Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the Arria-formula meeting on “Harnessing safe, inclusive, trustworthy AI for the maintenance of international peace and security”

Thank you Chair and thanks to other organizers for organizing this meeting.

I wish to of course, also thank all the three briefers for their excellent presentations.

I would like to begin by saying that since the last Security Council meeting on this topic last December, the world has continued to witness the magnitude of the artificial intelligence revolution. 

These past few months have not only seen the unveiling of new AI models and their subsequent impact on the financial markets, but also an increased concern over, among others, their environmental impact due to substantial energy consumption and related freshwater usage.

We commend the significant progress made toward the establishment and functioning of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, which is taking place at the United Nations.

In this respect, we believe that conclusions of various national, sub-regional, regional, and international initiatives should be brought to the UN for discussion, leveraging its unique convening power, while also enabling proactive collaborations among governments, civil society, private sector and academia.

Chair,

The profound impact of AI and other new and emerging technologies on international peace and security require better representation on the Council’s agenda.

AI continues to be weaponized and used in contemporary conflicts, putting civilians at an even greater risk, blurring accountability, and resulting in a disproportionate use of force in violation of international humanitarian law.

The malicious use of AI, such as AI-accelerated cyberattacks and its proliferation in terrorism and organized crime, further compounds threats to international peace and security. 

Furthermore, the growing integration of dual-use AI capabilities, including in surveillance, predictive analysis, and autonomous decision-making, underscores the urgency of ensuring that such systems are developed and deployed with safeguards that uphold international law.

Colleagues,

Slovenia consistently advocates for the integration of AI-related discussions into the Council’s existing mandates, as well as into other geographic and thematic issues, to ensure that the Council maintains its primary role in maintaining international peace and security.

In this respect, we note that the Council’s Committees have been, in certain cases, directed to periodically review developments, related to some of these impacts and threats and explore ways to counter them, offering a model that could be applied to the Council as a whole.

In conclusion, let me underline that we stand ready to consider concrete actions by the Council, including recognizing that AI, particularly in relation to weapons system, must be designed, developed, deployed, and used in full compliance with international law, in particular international humanitarian and international human rights law, to ensure its responsible use in advancing international peace and security.

I thank you Chair.

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