Geneva Solutions

Between allegations of harassment, a contested inquiry and judges' findings brushed aside by diplomats, the proceedings against ICC prosecutor Karim Khan have drawn fierce criticism as US sanctions and arrest warrants against Israeli leaders provide a politically charged backdrop. Next Friday, 24 July, could mark the end of the road for Karim Khan.

In June, Swiss parliament extended the deadline for drafting a bill to specifically criminalise torture. Four decades after ratifying a global treaty banning the offence, there’s no more excuse for stalling, writes Etienne Cottier, head of advocacy at human rights NGO ACAT-Switzerland. Switzerland ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture 40 years ago.

Governments and other stakeholders need to agree on “common rules of the road” for artificial intelligence, but that doesn’t have to come at the cost of innovation, says the boss of the non-profit advocating for responsible AI, at last week’s UN gathering in Geneva. The United Nations first Global Dialogue on AI Governance is done and dusted.

Civil society groups are calling on a UN human rights expert to investigate alleged foot-dragging by pharma-intensive countries at ongoing pandemic treaty talks, but will the motion have teeth?

After years in the making, the digital emblem is now ready to be rolled out in the field. But its success is not guaranteed and will depend in part on how hackers behave. Four years ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) made the headlines after its servers hosting data belonging to more than 515,000 vulnerable people were hacked.

Since 2017, the United Nations’ AI for Good conference in Geneva has brought together researchers, NGOs and tech leaders to discuss the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence. Frédéric Werner, the summit’s founder, defends taking a balanced approach. The ambition of this week’s AI for Good summit in Geneva is bold, aiming to unlock artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

A UN debate on Sudan’s El Obeid laid bare growing tensions over the UAE’s alleged backing of the RSF, amid western reticence to confront it publicly and an NGO complaint alleging intimidation. An urgent UN debate to avert atrocities in Sudan’s El Obeid last week in Geneva exposed the reluctance of western governments to publicly name the United Arab Emirates over its alleged support for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces despite mounting evidence and growing pressure from human rights groups.

Guy Ryder, who is leading UN chief António Guterres’s reform push, says controversial merger proposals were to assess the merits of fusing organisations, not to force decisions on member states. With just two months left to come up with the United Nations' biggest structural shakeup, Guy Ryder, chairman of the UN80 reform task force, announced that no further budget cuts will be made while difficult discussions on agency mergers proceed.

As countries gather in Geneva to shape better governance for AI, an international coalition launched at the UN gathering is seeking to fast-track efforts to protect children from harm. Spain’s digital transformation minister on Tuesday urged the international community “not to repeat with AI the same mistakes we made with social media”, launching an international coalition to protect children from mounting risks posed by the fast-growing technology.

Amid broader international efforts to govern artificial intelligence, the United Nations is holding a Global Dialogue this week in Geneva, arguing it will give all countries a seat at the table. Artificial intelligence is the buzz of the week in Geneva, with more than 2,600 people, including ministers, big tech executives, academics and experts, participating over the next two days in a UN conference billed as the first inclusive global dialogue on governing AI.