About UNRISD
The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous research institute within the UN system that undertakes interdisciplinary research and policy analysis on the social dimensions of contemporary development issues.Activities by UNRISD
Third UN Virtual Worlds Day”
Global GuatemalaThe event convened ambassadors, ministers, city leaders, UN entities, industry pioneers, and innovators for two days of high-level dialogue and an Ambassador Roundtable on the future of AI-driven cities and communities. Discussions explored how the convergence of artificial intelligence, immersive virtual environments, spatial intelligence, and other frontier technologies is reshaping urban governance and enabling new approaches to delivering public services, including emerging concepts such as the AI-enabled citiverse. The programme also examined how these developments can help translate the Global Digital Compact into trusted, inclusive, and people-centred outcomes for cities and communities worldwide. The event concluded with two major milestones: (1) The launch of the Executive Briefing on “AI, Spatial Intelligence and the AI-Enabled Citiverse”, developed with the contributions from 20 UN entities. (2) The endorsement of the Call to Action for Humanity: Shaping the Future of Cities in the Age of AI and Citiverse, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing trusted, inclusive, and people-centred digital futures.
Activity Type AI Tools/SolutionsPolicy/Regulatory GuidanceAwareness/AdvocacyInfrastructure/Systems DevelopmentThink Piece Series
Global Not ApplicableUNRISD has completed a Think Piece Series which invited experts from academia, think tanks and civil society to engage with the topic of linking technology and human rights, and to share their experience at the front lines of policy-driven research and advocacy aimed at leaving no one behind in an increasingly digital, automated world. This Series aimed to provide perspectives on the intersections between new technology and various dimensions of civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health, work, social protection, freedom of expression and more. It also presents reflections on how we conceptualize and practice human rights in the face of technology-driven change on a global scale. The Series was launched to coincide with the 37th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, as part of UNRISD’s commitment to promote socially just and sustainable development within and beyond the UN system. It is also part of the UN system's celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Activity Type Research/Reports/Assessments2026 Digital World Conference (DWC): AI for Social Development
Global Not ApplicableThe DWC is founded on three key pillars of action: "Speed Inclusive Innovation, Safety for All, Share Global Gains." Within the framework of the United Nations, DWC brings together governments, enterprises, and civil society organisations from various countries that are dedicated to transforming the vision of the United Nations' Pact for the Future and Global Digital Compact into practical, cross-border collaborations. The DWC aims to build the next-generation frameworks for data and AI governance, enhance digital inclusion practices, foster a global digital leadership network, and bridge the digital divide for developing countries.
Activity Type Research/Reports/AssessmentsNetworks/Mentorship/Exchange