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ILO and EU deepen cooperation on AI and jobs

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Commission have reaffirmed their strategic partnership, agreeing to strengthen cooperation on social justice, quality jobs and the human-centred governance of AI and digital transformation.

Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, demographic shifts and rapid technological change, the two organisations committed to ensuring that global transitions create inclusive labour markets and resilient economies.

Co-chaired by ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo and European Commission Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, the meeting agreed on a renewed cooperation agenda building on the 2021 Exchange of Letters between the two institutions.

Both organisations stressed that multilateral cooperation, international labour standards and social dialogue remain essential for addressing the challenges and opportunities created by AI, digitalisation and broader economic transformation.

AI and its impact on the future of work featured prominently in the discussions. Participants agreed that AI governance should remain human-centred, supporting the creation and preservation of decent jobs while strengthening labour market institutions.

The partners also highlighted the importance of international cooperation on AI governance, workforce skills and policies that help workers adapt to technological change rather than be displaced by it.

The meeting also covered trade, international partnerships and sustainable development. The ILO and the European Commission reaffirmed that trade policies should uphold international labour standards and improve working conditions throughout global supply chains.

They also agreed to deepen cooperation by combining the EU’s financial and policy instruments with the ILO’s expertise on labour standards, social protection, skills development and just transitions, reinforcing their shared objective of building more inclusive, resilient and sustainable economies.

Why does it matter?

The renewed partnership highlights how AI governance is becoming closely linked with employment and social policy. Rather than treating AI solely as a technology issue, the EU and ILO are framing it as a labour market challenge that requires international cooperation, workforce development and strong social protections.

The agreement also reinforces the growing role of international organisations in shaping a human-centred approach to AI. As governments seek to harness AI for economic growth, ensuring that technological change supports decent work, skills development and social inclusion is becoming an increasingly important part of global AI governance.

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ITU launches standards group for agentic AI

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched a new global initiative to develop international standards for trusted digital identity and agentic AI, responding to the rapid emergence of increasingly autonomous AI systems.

Announced at the AI for Good Global Summit, the new Focus Group on Trust and Identity for Humans and Agentic AI will develop frameworks aimed at strengthening accountability while ensuring meaningful human oversight of autonomous AI systems.

The initiative will bring together experts from technology, policymaking, law and regulation to develop common terminology, reference architectures, trust frameworks, interoperability mechanisms and security benchmarks for AI agents.

The group will also produce a roadmap to support future international standardisation as AI systems become increasingly capable of making decisions, carrying out transactions and interacting across digital ecosystems.

According to the ITU, trusted digital identity and reliable AI behaviour are becoming essential foundations for the safe deployment of autonomous systems. The organisation warned that agentic AI introduces new risks, including impersonation, unauthorised actions and reduced human oversight, making internationally recognised standards increasingly important.

The Focus Group will report to the ITU’s security standards expert committee and hold its first meeting in Paris in November 2026, followed by a second session in Geneva in January 2027. The initiative builds on ITU’s broader effort to accelerate international AI standardisation while supporting trusted and interoperable digital technologies.

Why does it matter?

As AI agents become capable of acting on behalf of individuals and organisations, questions around identity, authentication, accountability and interoperability are becoming increasingly important. International standards could help ensure that autonomous systems operate safely across organisations, industries and national borders while reducing regulatory fragmentation.

The initiative also reflects a broader shift in AI governance from high-level ethical principles towards technical standards that can be implemented in practice. By focusing on digital identity and agentic AI, the ITU is addressing two areas likely to become central to the next generation of AI-enabled digital services.

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Finland ranks among EU’s digital leaders

Finland has ranked among the EU’s leading digital economies in the European Commission’s latest State of the Digital Decade report, with the country highlighted for its digital skills, AI leadership, supercomputing capabilities and advanced public services.

The report paints a mixed picture across the EU. While digital adoption, connectivity, cloud services and AI continue to advance, the bloc still faces shortages of digital skills and lags in semiconductor production and globally competitive technology companies. According to the Commission, insufficient investment and market fragmentation remain major obstacles.

Finland performs strongly across a range of digital indicators. Businesses are highly digitalised, the population has above-average digital skills, and the country has developed advanced quantum and semiconductor ecosystems. Electronic public services rank among the EU’s best, 5G coverage is extensive, a national 6G roadmap is already in place, and cybersecurity remains strong, with nearly 80% of businesses implementing cybersecurity measures.

Finland has also played a leading role in shaping the EU’s digital policy agenda by steering the Digital Decade Board’s work on updating the programme’s targets and indicators. The board has proposed new priorities, including digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, sustainable digitalisation and greater data accessibility for AI development. The European Commission is expected to present its formal proposal for revising the Digital Decade Policy Programme in early 2027, following discussions among Member States.

Why does it matter?

Finland’s performance highlights how digital competitiveness is becoming increasingly linked to economic resilience and technological sovereignty. Its strengths in AI, cybersecurity, digital public services and advanced computing demonstrate the type of capabilities the EU is seeking to expand as it reduces dependence on external technology providers.

The proposed updates to the Digital Decade agenda also reflect a broader shift in EU digital policy. Alongside connectivity and digital skills, priorities such as digital sovereignty, cybersecurity and AI-ready data infrastructure are becoming central to Europe’s long-term competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

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Egypt assumes presidency of WSIS Forum 2026

Egypt has assumed the presidency of the WSIS Forum 2026, taking over from South Africa during the forum’s opening session in Geneva.

The country is represented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, with Minister Raafat Hindi presiding over this year’s proceedings.

The WSIS Forum is a key international platform for advancing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society and strengthening global digital cooperation.

The 2026 edition is the first WSIS Forum after the 20-year review of the WSIS process, giving the meeting a focus on turning review outcomes into practical action through 2035.

In his opening remarks, Hindi said Egypt would build on South Africa’s presidency and work with governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community, academia and international organisations.

He said the main challenge is no longer redefining the WSIS vision, but rather accelerating implementation amid rapid technological change.

Egypt’s stated priorities include bridging the digital divide, strengthening digital capacities, promoting responsible and inclusive AI, expanding digital public infrastructure and mobilising sustainable financing for developing countries.

The forum’s agenda also covers cybersecurity, online safety, misinformation, data governance, digital inclusion and emerging digital challenges.

Egypt said it views the presidency as a platform for building partnerships across regions and sectors, while promoting the priorities of Arab and developing countries in global digital cooperation.

Why does it matter?

Egypt’s presidency gives the WSIS Forum 2026 a clear post-WSIS+20 implementation focus. The emphasis on digital inclusion, AI, digital public infrastructure and financing for developing countries reflects a broader shift in digital cooperation debates: the issue is no longer only setting principles, but turning them into capacity, infrastructure and policy action. Egypt’s role also highlights the growing importance of Arab and developing-country priorities in global digital governance.

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Dutch government unveils plan to strengthen future workforce

The Dutch government has launched a national Talent Strategy to strengthen the country’s workforce and support future prosperity.

The strategy aims to attract, educate, and retain talent in areas considered crucial to the Netherlands’ economic growth, public services, and response to social challenges.

The government identifies four priority domains for investment: digitalisation and AI; security and resilience; energy and climate technology; and life sciences and biotechnology.

It says these are areas where the Netherlands has strengths in innovation and research, and where it wants to strengthen strategic autonomy.

The strategy responds to demographic pressure, skills mismatches and the need to make better use of scarce talent.

Planned measures include closer cooperation between the government, employers, workers, education institutions and other stakeholders.

The government also wants to improve training for priority sectors, expand lifelong learning and support smarter, more productive ways of working.

International recruitment will focus on targeted knowledge and expertise, while the government aims to reduce dependence on low-productivity labour migration.

The strategy forms part of the Ministerial Taskforce on Future Prosperity and Business Climate, with further policy updates expected in the coming months and a progress update by the end of 2026.

Why does it matter?

The strategy shows how workforce planning is becoming part of digital and industrial policy. By naming digitalisation and AI as one of four strategic domains, the Netherlands is linking talent development to competitiveness, strategic autonomy and long-term public-service capacity. The approach also reflects a wider European challenge: countries need enough specialised workers for AI and emerging technologies, while also expanding lifelong learning so existing workers are not left behind.

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OECD warns AI could affect trust in official statistics

The OECD has warned that generative AI is changing how people access official statistics, creating new challenges for data quality, context and public trust.

In a blog published by the OECD Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity, Romina Boarini and Cameroon Tiati A Biscene argue that citizens, journalists and policymakers increasingly obtain official statistics through chatbots and AI assistants rather than directly from national statistical institutes or government websites.

According to the OECD, this lengthens the chain between data producers and users. As statistics pass through AI systems and other digital intermediaries, important context, including reference periods, revision notes, methodological caveats and source attribution, can be lost.

The blog notes that AI can make official statistics easier to discover and understand, particularly for non-specialist audiences. However, it warns that AI-generated summaries often obscure how information has been selected, interpreted and simplified before reaching users.

The OECD also highlights several data quality risks. AI systems may fail to recognise when official statistics have been revised, corrected or withdrawn, while retrieval quality depends heavily on how well statistical information is structured and machine-readable. Poorly organised data can therefore increase the risk of inaccurate or misleading outputs.

The report also raises concerns about representativeness. General-purpose AI systems are trained on vast amounts of online content, but abundance does not guarantee representative data. As a result, AI-generated or synthetic representations of populations may fail to reflect real-world conditions accurately.

Access is another concern. Although official statistics remain publicly available, meaningful access may increasingly depend on private AI assistants, paid interfaces and concentrated digital infrastructure, potentially making a public good less accessible in practice.

The OECD argues that national statistical institutes may need to expand their role by making datasets more structured and machine-readable, monitoring how statistics are reformulated by AI systems, developing standards for unofficial data sources and preserving the institutional independence that underpins public trust.

Why does it matter?

The OECD’s warning highlights that official statistics can remain accurate at source yet become misleading once AI systems summarise, simplify or detach them from their original context. As more people rely on AI assistants rather than official websites, preserving context and source attribution will become increasingly important for maintaining trust in public data.

The findings also suggest that national statistical institutes will need to adapt to an AI-mediated information environment by designing datasets not only for human users but also for AI systems that increasingly act as intermediaries between governments and the public.

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Morocco backs human-centric AI governance through partnership with France in Geneva

Morocco has called for stronger international accountability frameworks for AI during the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, reaffirming its commitment to international cooperation on digital transformation and responsible AI. Speaking alongside French Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz, Morocco’s Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, argued that increasingly autonomous AI systems require stronger accountability mechanisms.

The discussions covered cooperation on AI research, innovation, talent development, startup support, digital infrastructure, governance and digital sovereignty. Morocco and France also confirmed plans to meet in Rabat later this month to deepen their bilateral partnership on AI and digital transformation.

Morocco and France also confirmed plans to hold a meeting in Rabat later this month to further strengthen their partnership on AI and digital transformation. Seghrouchni highlighted the importance of accountability in large-scale digital government, noting the challenge of tracing system failures across Morocco’s approximately 52 million annual administrative transactions.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a human-centric approach to AI based on privacy protection, security by design and technologies that serve citizens.

Morocco also highlighted its contribution to UNESCO‘s AI ethics work and the Arab-African D4SD Hub, developed with the United Nations Development Programme to support regional digital innovation.

Panellists also discussed transparency, human oversight, accountability and risk management throughout the AI lifecycle, with particular attention to protecting children, women and vulnerable communities. The discussions reflected growing international efforts to ensure that rapid AI adoption is accompanied by stronger governance, public trust and responsible innovation.

Why does it matter?

The discussion reflects a broader shift in international AI governance from high-level ethical principles towards practical accountability frameworks for increasingly autonomous AI systems. As governments deploy AI more widely in public services, questions around transparency, responsibility and human oversight are becoming central to digital governance.

Morocco’s active participation also highlights how emerging digital economies are seeking to shape international AI governance rather than simply adopt standards developed elsewhere. Through regional initiatives and cooperation with partners such as France and UNESCO, the country is positioning itself as a contributor to global discussions on responsible AI.

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Canada funds AI mining innovation projects

Canada has announced CAD 6.7 million in federal funding for two AI-enabled mining innovation projects aimed at improving critical minerals extraction and ecological restoration.

The two projects, worth a combined CAD 19.8 million, are led by Novamera Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, and Koonkie Canada Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia. Funding is being provided through Canada’s Digital Technology Cluster (DIGITAL).

Novamera will receive CAD 3.8 million for a CAD 10.9 million project to advance its Surgical Mining technology, which combines subsurface imaging, AI, robotics and conventional drilling equipment to access mineral deposits with greater precision.

The technology is designed to enable more targeted extraction of critical minerals, including copper and rare earth elements. According to the government, the project will help move the technology from development towards commercial deployment.

Koonkie will receive CAD 2.9 million for a CAD 8.9 million project to develop an AI-powered mine restoration platform. The system will combine environmental DNA analysis, soil health data, remote sensing and Indigenous ecological knowledge to monitor biodiversity and ecological recovery.

Project partners estimate the platform could shorten ecological restoration timelines by five to ten years while reducing restoration costs by up to 40% compared with conventional approaches.

The projects are expected to create up to 35 jobs and maintain a further 37. The government said the investments support Canada’s broader strategy to strengthen critical mineral supply chains, advance clean technologies and improve industrial competitiveness.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said the investments would help Canadian companies develop and deploy technologies that improve the precision of critical minerals extraction, support responsible resource development and strengthen mine restoration.

Why does it matter?

Critical minerals such as copper and rare earth elements are essential for AI infrastructure, semiconductors, batteries and clean energy technologies, making mining innovation an increasingly important part of national industrial strategies. AI is also expanding beyond mineral exploration into operational efficiency and environmental management, helping companies improve resource recovery while reducing environmental impacts.

The projects illustrate how governments are using AI to strengthen both the competitiveness and sustainability of critical mineral supply chains. By combining automation, environmental monitoring and Indigenous knowledge, Canada is positioning digital technologies as a key component of responsible resource development.

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UNESCO supports Tanzania judicial curriculum on AI and rule of law

UNESCO has supported the development of Tanzania’s first judicial curriculum on AI, helping judges and justice sector professionals address the technology’s growing impact on courts, human rights and the rule of law.

Developed with the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) in Lushoto, the competency-based programme is designed for judges, magistrates, judicial trainers, court administrators and other justice sector professionals. It aims to strengthen their ability to understand, assess and make informed decisions about AI while safeguarding judicial independence, due process and fundamental rights.

The initiative supports Tanzania’s broader digital transformation of the justice sector. As courts adopt more digital technologies, judicial officers are expected to face new questions surrounding AI-generated evidence, algorithmic bias, transparency, accountability and the protection of human rights.

The curriculum is designed for long-term institutional use through induction courses, executive education, continuing judicial education and train-the-trainer programmes, allowing judicial expertise to evolve alongside advances in AI.

It draws on UNESCO’s global AI governance instruments, including the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule of Law for the Judiciary, the Guidelines for the Use of AI Systems in Courts and Tribunals, the Ethical Impact Assessment methodology, and guidance on generative AI in education and research.

Adapted to the legal and institutional context of Tanzania, the curriculum combines practical instruction with case studies, judicial simulations and hands-on exercises. Participants will examine AI-generated evidence, identify algorithmic bias, assess human rights risks and practise decision-making while preserving judicial independence.

UNESCO has also produced an instructor’s guide for IJA faculty, including lesson plans, practical exercises and assessment tools to support executive education, continuing judicial training and future train-the-trainer programmes.

The initiative reflects UNESCO’s broader effort to translate global AI governance principles into practical institutional capacity. By focusing on the judiciary, it aims to ensure that AI strengthens justice systems without undermining fairness, accountability or public trust.

Why does it matter?

The initiative treats AI and the rule of law as a practical judicial capacity challenge rather than simply a technology policy issue. As AI becomes more common in legal disputes, evidence and court administration, judges will increasingly need the knowledge to assess its use while protecting due process, judicial independence and fundamental rights.

The programme also illustrates a broader shift in AI governance from developing high-level principles to building institutional capacity. Equipping judges with practical AI knowledge could become an increasingly important part of maintaining public trust in justice systems as AI adoption expands.

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UNCTAD warns that strategic investment is becoming more concentrated

Investment in strategic sectors, including AI infrastructure, semiconductors, critical minerals and energy transition technologies, has surged over the past five years. According to UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2026, these sectors accounted for 44% of global greenfield investment in 2025, up from 16% in 2020.

The report also highlights a growing concentration of investment among advanced economies. The three largest investor economies accounted for 72% of strategic sector project values in 2025, while the three biggest recipient economies attracted 56%. Low-income and lower-middle-income countries received just 10% of global greenfield investment in strategic sectors between 2020 and 2025, compared with more than 20% in other industries.

At the same time, manufacturing investment outside strategic sectors is declining. The value of announced greenfield manufacturing investment beyond these industries fell by 17% between 2021 and 2025 compared with the 2015–2019 period. The decline was particularly pronounced in developing and least-developed countries, where manufacturing has traditionally played a key role in building productive capacity and creating jobs.

The report also highlights widening differences in technological capabilities. The United States leads outward investment in AI and advanced technologies, while the EU has become the largest destination for those investments. China remains a major investor in critical minerals and downstream supply chains. Between 2016 and 2024, developed economies provided an estimated US$174 billion in industrial subsidies, compared with just US$19 billion in developing economies.

Why does it matter?

The report points to a structural shift in global investment that could deepen the divide between advanced and developing economies. Countries lacking the capital, infrastructure and skills needed to compete in strategic sectors risk missing out on the industries expected to drive future growth and productivity.

Rather than competing directly with the large subsidy programmes of major economies, UNCTAD argues that developing countries should identify targeted opportunities within strategic value chains, such as critical minerals processing, data infrastructure or regional manufacturing networks. Without stronger international cooperation and investment partnerships, the report warns that technological and economic disparities are likely to widen, with implications for global development and geopolitical stability.

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