UNESCO and G20 Join Forces to Train Civil Servants in Ethical AI Governance for Public Services.
International
In May 2025, Paris (France)-based the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Group of Twenty (G20), under the 2025 Presidency of South Africa, strengthened their strategic collaboration to foster ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance by enhancing public services with technical competencies and ethical consciousness.
- The initiative stemmed from a global workshop held on 11th April 2025 in Gqeberha, South Africa, conducted as part of a wider campaign focused on human rights-based digital governance.
- The workshop brought together delegates from G20 member countries, invited guest nations, and international organizations to deliberate on the inclusive, transparent, and accountable integration of AI in public service delivery.
Main Point :- (i) The workshop emphasized role-specific AI training for civil servants, ensuring that both policymakers and frontline staff develop skills tailored to their responsibilities. It also stressed the need for ethical AI implementation, embedding human rights and transparency to build public trust in AI-driven public services.
(ii) Another key focus was on fostering public-private partnerships, exemplified by initiatives like Singapore’s “AI Wednesdays,” which encourage collaboration between government, industry, and civil society to drive innovation and shared learning in AI governance.
(iii) Since 2021, UNESCO’s AI for the Public Sector Programme has supported over 50 countries by promoting the AI and Digital Transformation Competency Framework, guiding the creation of ethical, inclusive, and people-centered AI governance models worldwide.
About UNESCO
Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters: Paris, France
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