global exchange of ideas and best practices”.
Next, Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), highlighted its efforts to facilitate trade by streamlining trade-related processes and digitalizing the exchange of information. ECE hosts the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, which develops interoperable data exchange standards and policy recommendations, enabling seamless data exchange across systems, borders and value chains. “Today, many products have AI embedded. Ensuring their conformity and safety presents new challenges,” she said, adding that ECE has released guidance for regulatory compliance of products and services using embedded AI or other digital technologies.
Julia Glidden, Group President of Ipsos Public Affairs, said that “it is easy to talk about sexy data-driven topics like GenAI, Edge Computing [and] geospatial intelligence”, but it is also essential to combine established technologies with sophisticated data analytics. As an example, she said, her organization worked with Mondelez, a multinational food producer, to use data to understand cocoa farmers’ working conditions and economic growth. Collecting reliable data meant reaching communities in remote areas, often traveling by foot, donkey and canoe to capture and transmit data from areas that often lack electricity, let alone Wi-Fi. They did so “by using tablet devices enabled by Ipsos’s iField” technology, she added.
Fernand Bale, Director of the Geographic and Digital Information Center of Côte d’Ivoire, said that because geospatial information integrates diverse data and scientific approaches, it “enables policymakers to process large amounts of data, thereby strengthening the interface between policy and science”. Communities and Governments can use geospatial information and maps to visualize locations where critical infrastructure is needed, or areas affected by disasters, pollution or biodiversity loss. By enhancing policies and capacities related to geospatial information, “we democratize access to data and knowledge”, he said.
Moderated by Lok Bahadur Thapa (Nepal), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council and co-facilitator of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, the sixth panel focused on “Financing and investment solutions for sustainable development in countries in special situations”.
The speakers for the fireside chat were Jose Antonio Ocampo, Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, and Robert Powell, Special Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Mr. Ocampo noted that levelling the playing field is not enough for countries in special situations. Debt and tax cooperation are “pressing problems”, he said, calling for interaction between regional and global institutions and urging the fulfilment of historical commitments for developing countries. He observed that interaction with Governments and monitoring of graduating countries will uncover systemic inequalities on the ground.
Mr. Powell, stating that coordination and trust are critical for efficiency across the UN system, said that Member States in New York are responsible for ensuring that “messaging remains consistent”. Noting that major financial reforms are already taking place, he spotlighted the Fund’s “historic” special drawing rights (SDRs) allocation of $650 billion and the creation of the Resilience and Sustainability Trust.
The panel began with Rabab Fatima, High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, stressing that the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development must deliver a renewed global financing framework.
For her part, Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), pointing to the term “countries in special situations”, observed that States’ perseverance and transformation potential make them “truly special”. However, there is nothing “special” about small island developing States defaulting on their development to not default on their debt, she said, calling for maximizing the impact of development on technological progress.
Mathew Gbonjubola, Co-Chair of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, said that developing countries widely adopt the UN Model Double Taxation Convention. The Committee also supports capacity-development activities and reviews standards — designed from the point of view of developed economies — through the prism of developing countries. He added that giving the developing countries the ability to sit at the table in designing the world tax system is key.
“Although Africa has integrated into the global financial system, its economies remain constrained by limited access to stable financing,” observed Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The continent’s debt exceeds $1 trillion, and its countries annually spend millions in debt servicing — “resources that could have been invested in other development priorities”, he noted. Through the African High-Level Working Group, the Commission works to scale up bank financing and ensure better returns.
“Over the past two days, we have witnessed the [Economic and Social Council] ecosystem in action, providing ideas and solutions on how to turbocharge implementation as we approach the 2030 deadline of the SDGs,” said Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in his closing remarks. Noting that this year’s coordination segment was the first since the adoption of the Pact for the Future, he said it has delivered “a clear call to strengthen coordination within the UN system, reduce duplication and address misalignment of partnerships”.
Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council and Chair of the Coordination Segment, said that this year’s meeting has demonstrated that political will can elevate international cooperation to new heights and deliver concrete solutions. “The coordination segment is not just about reflection; it is about action and charting the way forward”, he stated, urging those present to carry forward the momentum and translate discussions into action. He added: “We have a responsibility to the people we represent. The time for bold and coordinated leadership cannot be postponed anymore.”
