Towards the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Deployment of AI in the Americas: The Importance of Governance, Regulatory, and Institutional Frameworks

(Adopted at the tenth plenary session, held on December 13, 2024, and
subject to revision by the Style Committee)

WE, THE MINISTERS AND HIGH AUTHORITIES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS), gathered in Washington, D.C. on December 12-13, 2024, on the occasion of the Seventh Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Science and Technology within the Framework of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI);

RECALLING that the Meetings of Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology within the framework of CIDI held in Lima (2004), Mexico City (2008), Panama City (2011), Guatemala City (2015), Medellin (2017), and virtually in 2021, recognized science, technology, and innovation as vital elements for integral and sustainable development, socio-economic growth and prosperity in the Americas;

CONSIDERING that in the Declaration of Jamaica “Harnessing the Power of Science and Transformative Technologies to Drive our Communities Forward,” adopted at the Sixth Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Science and Technology (VI REMCYT) in 2021, Ministers encouraged member states to continue promoting the use of science, technology, and innovation to meet the needs for integral development in the Americas, and to deepen regional collaboration and cooperation to ensure connectivity and close the growing technological and social gaps, with particular attention to the inclusion of youth, women and girls and other populations in vulnerable situations.

NOTING that in order to harness the power of transformative science and technologies, at the VI REMCYT, Ministers launched the OAS Youth Academy on Transformative Technologies with the goal of equipping 10,000 youth by 2024, with the necessary skills and credentials to access jobs in transformative technologies and improve their economic opportunities;

ALSO NOTING that Ministers decided to pursue the development of an OAS Network of Centers of Excellence on Transformative Technologies, for OAS member states to map trends and capabilities in the Americas, address strategic challenges, and inform policy making through research, data sharing and expertise on transformative technologies;

RECALLING that in the Declaration of Jamaica Ministers recognized the importance of continuing to “Cooperate on the development and deployment of new [transformative] technologies in ways that reinforce our shared democratic values, including respect for human rights […], and encourage compatible standards and regulation,” as well as “to effectively address the misuse of technology, to protect our societies from information manipulation and interference and promote secure and sustainable international digital connectivity.”;

BEARING IN MIND that on June 9, 2022, during Ninth Summit of the Americas held in Los Angeles, Heads of State and Government adopted the Regional Agenda for Digital Transformation (CA IX/doc.2/22) and committed to “Promote transparency and accountability in the management, publication, and use of open data and digital technologies, including the responsible and ethical development and use of artificial intelligence systems and other transformative technologies, while protecting individual privacy and personal data and promoting equity and respect for human rights […], in a manner consistent with domestic legislation and international law.”;

RECALLING that on June 27, 2024, OAS member states, at the 54th OAS General Assembly held in Paraguay, approved the Resolution Advancing Hemispheric Initiatives on Integral Development: Promoting Resilience (AG/RES. 3013 (LIV-O/24), and decided “to engage in dialogue on ways to harness the power of AI for social, economic, and sustainable development in the Americas, as well as to share good practices, strategies, plans and policies for the development and deployment of a safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, as well as mechanisms for securing data, including personal data protection and privacy policies, to mitigate risk and potential adverse outcomes.”;

RECALLING also the need to generate synergies in accordance with OAS Resolution “Advancing Hemispheric Security: A Multidimensional Approach” (AG/doc.5845/24 rev.1), which requested the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CHS), which covers cybersecurity themes, to hold a special meeting to exchange information, best practices and developments in regional and global forums on the issue of artificial intelligence (AI) during 2025; and that the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS) conduct a study on “the application of AI in public security and prevention programs, which are instrumental for crime and violence prevention, improving border security, and bolstering efforts against Transnational Organized Crime, among others.”;

DEEPLY AWARE that all areas of society, including integral development, democracy, security and human rights which constitute the four pillars of the OAS have all been impacted by the rapid advance of emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, and that comprehensive, multidisciplinary and multistakeholder dialogue can contribute positively to laying the groundwork for the approaches for the development, deployment and use of AI in a responsible and inclusive manner;

BEARING IN MIND that AI has the potential to create new jobs, accelerate progress, increase productivity, and provide innovative solutions to address development challenges such as the effects of climate change, poverty and inequality;

CONCERNED with the risks associated with the uses of AI technologies;

MINDFUL that the rapid and widespread use of AI will benefit from regional action to ensure interoperability and the safe, secure, and trustworthy development, deployment and governance of AI across the Americas;

FULLY AWARE that our decisions and actions regarding the development, deployment and governance of AI in the region will have a significant impact on the development pathways available for our countries;

CONVINCED that the AI policies, governance, institutional and regulatory frameworks established at the national and regional level can provide opportunities to expand benefits and promote innovation, while respecting human rights and improving the lives of the citizens of the Americas;
RECOGNIZING ALSO that as of today, there is no coordinated hemispheric effort to harness the potential of AI responsibly for integral development, and ACKNOWLEDGING the continental efforts to harness the potential of digital transformation, including AI, and other emerging technologies, through initiatives such as the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Network on Digital Government, as well as the summits on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Latin America and the Caribbean;

AWARE of the institutional capacity and experience of the OAS Inter-American legal system and its role in science and technology which are available to support OAS member states in the development of model governance, regulatory and institutional frameworks needed to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that accelerating regional collaboration through voluntary knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through pooling resources and capabilities, AI research and development is critical for the Americas to remain competitive and innovative, and address shared issues more effectively;

EMPHASIZING that strengthening institutional capacities and developing AI skills are essential to ensure that the Americas can fully capitalize on AI’s potential for integral development, and manage the impact of AI on the workforce;

CONSIDERING that ongoing initiatives of the OAS, such as Prospecta Americas and the OAS Network of Centers of Excellence on Transformative Technologies can provide critical insights to decision makers in OAS member states; and,

RECALLING that in 2023, the X Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Science and Technology (COMCYT) and two multi-sectoral policy dialogues on Artificial Intelligence hosted by the OAS, brought together government officials, high-level executives from major technology companies, and top think tanks and research institutions from 26 OAS member states, and highlighted the urgent need for regional cooperation to develop guidelines for AI’s deployment, promote innovation, and emphasize transparency, accountability, training and support for the workforce.

WE, THE MINISTERS, AND HIGH AUTHORITIES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE MEMBER STATES RESOLVE:

1. To urge OAS Member States to engage in an effort to ensure the safe, secure and trustworthy development and deployment of AI in the Americas.

2. To commit to define and implement an Inter-American AI agenda charting a clear path forward with actions that ensure that AI development, deployment and governance are conducted in a manner that fosters innovation, respects, protects and promotes human rights and supports integral development for the improvement of the quality of life of our citizens.

3. To recommend member states to engage in the development of model governance frameworks to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, as instruments that can be adapted and adopted by each country pursuant to its national context and areas of interest.

4. To encourage member states to share information for the development of model AI governance and regulatory frameworks, including good practices, lessons learned, case studies, and comparative models to build a common baseline of understanding on AI for the Americas, and, in this regard, seek synergies, when possible, with regional initiatives on AI.

5. To recommend that OAS-SEDI collaborates with other relevant OAS Organs and Secretariats, to share knowledge and contribute expertise across the four OAS pillars (development, democracy, human rights, and security), to allow member states to ensure that AI policies and initiatives are aligned with development priorities, international human rights law, and security concerns, as appropriate, and according to national legislation and priorities.

6. To recommend OAS-SEDI to facilitate dialogue between government officials, industry leaders, the private sector and civil society organizations leading research in AI, to ensure the pertinence, applicability and collaborative development of model AI governance, institutional and regulatory frameworks which respond to the needs and reality of society, markets and innovation priorities in the Americas.

7. To urge member states to foster public-private partnerships to drive innovation, research and the voluntary pooling of resources and expertise on mutually agreed terms, from multiple stakeholders to accelerate the development and deployment of AI technologies, address societal challenges, and ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI across the region.

8. To recommend OAS-SEDI, to establish dialogue with experts from leading government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector companies specializing in AI, to secure targeted training programs for policymakers to build their AI technical and governance competencies and improve their understanding of AI’s risks and benefits.

9. To encourage member states and partners to expand the course offerings and increase the number of participants in the OAS Youth Academy on Transformative Technologies, with particular attention to skills development for Artificial Intelligence, to equip youth with abilities and certifications in the most dynamic sectors of the digital economy.

10. To strengthen and expand the Network of OAS Centers of Excellence on Transformative Technologies as a catalyst for AI innovation, collaboration, and advancement in cutting-edge fields, provide resources for research collaboration with the existing OAS Centers of Excellence and encourage member states and observer states to incorporate new centers on transformative technologies in all regions of the Americas.

11. To encourage existing and new OAS Centers of Excellence on Transformative Technologies to engage in research to inform decisions and policies of governments, parliamentarians, leaders from the private sector and communities across the Americas, and to provide practical applications and solutions to solve challenges facing our communities and countries.

12. To urge member states to support the implementation of capacity building initiatives on emerging and priority needs on AI technical and policy developments of OAS member states, such as strengthening measurement, intellectual property frameworks, and risk management frameworks.

13. To encourage member states to share good practices to increase digital literacy, public awareness, and access to information about AI among the general population and to assess the effects of AI use on our citizens and communities.

14. To establish two Working Groups within the framework of the COMCYT to contribute to the implementation of the mandates of this Declaration and its Plan of Action, as follows: Working Group 1 on Governance, Regulatory and Institutional Models on AI; and Working Group 2 on Regional and Collaborative Cooperation Framework for the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Deployment of AI.

15. To encourage member states to make the necessary efforts to allocate the technical, human, and economic resources to support and fund the implementation of the actions of the COMCYT, Working Groups, the Network of Centers of Excellence and the OAS Youth Academy on Transformative Technologies affirmed in this Declaration and its Action Plan, according to available resources in each member state and the OAS.

16. To engage in collaboration on science, technology, and innovation with OAS Permanent Observer States and COMCYT partners, including universities, research centers, NGOs, private sector, and other institutions to support the implementation of this Ministerial Declaration and Plan of Action.

17. To request OAS-SEDI to coordinate with other regional organizations, development banks and partners guiding AI initiatives with OAS member states to maximize resources, synergies, collaboration opportunities, and avoid duplication of efforts.

18. To acknowledge the work of Jamaica in its capacity as Chair of the COMCYT of the Organization of American States (OAS) for the 2022-2024 cycle, as well as Chile and Peru as Vice-Chairs.

19. To thank each of the OAS Centers of Excellence and their respective member state for integrating the OAS Network of Centers of Excellence on Transformative Technologies and participating in its conformation and activities: the Blockchain Center in Hidalgo, Mexico (COEBH); the Center on Robotics and AI in Barranquilla, Colombia (AudacIA); the National Center for Artificial Intelligence of Chile (CENIA); the Center on Innovation and Transformative Technologies for the Circular Economy in Cordoba, Argentina; the Center on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology in Lima, Peru (CEMAT); as well as the Center on Biotechnology and Health Sciences in Panama and the Center on Ocean Technologies at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

20. To thank the Government of Peru for its commitment and contribution to the success of the Seventh Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Science and Technology, held within the framework of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development.