Pakistan calls for inclusive, equitable AI governance at UN

July 16, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan has called for inclusive, human-centered, and equitable governance of artificial intelligence, warning that unequal access to digital infrastructure and technology could widen global inequalities if left unaddressed.

The call was made at a high-level discussion held at the United Nations Headquarters, jointly organised by the Permanent Missions of Pakistan and Tajikistan along with the Prime Minister's Youth Programme, bringing together diplomats, UN officials, technology experts, academics, and youth representatives to explore how AI can advance sustainable development through innovation, inclusion, and resilience, APP reported.

Speakers at the event cautioned that disparities in access to digital infrastructure, financing, technology, and skilled human resources could disproportionately affect developing countries, stressing that AI must be positioned as a tool for shared progress by expanding access, investing in capacity building, and placing young people at the centre of development efforts.

Chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, outlined Pakistan's efforts to prepare its youth for an AI-driven future, noting that the government has allocated Rs40.58bn to the programme for 2026-27.

He said more than 600,000 laptops have been distributed, while 73,000 young people have received training in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data science, alongside over 217,000 technical skills scholarships awarded across 8,000 courses.

He added that the Digital Youth Hub has registered over 804,000 users, facilitated access to 114,000 employment opportunities, and partnered with more than 3,180 organisations.

Rana Mashhood said Pakistan's National Artificial Intelligence Policy aims to train one million AI professionals and 10,000 AI trainers by 2030, while calling for stronger international cooperation to bridge the global AI divide through investment in digital infrastructure and skills development.

Tajikistan's Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Abdurahmon Abdurahmonzoda, spoke about his country's own initiatives, noting that Tajikistan has adopted Central Asia's first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy through 2040, designated 2025-2030 as the Years of the Development of the Digital Economy and Innovation, and set up a Regional Artificial Intelligence Centre to strengthen regional cooperation on digital skills.

The discussion also featured the UNDP's Jennifer Louie, Google AI expert Hashim Syed, and Youth Delegate Bisma Qamar, along with representatives from China, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.

Panelists stressed that AI governance frameworks must evolve alongside technological advances to address emerging risks, including cybersecurity, and highlighted that young people should be recognised not just as beneficiaries of technology but as innovators and decision-makers, calling for the expansion of initiatives such as the Digital Youth Hub and the National Youth Council.

In his closing remarks, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said humanity must shape the future of artificial intelligence rather than the other way around, warning that without equitable access, AI risked deepening the digital divide between developed and developing nations.

He outlined four priorities for global AI governance  bridging the AI divide, ensuring equitable development outcomes, empowering youth as leaders of technological change, and promoting ethical, transparent, and accountable AI systems adding that the collective goal must be to build strong international partnerships that ensure AI's benefits contribute to inclusion, resilience, and sustainable development for all.

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