Morocco, U.S. launch in New York Group of Friends on Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development

Morocco and the United States have launched in New York the Group of Friends on Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development.

The group, launched by Morocco’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, and his U.S. counterpart, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, held its first meeting at ambassadorial level at the headquarters of the U.S. Permanent Mission in New York on Friday. This comes following the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the first UN resolution on AI, initially co-sponsored by Morocco and the United States, as well as by 123 member states until the day of its adoption.

This historic resolution defines a global consensus on Artificial Intelligence to support sustainable development.

Speaking during this event, Omar Hilale underlined the need to capitalize on the momentum triggered by the UN General Assembly resolution in order to launch a platform allowing countries to galvanize efforts in digital cooperation and artificial intelligence specifically.

This initiative intends to discuss common goals and possible contributions across this Group as well as the promises that AI offers and its impact on sustainable development in all its dimensions, noted the ambassador.

“If used efficiently and ethically, AI is proving to be an engine that can help leapfrog development, and even accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs), he explained.

The Ambassador further indicated that the countries of the Global South, mainly African ones, need all the tools, including AI, to help them accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.

“That is why Morocco will encourage many developing countries to be actively involved in this Group of Friends, in order to have a balanced approach to AI”, he underlined, stating that Morocco, conscious of the huge potential of AI for Africa, hosted two weeks ago in Rabat the first African high-level forum on AI.

After the G7, G20, Bletchley Park and Seoul Summits, the continental ambition of the Rabat High Level Forum, is to integrate Africa into the global conversation on AI, by emphasizing that an African path is possible, one that is not detached from the other major international players, he said.

For her part, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations praised the partnership between Morocco and her country, as well as the leadership role that the Kingdom played in the efforts leading to the launch of this Group of AI Friends.

She stated that this Group is aimed at mobilizing efforts to accelerate the fulfilment of the SDGs by helping eradicate hunger and poverty, advance gender equality and economic growth, and tackle the climate crisis.

It is a means to engage discussions on “a future where rights-respecting AI systems are safe, secure, and trustworthy”, the U.S. diplomat said, adding that the Summit of the Future to take place in New York next September reminds us that the United Nations “has the power to effect meaningful change” and promote new ambition for sustainable development for the sake of present and future generations.

The Group of Friends will count on the institutional support of UNESCO and the International Communications Union (ITU), based respectively in Paris and Geneva, and which together ensure the co-presidency of the working group of the United Nations system on artificial intelligence.

The designation of Morocco to co-chair this Group of Friends with the United States reflects the credibility, trust and respect enjoyed by the Kingdom at the UN and international level.