The United Nations convenes the first session of its Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva on July 6-7, 2026 — the first time all member states sit down together under a permanent UN process dedicated to how artificial intelligence should be governed.

A forum born from the Global Digital Compact

The dialogue was created by General Assembly resolution A/RES/79/325, delivering on a commitment made in the Global Digital Compact (A/RES/79/1) adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Future. Its stated purpose is to ensure that AI governance "reflects the priorities of all nations, not just the most technologically advanced," and that the benefits of the technology "are shared by all."

The 2026 session is co-chaired by H.E. Egriselda López, El Salvador's permanent representative, and H.E. Rein Tammsaar, Estonia's permanent representative. Secretary-General António Guterres and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock are among those due to take part.

What is on the agenda

The dialogue is designed as the UN platform where governments, the private sector, academia and civil society exchange best practices and work toward common approaches. Discussions are organized around four thematic clusters: the opportunities AI creates, capacity-building for developing countries, the trustworthiness of AI systems, and the protection of human rights.

The science panel behind it

Running alongside the dialogue is the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, described by the UN as the first global scientific body devoted entirely to the technology. Established by the same resolution in August 2025, its 40 members were selected from more than 2,600 candidates across 140 countries and appointed by the General Assembly in February 2026. The panel is co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio of Canada, a co-recipient of the 2018 Turing Award, and Maria Ressa of the Philippines, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and is meant to give the dialogue a shared evidence base.

Geneva now, New York next

The Geneva session is held back-to-back with the ITU's AI for Good Global Summit. A second session is scheduled for New York in May 2027. The talks open at a moment of divergence in national approaches: the European Union begins enforcing its AI Act against general-purpose model providers on August 2, while the United States has favored a voluntary, cybersecurity-focused framework.