About UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.Activities by UNESCO
Tech-facilitated gender-based violence in the Caribbean: Perception and Awareness of AI-based Discrimination among Women and Girls in the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean Antigua and BarbudaBahamasBarbadosBelizeDominicaGrenadaGuyanaJamaicaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSurinameTrinidad and Tobago
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into daily life, biases embedded in AI systems pose a growing risk of exacerbating gender inequalities and leaving women behind. Furthermore, the underrepresentation of women in AI development and leadership deepens these challenges and reinforces stereotypes.
In 2024, UNESCO in collaboration with the Caribbean Sheroes Alumni network conducted a regional survey covering the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean called “Perception and Awareness of AI Discrimination Among Women and Girls in the Caribbean” exploring:
• The perceptions of discrimination by AI algorithms
• The awareness of potential biases within AI affecting Caribbean women and girls
• Knowledge of AI’s broader impacts on Caribbean society.
Sensitizing and building capacity of the stakeholders to address ethical issues of AI
Global Not ApplicableTo build the capacities of stakeholders of AI technologies (developers and beneficiaries), UNESCO has organized a series of roundtables on the selected topics of ethics of AI inviting eminent experts around the world. A series of short educative and informative video of each topic of the roundtable are produced and made available through UNESCO’s YouTube channel for educational purposes.
Activity Type Awareness/AdvocacyNetworks/Mentorship/Exchange17th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV), Roundtable Session 3: Building Information for All in Africa: Artificial Intelligence for inclusion and human-centered digital futures
Global Not ApplicableICEGOV 2024 Roundtable Session. The roundtable session provided a platform for coordination and collaboration of diverse stakeholders in explicating the problems and solutions of AI.
Activity Type Awareness/AdvocacyNetworks/Mentorship/ExchangeThe UNESCO Programme on AI and the Rule of Law
Global ColombiaCosta RicaGhanaNepalQatarTogo
The UNESCO Programme on AI and the Rule of Law equips justice sector professionals with knowledge on the applications and the ethics of AI in justice. Based on the findings of the AI Needs Assessment Survey in Africa and another survey of over 1200 judicial operators in 100 countries, UNESCO has launched a global MOOC on AI and the Rule of Law to strengthen capacities of judicial operators in the use of AI in the administration of justice, while addressing the human rights and legal implications of the use of AI with respect to bias, discrimination, privacy, freedom of expression among others. Over 5900 judicial operators from 142 countries have enrolled in the course until 2023. The course is structured around six introductory modules that unpack AI's application and impact in the judiciary. Additionally, the Programme launched a Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule for the Justice Sector, which provides judicial actors with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand the benefits and risks of AI in their work. It will assist judicial actors in mitigating the potential human rights risks of AI by providing relevant guidance on international human rights, laws, principles, rules and emerging jurisprudence that underpins the ethical use of AI.
The course is available in 7 languages and taught by 20 speakers - including sitting judges from Supreme Courts, Human Rights Courts, Legal Experts and Technology experts. The experts teaching the course come from India, Senegal, Kenya, Netherlands, United States, Chile, Brazil to China.