Simon Institute for Longterm Governance

The Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) is a nonprofit based in Geneva, Switzerland, dedicated to enhancing international governance to mitigate global catastrophic risks, govern emerging technologies, and safeguard the interests of present and future generations. With a focus on fostering international cooperation, SI centres its efforts on the multilateral system. In practice, their work extends across three areas. 

  • Knowledge brokering: SI translates complex scientific, technological, and policy concepts into accessible language to ensure that decision-makers understand and act on policy-relevant developments effectively. 
  • Capacity building: SI cultivates collaboration, exchange, and knowledge growth by facilitating workshops, training courses, and events, effectively bridging the gap between technological innovation and policymaking. 
  • Policy engagement: SI informs multilateral policy processes, especially via the UN, through public engagements and specialised advice to policy actors. It focuses on processes related to technology governance, risk governance, and the rights of future generations. 

SI was founded in early 2021, just as advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology were ushering in a series of drastic technological breakthroughs. While emerging technologies hold the potential to bring about immense good, they also pose great risks – risks that the multilateral system is not currently equipped to govern. Short-term incentives continue to make it difficult for policymakers to think on longer time scales, consider the needs of future generations, and address emerging risks. 

SI’s early work set out to address these issues by training policymakers on decision-making under uncertainty, advocating for the representation of future generations in dominant political narratives, and pushing for the inclusion of emerging technological risks into key multilateral agendas. As political discourse quickly began to acknowledge risks from rapid technological change, SI pivoted to supplying subject matter expertise on risk governance, AI, and biotechnology. 
To date, SI has contributed to key intergovernmental processes for reducing global risks, developed a future-proofing framework to inform the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, delivered the first and most extensive UN report on existential risk and rapid technological change, and co-authored the first United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) report on the subject of Hazards with Escalation Potential. Additionally, SI has published research papers, interview analyses, and frameworks. It has also hosted numerous workshops, briefings, and training courses on future-proofing, foresight, and technology governance.

Digital activities

Emerging technologies and artificial intelligence

SI believes in the potential of human ingenuity and technology to create a future where life can thrive. They’re optimistic about the ability for emerging technologies like AI to accelerate progress towards sustainable development goals (SDGs), address the climate crisis, and boost global development. At the same time, SI is concerned about the risks posed by these technologies, with AI for instance, already posing challenges like misinformation and bias, and already raising future concerns, including rogue AI systems and a potential loss of human control.

SI aims to help policymakers keep up with the rapid pace of technological change by translating and summarising the latest science on emerging technological risks and opportunities into concrete policy advice. In tandem, SI works with policymakers to influence the creation and evolution of governance structures, improve risk management, and foster input from essential stakeholders, to enhance global technology governance to be more responsive, agile, and inclusive.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

Through their work, SI aims to draw attention to the various opportunities and risks associated with AI, particularly frontier AI systems. SI translates complex technical AI issues into legible language, conducts capacity-building sessions with diplomats, fosters exchange between multilateral actors, the private sector, and civil society, and actively participates in multilateral policy processes concerning AI governance. 

Capacity building

SI has conducted various forms of capacity building on AI, including a Training Course on AI Governance for UN Missions in New York in February 2024, where SI trained 60 diplomats ahead of the international consultations and negotiations on the Global Digital Compact, as well as a three-part AI Governance Briefing Series for Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva from November to December 2023, where SI briefed diplomats on AI’s technical foundations and the existing multilateral AI governance landscape. The organization also provides tailored talks, training courses, and briefings to interested diplomats and multilateral governance actors on an ad hoc basis.

Policy engagement

SI actively engages in multilateral policy processes relevant to AI governance. For instance, during the 2022-2023 review period of the Sendai Framework, SI dedicated time to raising awareness about the risks presented by advanced AI systems, speaking at events like the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction and the High-Level Meeting during the Midterm review of the Sendai Framework, as well as delivering a thematic study on risks posed by emerging technologies, including AI. Additionally, SI has submitted numerous consultations to the Global Digital Compact on governing advanced AI systems, and responded to numerous briefs of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and other intergovernmental bodies such as the High-Level Advisory Body on AI. Privately, SI provides individual support to policy actors, tailored to the specific context and subject area in which they operate.  

Knowledge brokering

With strong ties across academia, private labs, and technical research communities, the SI team has a firm grasp of the latest developments in frontier AI. SI’s focus lies in effectively translating these developments into language and advice suitable for policy actors. To date, SI has delivered the first UN report on Existential Risk and Rapid Technological Change, explaining key risks associated with AI systems and potential governance mechanisms, and developed a report on Hazards with Escalation Potential, outlining how AI may soon become a primary driving force behind various hazards. Other contributions include a report on Safe and Beneficial Artificial Intelligence for Small-Island Developing States, a concise explainer on AI: Artificial Intelligence: a Brief on Risks and Opportunities, and several articles including the importance of focusing AI governance efforts on frontier systems, including an op-ed titled Agile Multilateral AI Governance Starts with Foundation Models

Emerging technologies 

In today’s interconnected world, the majority of emerging technologies have significant digital elements (e.g. AI, biotechnology, quantum computing). They are also characterised by uncertain development trajectories and unrealised real-world applications. Much of SI’s work is based on the premise that governing such technologies requires long-term thinking, adaptability, and foresight. SI advocates for the effective governance of emerging technologies by translating the latest technical developments into concrete policy advice, providing recommendations on policy design, and offering frameworks to support the adaptable governance of emerging technologies (e.g. SI’s Future-Proofing framework.) 

Additionally, SI hosts workshops at the intersection of foresight, technology governance, and multilateralism. In September 2023, SI collaborated with the UN Futures Lab Network to organise a Foresight Workshop on Frontier Technologies, encouraging actors to reflect on the potential development trajectories of various technologies. In January 2023, SI convened a workshop titled Future-proofing the Multilateral System, inviting actors from academia, civil society, and the multilateral system to discuss ways to integrate forecasting techniques into the SDG process, manage risks associated with technologies like biotechnology and AI, and find ways to use technical standardisation to harmonise global technology governance efforts.

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AI Chess Cup: Evolution of Chess with AI

In 1997, a historic moment occurred in chess when Garry Kasparov competed against the Deep Blue AI for the first time. Two decades later, in 2017, DeepMind achieved a similar milestone by creating an AI that defeated the world champion in the Chinese game Go. Today, Chess.com, the leading chess platform worldwide, celebrates this transformative journey by hosting the AI Cup. This prestigious tournament showcases the significant impact of AI on the game of chess.

 Chess, Game, Adult, Male, Man, Person, Accessories, Formal Wear, Tie, People
Garry Kaparov vs Deep Blue AI

Scheduled from September 25th to 29th, the AI Cup serves as the thrilling final knockout stage of the esteemed $2 million Champions Chess Tour. Bringing together 56 of the world’s top players, who have earned their spots through a Play-In event, the tournament will feature three divisions competing in the highly anticipated AI Cup knockout stage.

 Trophy, Animal, Bird, Penguin, Festival, Hanukkah Menorah
AI Chess Cup: Evolution of Chess with AI 5

The AI Cup stands as a cornerstone of the 2023 Champions Chess Tour (CCT), hailed as the year’s most significant online chess event. Comprising six events throughout the year, the CCT culminates in live, in-person finals. With a formidable lineup of the world’s top chess players and a substantial prize fund of $2,000,000, the CCT represents Chess.com’s most prestigious event to date.

In essence, the AI Cup provides an exceptional platform to celebrate the remarkable advancements of AI in the world of chess, underscoring its ongoing evolution and profound influence on the game in the digital age.

Why does it matter

These developments showcase the incredible progress AI has made over the years. From the iconic chess match in 1997 to the cutting-edge advancements in Go-playing AI, they highlight AI’s potential to transcend human capabilities in complex tasks. This matters because it signifies the evolution of AI in the realm of games and its potential to tackle significant real-world challenges. Whether optimizing energy consumption or discovering revolutionary materials, AI’s ability to learn and improve autonomously, as demonstrated by AlphaGo Zero, holds great promise for addressing some of humanity’s most pressing issues. These advancements remind us that AI is a transformative force that can push the boundaries of what we thought was possible in leisure activities like chess and critical domains with far-reaching implications for our future.

UN Secretary-General issues policy brief for Global Digital Compact

As part of the process towards developing a Global Digital Compact (GDC), the UN Secretary-General has issued a policy brief outlining areas in which ‘the need for multistakeholder digital cooperation is urgent’: closing the digital divide and advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs), making the online space open and safe for everyone, and governing artificial intelligence (AI) for humanity. 

The policy brief also suggests objectives and actions to advance such cooperation and ‘safeguard and advance our digital future’. These are structured around the following topics:

  • Digital connectivity and capacity building. The overarching objectives here are to close the digital divide and empower people to participate fully in the digital economy. Proposed actions range from common targets for universal and meaningful connectivity to putting in place or strengthening public education for digital literacy. 
  • Digital cooperation to accelerate progress on the SDGs. Objectives include making targeted investments in digital public infrastructure and services, making data representative, interoperable, and accessible, and developing globally harmonised digital sustainability standards. Among the proposed actions are the development of definitions of safe, inclusive, and sustainable digital public infrastructures, fostering open and accessible data ecosystems, and developing a common blueprint on digital transformation (something the UN would do). 
  • Upholding human rights. Putting human rights at the centre of the digital future, ending the gender digital divide, and protecting workers are the outlined objectives in this area. One key proposed action is the establishment of a digital human rights advisory mechanism, facilitated by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to provide guidance on human rights and technology issues. 
  • An inclusive, open, secure, and shared internet. There are two objectives: safeguarding the free and shared nature of the internet, and reinforcing accountable multistakeholder governance. Some of the proposed actions include commitments from governments to avoid blanket internet shutdowns and refrain from actions disrupting critical infrastructures.
  • Digital trust and security. Objectives range from strengthening multistakeholder cooperation to elaborate norms, guidelines, and principles on the responsible use of digital technologies, to building capacity and expanding the global cybersecurity workforce. The proposed overarching action is for stakeholders to commit to developing common standards and industry codes of conduct to address harmful content on digital platforms. 
  • Data protection and empowerment. Ensuring that data are governed for the benefit of all, empowering people to control their personal data, and developing interoperable standards for data quality as envisioned as key objectives. Among the proposed actions are an invitation for countries to consider adopting a declaration on data rights and seeking convergence on principles for data governance through a potential Global Data Compact. 
  • Agile governance of AI and other emerging technologies. The proposed objectives relate to ensuring transparency, reliability, safety, and human control in the design and use of AI; putting transparency, fairness, and accountability at the core of AI governance; and combining existing norms, regulations, and standards into a framework for agile governance of AI. Actions envisioned range from establishing a high-level advisory body for AI to building regulatory capacity in the public sector. 
  • Global digital commons. Objectives include ensuring inclusive digital cooperation, enabling regular and sustained exchanges across states, regions, and industry sectors, and developing and governing technologies in ways that enable sustainable development, empower people, and address harms. 

The document further notes that ‘the success of a GDC will rest on its implementation’. This implementation would be done by different stakeholders at the national, regional, and sectoral level, and be supported by spaces such as the Internet Governance Forum and the World Summit on the Information Society Forum. One suggested way to support multistakeholder participation is through a trust fund that could sponsor a Digital Cooperation Fellowship Programme. 

As a mechanism to follow up on the implementation of the GDC, the policy brief suggests that the Secretary-General could be tasked to convene an annual Digital Cooperation Forum (DCF). The mandate of the forum would also include, among other things, facilitating collaboration across digital multistakeholder frameworks and reducing duplication; promoting cross-border learning in digital governance; and identifying and promoting policy solutions to emerging digital challenges and governance gaps.

Inter-Parliamentary Union

The IPU is the global organisation of national parliaments. It was founded more than 130 years ago as the first multilateral political organisation in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 180 national Member Parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes democracy and helps parliaments develop into stronger, younger, greener, more gender-balanced, and more innovative institutions. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.

Digital activities

The IPU’s digital activities mainly focus on the promotion of the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in parliaments. To this end, it has established a Centre for Innovation in Parliament, which undertakes research on the impact of digital technologies on parliaments, publishes the landmark World e-Parliament Report, hosts the biannual World e-Parliament Conference and co-ordinates a network of parliamentary hubs on innovation in parliaments.

Digital policy issues

Capacity development 

In line with its objective to build strong and democratic parliaments, the IPU assists parliaments in building their capacity to use ICTs effectively, both in parliamentary proceedings and in communication with citizens. The IPU has also been mandated by its member parliaments to carry on capacity development programmes for parliamentary bodies tasked to oversee observance of the right to privacy and individual freedoms in the digital environment.

The IPU also encourages parliaments to make use of ICTs as essential tools in their legislative activities. To this aim, the IPU launched the Centre for Innovation in Parliament in 2018 to provide a platform for parliaments to develop and share good practices in digital transformation strategies, as well as practical methods for capacity building. The IPU holds the World e-Parliament Conference, a biannual forum that addresses from both the policy and technical perspectives how ICTs can help improve representation, law-making, and oversight. It also publishes the annual World E-Parliament Report

As of August 2023, eight regional and thematic parliamentary hubs are operating under the Centre for Innovation in Parliament, covering IT governance, open data and transparency, hispanophone countries, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Each hub is co-ordinated by a national parliament and brings together parliaments to work on subjects of common interest, such as remote working methods during COVID-19.

In 2023 IPU published a Guide to digital transformation in parliaments, in partnership with the Association of Secretaries General of Parliament.

Sustainable development 

The IPU works to raise awareness about the sustainable development goals (SDGs) among parliaments, and provides them with a platform to assist them in taking action and sharing experiences and good practices in achieving the SDGs.

Privacy and data protection 

One of the IPU’s objectives is to promote and protect human rights. To this aim, its Committee on Democracy and Human Rights is involved in activities aimed to contribute to ensuring privacy in the digital era and the use of social media as effective tools to promote democracy. A 2015 resolution on ‘Democracy in the digital era and the threat to privacy and individual freedoms’ calls on parliaments to create adequate mechanisms for the protection of privacy in the online space, and to ensure that legislation in the field of surveillance, privacy, and data protection is based on democratic principles. 

Freedom of expression 

The IPU’s Committee on Democracy and Human Rights works, among others, on promoting the protection of freedom of expression in the digital era and the use of social media as an effective tool to promote democracy. In 2015, the IPU adopted a Resolution on ‘Democracy in the digital era and the threat to privacy and individual freedoms’ encourages parliaments to remove all legal limitations on freedom of expression and the flow of information, and urges them to enable the protection of information in cyberspace, so as to safeguard the privacy and individual freedom of citizens. 

In 2023, the Committee decided to prepare a resolution titled The impact of artificial intelligence on democracy, human rights and the rule of law, for adoption in October 2024. Preparation of the resolution is accompanied by capacity-building activities for parliamentarians on AI.

It offers virtual training sessions for parliamentarians. Its IPU Parline database is an open data platform on national parliaments, which includes data on the age of people in parliament as well as a monthly ranking of women in national parliaments.

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UNESCO to train media in West Africa to use digital tools to cover environmental issues

UNESCO will implement a project in four African countries – Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon – to train news teams from leading media organisations to use digital tools for investigating and reporting on environmental issues.

Given the numerous presence of international and national extractive companies in Africa, Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, highlighted local media’s role in monitoring these companies’ activities and holding them accountable in case of environmental violations.

In addition to equipping media teams with skills to use technologies such as satellite imagery, databases on climate indicators, 3-D modelling, digital maps and others, UNESCO will also instruct them on researching public records for their coverage, including environmental laws and regulations.

After completion of the project, participants are expected to be able to expose actors who are not complying with environmental laws and commitments, identify discrepancies between officially released data and reality and dispute statements made by politicians.

World Economic Forum issues ‘State of the Connected World 2023’ report

The World Economic Forum and the Council on the Connected World published the State of the Connected World 2023 report exploring governance gaps related to the internet of things (IoT). The report outlines the findings of a survey conducted with 271 experts worldwide to understand the state of IoT affairs. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased IoT demand in health, manufacturing, and consumer IoT. However, there is a lack of confidence when it comes to matters such as privacy and security.

Two main governance gaps are identified: (1) a lack of governmental regulation and implementation of industry standards and (2) IoT users are more susceptible to cyber threats and cyberattacks.

One recommendation is for businesses and governments to develop and implement practices to improve privacy and security and create a more inclusive and accessible IoT ecosystem. The need to improve equal access to technology and its benefits is also underscored.

Lockheed Martin will work with NVIDIA to build an AI-driven Earth Observations Digital Twin for NOAA

Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company, and NVIDIA, a global leader in accelerated computing, will collaborate to build an AI-driven Earth Observations Digital Twin for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It will provide NOAA with a centralised approach to monitoring global environmental conditions, including extreme weather events.

The project will use satellite and ground-based observations, which will be ingested, analysed, shared and visually represented by various platforms developed by the two companies.

Commission on the Status of Women: 67th session

The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67), to be held between 6 and 17 March 2023, will have as its priority theme ‘innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls’.

Some of the topics to be discussed under this theme will include addressing barriers to bridge the gender digital divide and promote education in the digital age, and fostering inclusive innovation and technological change to empower women and girls and create safer digital spaces.

The meeting is open to UN member states, UN entities, and non-governmental organisations accredited by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

CSW is the main global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, and it functions as a commission of ECOSOC.

For more details, consult the CSW67 dedicated website.

Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency launches digital system for environmental inspection and compliance evaluation

The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) launched ‘Eltezam’, a digital system for environmental inspection and compliance evaluation. The new system allows EAD inspectors to review any aspect of an organisation’s activities regarding potential environmental harms (regardless of whether the activities are listed in the organisation’s environmental licence).

The system is built on algorithms that connect industrial sectors with production processes and conditions.

Faisal Al Hammadi, Acting Executive Director of the Environmental Quality Sector at EAD, noted: ‘The agency has developed modern technological tools and programs that ensure compliance by industrial facilities and development projects with environmental laws and requirements.’

The Unit Head, Compliance and Enforcement at EAD, Ahmed Al Waheebi, said that this new digital system aims to strengthen EAD’s inspection role and expand its coverage to all industrial sectors, infrastructure projects, and commercial activities under its jurisdiction.

Nigeria revises enviornmental legislations to tackle e-waste crisis

A large amount of electronic waste
Nigeria revises enviornmental legislations to tackle e-waste crisis 10

On January 5, 2023, the Nigerian government announced a review of national environmental regulations to address the country’s long-lasting e-waste crisis. Nigeria is the largest gateway to the African continent for imports of electrical and electronic equipment. Annually, the country disposes and processes more than half a million tons of electronics and nearly 100,000 people make their living working in the electronics recycling sector.

The changes in the legislation were enabled by the Circular Economy Approaches for the Electronics Sector in Nigeria project, an initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), led by UNEP and implemented by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency of Nigeria (NESREA).

According to NESREA Director General, Prof. Aliyu Jauro:

“The revised regulations bind all manufacturers and importers of electrical equipment, e-waste collection centres, and recycling facilities to register with the E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization Nigeria (EPRON), marking an essential step towards the operationalization of a financially self-sustaining circular electronics network.”

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