Welcome to the fifth daily report from the General Debate at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA80). Our daily hybrid AI–human reports bring you a concise overview of how world leaders are framing the digital future.
Day 5 discussions revolved around harnessing AI and digital technologies for development, security, and inclusive growth. Delegates emphasised responsible AI governance, ethical frameworks, and international norms to manage risks, including in military applications. The need for equitable access to AI, digital literacy, and capacity building for developing countries was highlighted to bridge technological and social divides. Participants also addressed cybersecurity, disinformation, and the influence of global tech corporations, emphasising the importance of multilateral cooperation and human-centric approaches. Discussions underscored that leveraging AI and digital innovation responsibly can drive sustainable development, economic autonomy, and long-term prosperity for all.
To keep the highlights clear and accessible, we leave them in bullet points — capturing the key themes and voices as they emerge.
Artificial intelligence
Responsible AI governance
- AI‘s transformative force can aid conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and humanitarian actions, but early, constructive, and inclusive multilateral engagement is essential. However, AI requires guardrails so that it can be harnessed responsibly. (Singapore)
- Common norms need to be established at the UN as soon as possible to unlock the transformative potential of new technologies, especially AI, for the benefit of all, while mitigating the risks. (Cuba)
- Military uses of AI and autonomous weapons in the military domain are dangerous and require international laws regulating them. (Saudi Arabia)
- Meaningful human control must be retained over life-or-death decisions made by AI in conflict, guided by international law and ethical principles, as the rapid advance of AI has led to concerning levels of autonomy in conflict. (San Marino)
- The establishment of an Independent International Science Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance are fundamental to promoting scientific understanding of AI and ensuring inclusive multistakeholder discussions, which will contribute to building UN membership capacity, fostering shared knowledge, common understanding, and pooled experience, equally benefiting stakeholders from developing countries. (San Marino)
AI for development and growth
- The UN needs to be future-ready and harness the potential of emerging technologies like AI as a force for good for all. (Singapore)
- Artificial intelligence (AI) offers promise but carries profound risks, and safeguards against misuse must be established to build digital societies that bridge development divides rather than widen them. (Philippines)
- Efforts should be enhanced for developing countries to have access to AI and digital technologies. (Egypt)
- UAE has sought to harness science, technology, and AI to advance sustainable development around the world. (UAE)
- AI, as a horizontal and cross-cutting technology, has a particular promise for development. The approach to AI is to harness it responsibly for human welfare, with inclusion and impact as the watchwords for the summit India will host in 2026. (India)
- AI applications, digital transformation, and innovation are highly important. (Oman)
- The paradox of today’s world is that unprecedented technological advancement exists alongside deep inequality. Some children walk miles to fetch water from school, and some children are using AI in their lessons. To turn innovation into inclusion, education is needed. (Grenada)
- AI and AI-related skills are being considered for teaching, understanding, and use to enhance education access, delivery, and outcome, as the jobs of tomorrow cannot be met with the skills of yesterday. (Grenada)
Digital technologies for development
Digital inclusion and access
- Technological progress fosters growth and interaction. (Belarus) Technology is a defining force of our age, a connector, an enabler, an equaliser. (Philippines)
- While interdependence has deepened thanks to technology, new divisions and fault lines have emerged, undermining many of the positive gains. (Belarus)
- The world is rapidly advancing toward the Fourth Industrial Revolution and AI, but a widening gap remains between this realm and the one hostage to poverty and marginalisation. United efforts are needed to devise solutions that are capable of narrowing this gap by achieving just and comprehensive human-centred development (Mauritania)
- The Global Digital Compact is an important tool that underscores the collective commitment to bridging the digital divide and promoting digital inclusion, creating a more equitable future and ensuring that digital technology is used for the benefit of all humanity. (San Marino)
- Digital access and inclusive governance are important for enhancing mutual trust and shared benefits, supporting the implementation of the Global Digital Compact. (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
- Investing in human capital, advancing green and digital transitions, and reinforcing institutional resilience are key pillars for long-term prosperity. (Romania)
- The digital transition is one of the strategic pillars for the national long-term development programme. (Guinea)
- Digital transformation and AI applications are a priority, alongside innovation and industrial development. (Oman)
- The digital and scientific, and technological innovation potential is an untapped resource that can serve as a powerful catalyst for accelerating progress toward attaining the SDGs. (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
- Digital transformation and the application of modern technology are important to enhance efficiency and strengthen adaptability in ASEAN. (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
- Digital skills, coding, and technology clubs are now part of the school environment, and primary school students are assessed through electronic testing, prioritising both digital literacy and problem-solving skills. (Grenada)
- Investment is being made in digital skills for the new economy. (Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis)
- Digital public infrastructure has redefined governance and enabled the delivery of public services on an unprecedented scale. (India) The Maldives also noted they are digitalising services.
- Results of self-reliance, developing national capabilities and nurturing talent can be seen in digital applications. (India)
- The country’s technicians promote digitisation, and training facilities are open to the world. (India)
Technology transfer and capacity building
- Access to new technology, innovation, and financial resources remains essential for countries in special situations and the most vulnerable groups. (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
- Adequate financial support, technology transfer, and capacity building are crucial for the effective implementation of national climate commitments. (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
- Technology transfer must be real, predictable, and accessible to SIDS upon the BBNJ Agreement entering into force, along with benefits sharing. (Maldives)
- Technology transfer and access to concessionary financing and strengthening North-South partnerships are needed to achieve the right to development. (Tunisia)
- Technology transfer and capacity building through multilateral processes are key to closing the widening gap between climate ambition and the means of implementation. (Philippines)
- Global partnerships are needed to expand access to technology and innovation. Small states bring valuable experience in adaptation and resilience. (Grenada)
- UAE supports building technological capacities of other countries, respecting their national values and priorities and ensuring the responsible and ethical use of these technologies in accordance with international law. (UAE)
Cybersecurity and crime
- Cyber attacks can cross borders in a second, posing a threat that no single nation can resolve alone. (Bahamas)
- Online scams are a form of transnational crime being actively combatted, as their impacts ripple far and wide, demanding cooperation without borders. (Thailand)
- The UN Convention Against Cybercrime is welcomed and will contribute to preventing and combating the misuse of technology and safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms, with the assistance of international and regional instruments for its implementation. The Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Programme Office (Bucharest) and the Southeast European Law Enforcement Centre hosted by Romania, contributed significantly to combating transnational crime. (Romania)
- Surveillance drones are being detected intruding into territory on a daily basis across the border areas, which constitutes a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity. (Thailand)
- When powerful actors abandon rules, all nations are at risk; this includes the weaponisation of emerging disruptive technologies. (Iceland)
- Consensus was achieved on the final report of the Open-ended Working Group on Cybersecurity (OEWG), which strengthened the normative framework for responsible state behaviour in cybersecurity, and it was agreed to establish the Global Mechanism on Cybersecurity as a permanent home for this work at the UN. (Singapore)
Disinformation and human rights online
- Human rights must be upheld in the digital age and online, especially because that is where most young people are. (Romania, San Marino)
- The implementation of the Global Digital Compact should ensure a human-centric, human rights-based approach to the digital future, which cannot be left with no rules. (Romania)
- Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy, innovation, culture, and progress, but twisting free speech into the mass production of lies, propaganda, or AI-driven disinformation is not exercising this freedom. (Iceland)
- Disinformation and conspiracy theories spread online, corroding trust in facts, institutions, and one another, leading to rising intolerance, especially towards marginalised groups. (Iceland)
- Digital technology increasingly impacts lives, and a few transnationals impose operating systems and control the content that is seen, read, heard, thus manipulating human behaviour under the ‘dictatorship of the algorithm’. (Cuba)
Digital economy and trade
- The global order is undergoing fundamental shifts impacting trade, technology, and international cooperation. (San Marino)
- Global corporations transcend borders, shaping economies, technology, and daily life without sufficient accountability, which demands international responses. (Iceland)
- The negotiation process on the Digital Economy Framework Agreement is being accelerated to position ASEAN as a leading digital economic hub, promoting regional integration, expanding global connectivity, and enhancing capacity for addressing challenges of the modern global economy. (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
- High-tech control is an economic concern, along with the grip on supply chains and critical minerals, and the shaping of connectivity. (India)
- There is a need to break with the cycle of dependence on the export of raw materials and strengthen economic autonomy, maximising the value of raw materials. (Burkina Faso, Niger)
- Lasting prosperity involves proactive industrialisation policies, maximising the value of raw materials, and creating decent jobs. (Burkina Faso)
- Making the most of scientific progress, technological advancement and innovation, which are genuine levers for shared, lasting development. (Burkina Faso)
For other topics discussed, head over to our dedicated UNGA80 page, where you can explore more insights from the General Debate.
The General Debate at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly brings together high-level representatives from across the globe to discuss the most pressing issues of our time. The session took place against the backdrop of the UN’s 80th anniversary, serving as a moment for both reflection and a forward-looking assessment of the organisation’s role and relevance.