Innovation is not an option
Human Rights are non-negotiable

Doha, 27 May 2025 — Ms. Amina Bouayach, President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), participated in the high-level opening of an international conference on “Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights: Opportunities, Risks, and Visions for a Better Future.” 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN officials, government representatives, and institutional stakeholders also took part in this event.

Ms. Bouayach stressed that innovation and progress are no longer optional today, but rather an "urgent necessity" to develop solutions and advance equality, human rights, and human dignity.

Hardly a day passes without hearing of discovery here and another there, which makes us deeply reflect and question available solutions today, said Ms. Bouayach. Opportunities are real, she added. They are providing a promising wealth of prospects for promoting humanity in the foreseeable future.

However, investments, energy, water resources, infrastructure, digitization and big data needed to develop, train, and benefit from AI systems mean that only a limited number of countries will be able to leverage these systems. In this context, Ms. Bouayach warned about the growing digital disparities between countries, which may deepen inequalities between nations. 

Ms. Bouayach also called for advanced international governance, with human rights, equality, and human dignity at its core, as well as the integration of a human rights-based approach in the design, algorithm training, and life cycle of AI systems.

"We do not want to hinder innovation and progress," Ms. Bouayach said, "but the challenges, risks, and threats are real and serious, and they are no less important than the opportunities ahead."

To be continued